TigerSharks is an American animated children's television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1987. The series involved a team of heroes that could transform into sharks and other marine animals and resembled the series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, also developed by Rankin/Bass.
The series lasted only one season with 26 episodes and was part of The Comic Strip show, which consisted of four animated shorts: TigerSharks, Street Frogs, The Mini Monsters, and Karate Kat.
The animation was provided by Pacific Animation Corporation. Warner Brothers Animation currently owns the series, as they own the 1974-89 Rankin/Bass library, which was incorporated into the merger of Lorimar-Telepictures and Warner Brothers.
Production and development
Rankin/Bass followed up their successful ThunderCats and SilverHawks series with this series about a team of powered up man/marine form hybrids called the "TigerSharks". This third series also featured many of the same voice actors who had worked on ThunderCats and SilverHawks including Larry Kenney, Peter Newman, Earl Hammond, Doug Preis and Bob McFadden.
Story
The members of the TigerShark team were humans who had to use a device called the Fish Tank in order to transform into their powered-up marine forms and enter it once again to revert into their human forms. The TigerSharks' base was a spaceship that could also go underwater. The ship was called the SARK and contained the Fish Tank, along with other research facilities.
The action took place in the fictional world of Water-O (pronounced Wah-tare-oh), which was covered almost completely by water. The planet was inhabited by a race of fish-men called the Waterians. The TigerSharks arrived there on a research mission and ended up serving as the protectors of the planet against the evil T-Ray, who had arrived there beforehand.
Characters
TigerSharks
Protectors of Water-O, the team members are:
- Mako (voiced by Peter Newman): A gifted scuba diver, he is considered the field leader of the TigerSharks. Mako is not only a good mediator, but also an excellent fighter. He transforms into a human/mako shark hybrid after jumping into the Fish Tank, which grants him incredible speed underwater. Mako also uses his forearm fins and head fin to slice through metal, which leads us to believe that his shark skin is impenetrable.
- Walro (voiced by Earl Hammond): The scientific and mechanical genius who created the Fish Tank. He acts as the advisor of the team and is very respected by his comrades; when he talks the others listen. Walro turns into a human/walrus hybrid when he uses the Fish Tank.
- Dolph (voiced by Larry Kenney): Second in command and also an experienced scuba diver. Dolph has a knack for jokes and fooling around, but he knows when to joke and when to work. Dolph turns into a human/dolphin hybrid after jumping into the Fish Tank, which makes him very maneuverable underwater.
- Octavia (voiced by Camille Bonora): Captain of the SARK, communications technician and main strategist; without her tactical skills, the TigerSharks would be much less formidable. Octavia turns into a human/octopus hybrid (with tentacles instead of hair) after she uses the Fish Tank.
- Lorca: He’s the team’s mechanic and he often helps Walro to repair or build new machines. He’s also the team’s strongest member. Lorca turns into a human/orca hybrid when he uses the Fish Tank.
- Bronc: A teenager who works as an assistant in the SARK, he is very adventurous and sometimes reckless. He turns into a human/seahorse hybrid when he uses the Fish Tank.
- Angel: Bronc's sister. She, along with her brother Bronc, is the younger member of the team; this teenage girl also works as an assistant in the SARK and is much more serious and responsible than her brother Bronc. She turns into a human/angelfish hybrid after using the Fish Tank.
- Gupp: TigerSharks' pet Basset Hound. While his name might imply that he turns into a guppy, his features, including flipper-shaped legs and pin teeth, are more closely related to a seal or sea lion.
Villains
The show featured two major antagonists. They are:
- T-Ray: T-Ray is a human/manta ray hybrid-type creature. He and his assistants/henchmen known as the Mantannas arrived on Water-O because their home planet had dried up. In seeking to conquer Water-O, he freed Captain Bizzarly and his crew from their iced prison on Seaberia. He is bent on conquering Waterians and destroying the TigerSharks. He and his assistants cannot survive outside the water without using water breathing apparatus.
- Mantannas - A group of fish-like creatures that work for T-Ray.
- Wall-Eye (voiced by Peter Newman) - Member of the Mantannas.
- Shad - Member of the Mantannas.
- Dredge - Member of the Mantannas.
- Carper - Member of the Mantannas.
- Weakfish - Member of the Mantannas.
- Captain Bizzarly: A pirate with aquaphobia who controlled all crime-related activities on the vast oceans of Water-O until the Waterians froze him and his crew many years ago. T-Ray freed him and his men expecting them to help him. However, Bizzarly promptly betrayed T-Ray. Bizzarly now constantly tries to get rid of the TigerSharks and regain control of the oceans of Water-O.
- Dragonstein - Captain Bizzarly's pet dragon.
- Long John Silverfish - Member of Captain Bizzarly's pirate crew.
- Mankiller - Member of Captain Bizzarly's pirate crew.
- Spike Marlin - Member of Captain Bizzarly's pirate crew.
- Soulmate - Member of Captain Bizzarly's pirate crew.
- Lump - Member of Captain Bizzarly's pirate crew.
- Grunt - Member of Captain Bizzarly's pirate crew.
Broadcasted episodes
Broadcasted episodes
| Number | Title | Original Airdate | ||
| 1.01 | The Fish Tank | September 7 & 8, 1987 | ||
| 1.02 | Sark To The Rescue | September 10 & 11, 1987 | ||
| 1.03 | Save The Sark | September 14 & 15, 1987 | ||
| 1.04 | The Deep Fryer | September 17 & 18, 1987 | ||
| 1.05 | Bowfin | September 21 & 22, 1987 | ||
| 1.06 | Pappagallo's Present | September 24 & 25, 1987 | ||
| 1.07 | The Lighthouse | September 28 & 29, 1987 | ||
| 1.08 | Go With The Flow | October 01 & 02, 1987 | ||
| 1.09 | Termagant | October 05 & 06, 1987 | ||
| 1.10 | The Terror Of Dragonstein | October 08 & 09, 1987 | ||
| 1.11 | The Search For Redfin | October 12 & 13, 1987 | ||
| 1.12 | The Kraken | October 15 & 16, 1987 | ||
| 1.13 | Stowaway | October 19 & 20, 1987 | ||
| 1.14 | Iced | |||
| 1.15 | The Volcano | |||
| 1.16 | A Question Of Age | |||
| 1.17 | Eye Of The Storm | |||
| 1.18 | Departure | |||
| 1.19 | Murkey Waters | |||
| 1.20 | The Spellbinder | |||
| 1.21 | The Waterscope | |||
| 1.22 | The Point Of No Return | |||
| 1.23 | The Scavenger Hunt | |||
| 1.24 | Paradise Island | |||
| 1.25 | The Treasure Map | |||
| 1.26 | Redfin Returns | |||
In other media
- The TigerSharks made a cameo in an episode of the 2011 ThunderCats remake called "Legacy." They are among the "Animals" that forcibly worked under Mumm-Ra.