Everything Action Theater: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (Animated Series)

Premiering on Fox Kids in September 1990, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was based on the cult 1978 movie of the same name and its sequel, Return of the Killer Tomatoes.  The whole thing came about because Muppet Babies featured clips from the first movie in an episode called “The Weirdo Zone”, where Baby Fozzie tells the story of the Attack of the Silly Tomatoes.  The episode was one of the most highly rated episodes of that season of Muppet Babies and, New World Pictures, who owned Marvel Productions and Muppet Babies, went to original Killer Tomatoes creators Four Square Productions to fund Return of the Killer Tomatoes.  When that was a success as well, Four Square and New World teamed up again for the animated series that took elements from both movies but toned things down to be kid friendly.  The show is set after “The Great Tomato War” where humanity defeated the Killer Tomatoes and now all tomatoes are banned.  Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen, an evil mad scientist, is trying to perfect Killer Tomatoes in his attempts to rule the world and makes a tomato into a pretty teenage girl named Tara Boumdeay.  Gangreen thinks she’s his ultimate creation but she betrays him and escapes with Fuzzy Tomato, a rejected friendly Killer Tomato.  Tara befriends Chad Finletter, who lives with his Uncle Wilbur (a Tomato War veteran) and delivers pizzas for his uncle’s tomato-less pizza parlor, and the pair works to foil Gangreen’s plans each episode.  John Astin, who appeared in Return of the Killer Tomatoes as a slightly different Dr. Gangreen, voiced the character on the show and Kath Soucie, Christian Guzek, Thom Bray and Maurice LaMarche voiced characters as well.  The show lasted two seasons and aired reruns until the year 2000 on Fox Family and spawned a slew of merchandise, including Mad Ballsesque action figures, video games, books, lunch boxes and more.  Check out the first episode in full below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jWnG4JZgpk