‘Beast Machines’: The Divisive ‘Transformers’ Series That FOX Introduced

Prior to Beast MachinesBeast MachinesFans always wanted more about Cybertron. Tiny hints appeared in past cartoons, but no full look at the planet existed.

Beast MachinesBeast Machines fulfilled fan desires by setting the show on the Transformers' home planet. Even critics could not believe the show brought action to their living rooms. To this day,Beast MachinesBeast Machines is the only Transformers cartoon set on Cybertron.

Unlike Beast WarsBeast WarsBeast MachinesThe entire plot set in stone from the start. A few small details changed, but the show stayed true to its first idea.

Hasbro offered producers a third season. They politely refused because they already told their story in 26 episodes. Fan backlash also stopped them from making more episodes.

Beast MachinesBeast Machines brought new characters. Bringing new faces to any show risks fan involvement issues. Luckily, the writing team introduced unforgettable characters in the Transformers universe.

Characters like Obsidian and Nightscream meshed well with the returning cast. Botanica and Rattrap’s romance is one perfect example. Many characters still appear in the comic books today.

Beast MachinesBeast Machines featured surprising callbacks to the 1984 Transformers cartoon.TransformersThe Plasma Energy Chamber, Key to Vector Sigma, and Hate Plague appear.

Producers did not want this. The writing staff asked to avoid using any Transformers media before starting the show. This was a request to makeBeast Machinestruly feel different fromBeast Wars. Hasbro, owner of the Transformers franchise, told them about older Transformers items, which the series eventually used.

While Mainframe Entertainment did great work withBeast Wars, the studio improved withBeast Machines. The animation gained a sharper look, which matched its darker mood. The Transformers seriesTransformers: EnergonandTransformers: Cybertron, which arrived later, struggled to match quality. Some people find it hard to look atBeast Warsthe same way after seeing the huge shift inBeast Machines.

The art style earned a Leo Award nomination for Best Direction in an Animation Program or Series in 2000.

The storyline forBeast Machineshad a darker tone than prior Transformers cartoons. Viewers fromBeast Warsquestioned what they watched. The show tackled extremism and how society should balance things.

Through Cybertron,Beast MachinesThe show showed society's technology rise, predicting the current world. Beloved Transformers writer Simon Furman thought the show was too dark for its audience.

Beast MachinesThe show featured tough villains from the Transformers franchise. Jetstorm, Thrust, and Tankor showed loyalty to Megatron as members of his Vehicon army.

Megatron increased their villainy, escalating everything they did inBeast WarsThe villain broke free from jail and spread a dangerous virus across Cybertron. With the planet, Megatron aimed to absorb everyone's spark.

Beast MachinesThe show focuses heavily on character development. Rattrap, the Maximals' bravest member, had to learn to transform again after getting a virus injection. That same virus made Rhinox and Silverbolt turn into Megatron's thugs, Tankor and Jetstorm.

After many fights, Optimus Primal gave his life to save Cybertron. Cheetor became the new Maximals leader. Fans found these shifts debatable, but they added depth to the characters.

They could not properly doBeast Machineswithout bringing back theBeast Warscast. Everyone fromBeast Warsactors reprised their roles for the sequel.

New characters added voice actors Alessandro Juliani, Kathleen Barr, Paul Dobson, Patricia Drake, and Brian Drummond. They performed amazingly. Scott McNeil's Dobson voiced Diagnostic Drone, Tankor, and Obsidian.

The music forBeast Machinesbrought the entire series to life. Robert "Bob" Buckley composed the music forBeast Wars, returned for the sequel.Beast Wars' The music is known for rocking guitars and tribal drums. This suited the series well.For Beast Machines, Buckley used a lot of electronica and industrial. These music styles affected mainstream charts then.

Leftfield, an English electronic group, got viewers excited with their song "Phat Planet" as the theme song.

The writing for the show changed a lot fromBeast Wars. The series changed most of the writing staff. Only Marv Wolfman, Blade co-creator, and Len Wein, Wolverine/Swamp Thing co-creator, remained.

Fans worried about this change, but new writers gave unique ideas. Writers Nick DuBois (Animaniacs, Taz-Mania) and Brooks Wachtel (Spider-Man: The Animated Series, RoboCop: Alpha Commando) joined the team, implementing storylines like Obsidian siding with Megatron.

Whileall Transformers showscome with their own toy line, Beast Machinesdid things differently. Producers had little Hasbro interference, which helped with the show.

The end result showed the official toys looked nothing like the characters on the show.Beast MachinesLack of communication caused Hasbro to make toys for characters not shown on the series. Botanica lacked a toy from the show.