Force Five

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Force Five
Created byGo Nagai
(Gaiking, Starvengers & Grandizer)
Leiji Matsumoto
(Danguard Ace & Spaceketeers)
Written byCollins Walker
Mike Haller
Lynn Garrison
Directed byJim Terry
Collins Walker
Music byShunsuke Kikuchi
Country of originUnited States
Japan (o.v.)
No. of series5
No. of episodes130 (286 in original versions)
Production
ProducerJim Terry
EditorStewart Nelsen
Running time23 minutes
Production companiesJim Terry Productions (former American Way)
Toei Animation
Original release
NetworkFirst-run syndication
ReleaseSeptember 8, 1980 (1980-09-08) –
December 4, 1981 (1981-12-04)

Force Five is an American adaptation of five different anime television series. In the United States, this series was primarily shown only in New England, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, though it did make brief appearances in other markets, such as Texas and Northern California on KICU-TV 36. It was also shown in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on CFMT channel 47 and in Asia on Star Plus during the 1990s. It was produced by Jim Terry and his company American Way, and it consisted of five imported Japanese giant robot serials (originally produced in the mid-1970s by Toei Animation) in response to the popularity of the Shogun Warriors toy collection. Mattel was one of the sponsors of the series.

In an anthology style, the five shows were broadcast simultaneously with one episode of each serial assigned a specific weekday. Additionally, all of the shows were edited into two-hour movies and marketed on video tape by Family Home Entertainment. In the UK, Krypton Force released several of these programmes but under different series titles.

Force Five series[edit]

Force Five consisted of the following five series:

# Series No. of
episodes
Adaptation of No. of
episodes
1 Force Five: Gaiking 26 Dino-Mecha Gaiking (1976) 44
2 Force Five: Danguard Ace 26 Planetary Robot Danguard Ace (1977) 56
3 Force Five: Starvengers 26 Getter Robo G (1975) 39
4 Force Five: Grandizer 26 UFO Robot Grendizer (1975) 74
5 Force Five: Spaceketeers 26 Sci-Fi West Saga Starzinger (1978) 73

Originally, Great Mazinger was meant to be among the five shows, but at the last minute was swapped out for Starzinger.

External links[edit]