Big Bad Beetleborgs

Big Bad Beetleborgs is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It aired for two seasons (the second season being named Beetleborgs Metallix) on Fox Kids between September 7, 1996 and March 2, 1998. Reruns later aired on UPN Kids during 1998-1999. On May 7, 2010 the copyright for Beetleborgs was transferred from BVS International to SCG Power Rangers.

The series adapted combat footage from the Metal Hero Series Juukou B-Fighter.

Synopsis
Set in the fictional town of Charterville, three "typical average kids", Drew (Wesley Barker), Jo (Shannon Chandler/Brittany Konarzewski), and Roland (Herbie Baez), enter the supposedly haunted Hillhurst Mansion after accepting a dare from rich snobs Van and Trip. The house is revealed to be the home of real monsters when the kids accidentally bump a pipe organ, releasing a phasm named Flabber (Billy Forester). He proves to be friendly, and in return for releasing him, offers to grant them one wish. They wish to become their comic book heroes, the Big Bad Beetleborgs. However, this also brings the Beetleborgs' sworn enemies to life: the Magnavores, led by the evil Vexor, who would summon monsters from the comic books to battle the Beetleborgs. Roland's mom and dad run the comic book shop along with his grandmother Nano. In a 6-parter, Vexor created his own Beetleborg, Shadowborg, which was a match for the Beetleborgs and briefly took their powers. They had to call a temporary Beetleborg (White Blaster Beetleborg) Josh, and after Shadowborg was destroyed, Josh lost his powers. The Beetleborgs would meet the Beetleborgs comic creator, Art Fortunes during this six part story in order for him to create the White Blaster Beetleborg and the Mega Blue Beetleborg.

In the second to last episode of the first season, the Magnavores steal a picture of a new villain named Nukus from Art Fortunes' office. They bring him to life to enlist his help in destroying the Beetleborgs. Nukus assists them by planning devastating attacks on the city and creating Borgslayer, a hybrid of all the Magnavore monsters. Unbeknownst to the Magnavores, Nukus was actually plotting to get rid of them. Nukus tells Van and Trip (who were fleeing Charterville during Borgslayer's attack to their father's country estate) how to defeat Borgslayer, and orders them to take the information to the Beetleborgs. They succeed in destroying Borgslayer, causing the Magnavores to be swept back into the comics. In the last episode of the first season (and the first episode of the second season), Nukus challenged the kids to one last battle and despite Art's warning that he is too powerful, they face him anyway. Nukus quickly wipes them out, and destroys their armor, weapons, and powers.

Allies

 * House Monsters
 * Flabber
 * Mums
 * Count Fangula
 * Frankenbeans
 * The Pipettes
 * Ghoulum
 * Wolfgang "Wolfie" Smith
 * Zoom Comics
 * "Nano" Williams
 * Aaron Williams
 * Heather
 * Trip and Van
 * Dudley
 * Arthur "Art" Fortunes

Magnavores

 * Vexor
 * Typhus
 * Noxic
 * Jara
 * Shadowborg
 * Scabs
 * Magnavore Jet Fighters

Monsters

 * "Hairball"
 * Terror Bear
 * Green Cannon Machine
 * Sword Warrior
 * Galaclops
 * Graxxis
 * LottaMuggs
 * Garganturat
 * Firecat
 * Queen Magna
 * Dominailer
 * Photominator
 * Mace Warrior
 * Amphead
 * Cataclazmic
 * Wingar
 * Goldex
 * Venus Claptrap
 * Cyber-Serpent
 * Dicehead
 * Grenade Guy
 * Porkasaurus
 * Detestro
 * Cataclaws
 * Mucant
 * Furocious
 * Skullhead
 * Malavax
 * Hammerhands
 * Swamp Scumoid
 * Crimson Creep
 * Unctuous
 * Super Grenade Guy
 * Kombat Knat
 * Hypnomaniac
 * Evil Eye
 * Rocket-Man
 * Super Noxic
 * Borgslayer

Production
It was not uncommon to see cardboard cut-outs and wall decorations of the Beetleborgs characters on the walls of Zoom Comics where the three kids worked. Other decorations used included the costume heads of King Sphinx of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the original head from the monster costume Kappa from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (The monster was used as "Parrot Top" in MMPR) which was used to create the costume Malavex. Toys from the Bandai Beetleborgs toyline could also be seen in various displays. Including the Special Edition Deluxe Shadowborg figure, in an episode which preceded Shadowborg's character ever appearing on the show.

Like other adaptations, some of the original source footage was altered for Beetleborgs. The Input Magnums, the original B-Fighter's guns, looked very realistic due to the black-and-silver coloring. In Beetleborgs, the gun's colors were changed to bright red and purple, and all Japanese footage of the Input Magnum's keypad being used was replaced with American footage using the red and purple gun. However, the colors of the guns changed from time to time due to the blending in of the B-Fighter footage. Similarly, the American version of the toy was done in red and purple colors instead of the Input Mangum's black and silver coloring. More violent scenes from B-Fighter were either covered up with large, Batman-esque sound effects or were cut out through comic-book-panel transitions.

Reuse
Various monsters from Beetleborgs were re-used along with un-used Juukou B-Fighter monsters as enemy monsters in the Power Rangers series:
 * In , Firecat, Hammerhands, and Terror Bear were seen at the in "." In "," the monsters  transformed into included Rocket Man, Cataclaws, LottaMuggs, Unctuous, and Firecat. Cataclaws, Cataclazmic, Crimson Creep, Firecat, Furocious, Kombat Knat, LottaMuggs, Porkasaurus, Terror Bear, and Unctuous were each seen with each army in "." Unused B-Fighter monsters Anemolala, Kapparapa, Meltzura and Pineappler also appeared there.
 * In , Cataclaws was seen at the Onyx Tavern. Cataclaws and Furocious were seen at the auction of the Pink.
 * In , Borgslayer was seen in the in "" Pt. 2. Unused B-Fighter monster Meltzura also appeared.
 * In  Mucant appeared at diner in "" Pt. 1.
 * Five random Beetleborgs suits (including Shadowborg and the Green Hunter Beetleborg) were re-used in the ' episode ' as remnants of the, who would plan to reactivate.

The episode "Convention Dimension" had The Beetleborgs attending the comic convention. Among costumes worn at the convention were: Spider-Man, The Tick and Guido Anchovy. At that time Saban owned airing rights to Spider-Man: The Animated Series, The Tick and Samurai Pizza Cats.

On Location
The show was filmed in a number of locations.
 * Much of the show was filmed in Santa Paula, California, a small rural town in Ventura County.

Streaming
On June 15, 2011 all episodes of Big Bad Beetleborgs were made available on Netflix.

Home video releases
Shout Factory has announced they are working on releasing the series on DVD with a placeholder date of December 2012 for Region 1 release.