In 1984, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created the comic book characters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles comics were devised as a spoof of Marvel’s Daredevil, and focused on a quartet of humanoid ninja turtles: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.

After proving successful on the comic book shelves, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics were soon adapted for television, to become a Saturday morning cartoon. This series – which began airing in 1987 – was phenomenally popular and opened up the Turtles to a whole new fan base.

From here, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was developed into further television shows, as well as a collection of movies, and a docu-film. The movies and television shows were a mix of live-action and animated projects, some of which were more successful than others.

If you’ve never watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies or TV shows, then you have plenty to catch up on. Below you will find a list of each, to help guide you through.

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List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television shows

Below is a list of all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV shows to date. The list is presented in broadcast order.

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 – 1996) – A ten season animated series 
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Legend of the Supermutants – A two episode Japanese original video animation (OVA)
  • Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997 – 1998) – A one season live-action series 
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 – 2009) – A seven season animated series (followed by the Turtles Forever movie – see below)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 – 2017) – A five season animated series (joined by loose spin-off movie, Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past – see below)
  • TMNT Summer Shorts (2016 – 2017) – An anthology series of animated shorts, released on Nickelodeon’s YouTube channel
  • Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 – 2020) – A two season animated series (followed by Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie – see below )
  • Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024) – A series continuation of the movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

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Which is the best series?

Image: ©Nickelodeon

As a general rule of thumb, the 1987 cartoon is looked on fondly by those who grew up watching it, while the 2003 and 2012 cartoons are largely regarded as the best shows on the list. On the flipside, the live-action series Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is viewed as being a low point in TMNT shows, and has few fans (so it is best avoided).

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List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies

Image: ©New Line Cinema

Below is a list of all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies to date. The list is presented in release order.

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) – A theatrically released live-action movie 
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) – A theatrically released live-action movie
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) – A theatrically released live-action movie
  • TMNT (2007) – A theatrically released animated movie 
  • Turtles Forever (2009) – An animated television movie 
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) – A theatrically released live-action movie
  • Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past (2015) – A short animated television movie
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) – A theatrically released live-action movie 
  • Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2017) – A direct-to-DVD documentary movie
  • Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019) – A direct-to-DVD animated movie
  • Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2020) – A Netflix animated movie 
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) – A theatrically released animated movie

From the above list, the original 1990 movie is highly regarded, while 1991’s The Secret of the Ooze is seen as a cult favourite. Turtles Forever, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie are also viewed as strong films.

All of the above movies and TV shows not only demonstrate how hugely popular the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are, they also offer hours of entertainment. If you’re new to TMNT, now is a perfect time to dive in.

Image: ©Nickelodeon
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Alex Wiggan's avatar

Editor/writer/mutant

Alex Wiggan

Alex is a writer, editor, and blogger specialising in movies, TV, comics, retro toys, and general geekery. He is a championing voice in nerd content, an expert in pop culture, and a trusted movie critic who publishes new reviews on a weekly basis. After graduating with a degree in film & television studies from the University of Derby in the UK, Alex went on to study journalism in Sheffield, before acquiring NCTJ accreditation. Prior to a career in blogging, Alex was a magazine editor, a senior copywriter, a features writer, and a freelancer.

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about TMNT TV shows and movies. For more posts, check out the recommended reads below.

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