How we made Captain Planet and the Planeteers - The ...

The world didn't need another male macho superhero, so we made Captain Planet the quintessential antihero. He can't exist without the combined ... SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsWorldnewsUKnewsCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteWorldUKCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesHowwemadeChildren'sTVHowwemadeCaptainPlanetandthePlaneteers‘Neverinourwildestdreamsdidwethinkourover-the-topstorylinesaboutfloodsandfoodshortageswouldcometrue’Ourgoalwastoarmagenerationwiththeknowledgeforsustainableliving–anditworked…CaptainPlanetPhotograph:Allstar/Hanna-Barbera/SportsphotoLtdOurgoalwastoarmagenerationwiththeknowledgeforsustainableliving–anditworked…CaptainPlanetPhotograph:Allstar/Hanna-Barbera/SportsphotoLtdInterviewsbyGeorgeBassMon20Jan202017.09GMTLastmodifiedonWed25Aug202114.47BSTBarbaraPyle,co-creator/executiveproducerIn1980,America’sGlobal2000ReporttothePresidenttookthecurrenttrendsoftheplanet–populationpressures,overstretchedresources–andprojectedthem20yearsintothefuture.Itreadlikearmageddon.CNNfounderTedTurnerhandedmethereportasmyjobdescription.Iwasn’tafilm-maker–IbeganasaphotojournalistforNBC,capturingsocialissuesin70sNewYork–buthepreferredthatIlearnedtomakefilmsthanforhimtofindanotherproducerwhounderstoodtheenvironmentalcrisiswewerefacing.CaptainPlanetisametaphorforinternationalcooperationwithapenchantforbadpunsand60smusic.NotunliketheUNTedcalledmeintohisofficeandsaid:“CaptainPlanet.”“What’sthat,sir?”Iasked.Hesaid:“That’syourproblem.”Andmyproblemitwas.WeliftedthecharactersandlocationsfromenvironmentaldocumentariesIhadmadewithNickBoxer.ThePlaneteersandmanyofthecharacterswerebasedonrealpeople.Theworlddidn’tneedanothermalemachosuperhero,sowemadeCaptainPlanetthequintessentialantihero.Hecan’texistwithoutthecombinedpowersofthePlaneteers.Gaia,thespiritoftheEarth,calledthemtogetherwhenthedegradationoftheplanetbecametoodireforhertobear.EachPlaneteercontrolsapowerofnature:earth,wind,fire,water–andheart.Heartisthemostimportantpower,aswithoutittherecanbenocompassion.CaptainPlanethimselfisametaphorforinternationalcooperation,withapenchantforbadpunsand60smusic.NotunliketheUN.Neverinourwildestdreamsdidwethinkourover-the-topstorylineswouldcometrue.Inoneepisode,PlaneteerWheelerrenounceshispowersandvisitsafuturewherefloodingandfoodshortagesarethenewnormal.Wesetitin2025,butitisalreadyhappening.Theshowbecameaglobalphenomenon:peoplerecognisedtheircountriesandtheirneighbours.Themerchandisingwashardformetostomach,butbusinessdoeswhatbusinessdoes.CaptainPlanet’simagewasprohibitedonsingle-useproducts.Theactionfiguresweremadefromplasticscrapandonlyrecycledpaperwasused.UNdraftplansets2030targettoavertEarth'ssixthmassextinctionReadmoreOurgoalwastoarmagenerationwiththeknowledgetofindmoresustainablewaysoflivingontheplanet.Themillennialsarelivingproofthatitworked.TheseadultPlaneteersaregrowingintopositionsofpower,bringingtheirknowledgetobeartomakethechangesweneed.Thisworkiscritical,becausetoday,it’sasiftheshow’seco-villainshavecometolife.Opposingthemarelegionsofinspiredpeopleworldwide,marchingtocombattheclimatecrisis.However,wearealmostatthepointofnoreturn.Thefateofourspecies–andalllivingthings–isnowtrulyinourhands.Armingageneration…EarthspiritGaiaandtheteamofPlaneteersPhotograph:Hanna-Barbera/SportsphotoLtd/AllstarDavidCoburn,actorwhovoicedCaptainPlanetI’dbeenactingprofessionallysinceIwas13,andhadavoiceovercareerbythetimeoftheshow’saudition.TheyaskedmetoperformascenewhereCaptainPlanetgetswashedcleanoftoxicgoo.Imadea“dogshake”soundbeforeIsaidmyline,andgotthegig.IlaterdiscoveredI’dreplacedTomCruise,whohadalreadyrecordedthefirstfiveepisodes.Everyoneonthevoicecastwasgratefultobeassociatedwiththeproject,andworkedforminimumwage.ThisseemedamazingtomegivensomeoftheA-listersIrecordedwith:JeffGoldblum,MegRyan,MalcolmMcDowell…WhoopiGoldberg,whovoicedGaia,broughtinherOscar(bestsupportingactressforGhost)forustoplaywith.DavidCoburn.Photograph:EverettCollectionInc/AlamyStockPhotoIt’sfuntoplayabadguy,andIenjoyedgivingCaptainPollution–CaptainPlanet’sevilclone–avalleyaccent.Thiswasn’taswipeatBillandTed,orSnakefromTheSimpsons:itwasjustthevoicethat,intheearly90s,representedtotalirresponsibility.TherewasonescenewhereMAL,theevilcomputervoicedbyTimCurry,gloatedaboutpollutioncausingstrongerstormsandmeltingtheGreenlandicicesheet.Theshowwasverypropheticinmanyways,andit’salarmingthattheknowledgethatfedintoithasbeenignoredforsolong.ButIdothinktheconversationischangingnow.Youngerpeoplearebecomingmorevocalanddoingthejobthatweadultshaveneglected.IwrotetoGretaThunbergrecently:ifshe’sreadingthis,CaptainPlanetwouldlovetohelpout.Whenproductionended,IwrotetoAlGore,inspiredbyhisdocumentaryAnInconvenientTruth.I’ddreamedofseeingenvironmentalismincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum.Childrenaretheonlydemographicontheplanetwhoaren’tmotivatedbyprofit.IwasinNewZealandonceforacommercialshoot,andencounteredanenvironmentalrally.SomebodyhadaPlaneteersposteroverhishead,soIaskedhimhowheknewtheshow.“EveryoneknowsCaptainPlanet,mate!”camethereply.Iintroducedmyself–IhadtoproveIwasforrealbyrecitingmycatchphrase,“Thepowerisyours!”–andsuddenlyfoundmyselfonstageaddressing3,500peoplewhilestilldressedforthegym.TopicsChildren'sTVHowwemadeClimatecrisisCNNAnimationonTVTelevisionTelevisionindustrySuperheroTVfeaturesReusethiscontentcomments(…)CommentinghasbeendisabledatthistimebutyoucanstillsigninorcreateyourGuardianaccounttojointhediscussionwhenit'sbackcomments(…)CommentinghasbeendisabledatthistimebutyoucanstillsigninorcreateyourGuardianaccounttojointhediscussionwhenit'sbackWorldUKCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituaries