************************************************************************** THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS NEWSLETTER THE NEWSLETTER OF THE POWER RANGER CLUB ISSUE #56 -- MARCH 19, 1996 "THE WORLD IS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU!" ************************************************************************** INDEX TO MMPR NEWSLETTER #56 1: THE WOMAN BEHIND THE SUPERHEROES Here's a look at Margaret Loesch, who works on Power Rangers. 2: TODAY'S MMPR TOP 10 LIST Ten reasons the teens are never around the Power Rangers. 3: POWER RANGER STRIP SHOW #2 Aisha's profile... 4: POWER RANGERS STRIP SHOW #1 [ANSWERS!] Answers to Billy's questions. 5: DID YOU KNOW...? I bet you didn't know *this*... 6: STAR POWER A repost from Radio AAHS Magazine. 7: MMPR SIGHTINGS! I've seen that guy before... 8: NICE TO MEET YOU Heather Almeter's MMPR profile... 9: STRETCH How is honey MMPR-related? Stretch! 10: ALL I WANNA DO IS HAVE SOME FUN I will get you in the TAG-J mood... 11: MMPR POLL #4 Who can replace each Ranger? 12: MUSIC BOX Aye-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai... 13: THE MMPR BULLETIN BOARD Looking for some hard-to-get merchandise? Here's the place to look... 14: ASK MAX Three questions you've asked. 15: TODAY'S TRIVIA Do *you* know the answer? 16: POWER RANGER B-DAY ANNOUNCEMENTS! Happy, happy birthday, Baby! 17: NEXT ISSUE! A sneak peak at Issue 57 (and, even more...) ************************************************************************** **** THE WOMAN BEHIND THE SUPERHEROES by James Kaplan Reprinted from the March 16-22 1996 issue of "TV Guide" (Pgs. 42-44) ==================================== She's the working mom who picks the shows your kids are likely to watch. Meet the head of TV's top-rather children's network. ==================================== Margaret Loesch--president of the Fox Children's Network and arguably one of the most powerful people in kids' TV--doesn't quite look or act the part. Wife of an artist and mother of a 7-year-old son, Loesh, in her late 40s, is blond and pretty, soft-spoken, and occasionally hesitant. Think of her as Meryl Streep on a slightly absentminded day. She's not, in other words, your usual TV honcho. Loesch came up the hard way. The daughter of an Air Force general, she moved many times during her childhood, and her family didn't have a TV until she was twelve. After college, she started as a clerk-typist as ABC and began her career climb, eventually becoming director of children's programs at NBC, an executive at Hanna-Barbera, and chief of Marvel Productions. In 1990, she went to Fox to start its kids' network. Fox Children's Network (FCN) quickly charged to number one and has stayed there. But with new competition from Nickelodeon, Kids' WB!, and others, Fox has to try much harder these days. Recently Loesch made a far-reaching creative and financial alliance with Saban Entertainment (creators of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) that has aroused some controversy. TV GUIDE: You've joked that your gravestone will say, "Here's the woman who brought Power Rangers to TV." Margaret Loesch: I hope it says something else (laughs). TVG: Some of your competitors claim Fox built its success on the back of Power Rangers, and now that the show is fading, Fox will sink. ML: Well, that's just ridiculous! First, the show that thrust us into the number- one position was X-Men. Clearly Power Rangers gave us a tremendous leap, and brought a lot of new viewers to us. And it is true that it's not the mega-hit that it was. But we still have the largest piece of the ratings pie. It's smaller than before because there's more competition, and more options for kids. TVG: You always seemed certain that Power Rangers would be a hit. How did you know? ML: I remembered from my own childhood how much I liked adventure. And how much my brother and I liked watching those silly Japanese movies with Godzilla. Power Rangers combined those elements with humor, and with attractive and positive role models. All this went together with the action, and the jeopardy of villains, which we also know kids like. TVG: FCN has six of the top 10 kids' shows on the air right now, and many of them are superhero shows, including Spider-Man, Masked Rider, and X-Men. Are you proud of that? Is this what you want American kids to watch? ML: Well, you know, I can't control what kids like and don't like. What I'm proud of is that we have a very defensive slate: everything from Bobby's World and Life With Louie and Carmen Sandiego to Power Rangers and Spider-Man. And I think our shows are all imaginative. I would not be proud if we were delivering only one kind of program; I would think we were getting lazy. If each show is as good as it can be, the kids will select what they like. TVG: Some critics would charge that the real reason for these shows is to sell toys. ML: We've always said we wanted to be different [at FCN] and wouldn't buy shows that are simply around to sell toys. It has yet to be proven to me that if a show isn't inspired by a good idea, either a story or a group of characters, that it will be a hit. TVG: You recently pulled the plug on the preschool programming block Fox Cubhouse. What happened? ML: We found some very nice [preschool] shows that I thought had kid appeal and were cute. But frankly, I didn't find a Barney. There are a lot of Barney jokes and I know it's not particularly well-produced, but kids love it. I found things much better produced that Barney, but nothing with the charm of the heart. Plus, I don't think kids were every totally comfortable with the [Cubhouse] format--something different every day. It was confusing. In the second year, we brought some fresh elements into it, like Budgie and Mumfie, but by then, the advertisers were saying, "It's pulling your ratings down." TVG: Does your son watch only Fox? ML: (laughs) No, not at all. Are you kidding? And let me just say I've never made a programming decision because of him. The reason is, when I was at Marvel, we were producing a series for NBC, and it was number one in its time period. It was really a cute show. But the head of the network's daughter didn't like the show, so he canceled it and told us that was why. We were so taken aback, but for him, that was a valid reason. I thought to myself, "Gosh, that's not right. I'll never do this." TVG: For the record, what are your son's favorite shows? ML: He's a typical kid. He was a big Power Rangers fan; he only likes new episodes now. He's a huge Goosebumps fan. He loves Nickelodeon. He used to like The Ren & Stimpy Show, but I wouldn't let him watch it. TVG: Why? ML: I have a real thing with language. I don't like name-calling. Words can be very hurtful. Also, I'm a girl, so I don't like bathroom humor, and I know that boys love it. But there are some things that, for me personally, are very gross in Ren & Stimpy. TVG: Does Goosebumps ever scare him? ML: Yes, Goosebumps scares him. We put a label on the show, something we called GB-7--"Goosebumps 7." We say, "this show is recommended for children 7 and older. If there's any issue about kids being scared, parents should watch with their children. TVG: You're known as a perfectionist. Are you ever totally satisfied with your shows? ML: I was totally satisfied with Muppet Babies [at Marvel]. I thought that Bobby's World is a really good little show with its spirit and stories and themes. The animation could be better but that's an issue of money. Power Rangers has been getting there, but it's starting to duplicate itself. It's too much of a formula. I'm just like a kid: I want variety. TVG: Should we say you're...demanding? ML: I've been in this business long enough that I don't like to settle. I have learned, over the years, that [Hanna Barbera cofounder[ Joe Barbera didn't settle. Jim Henson didn't settle. When we started the Fox Children's Network, I said, "I'm going to change the way this industry operates. We're not going to compromise quality in order to get something on the air at a specific time." TVG: Where does FCN go from here? ML: We have to continue to find offbeat programs and be more experimental. Also, it sounds corny, but I'd like us to be active in the community, to deliver messages that are more positive and hopeful than cynical and depressing. * ************************************************************************** **** TODAY'S MMPR TOP TEN LIST! By Marx Okman (marxokman@aol.com) Here they are, the top 10 reasons the teens and the Rangers never spend time together.... #10. They have a system worked out. The teens fight the Tengas and the Rangers fight the monster. #9. The teens resent the Rangers because they are better gymnasts than them. #8. The teens' shampoo has the same formula as the colored candles. #7. In between saying goodbye to the departing teens and the Rangers saving the world, they have no time for bonding. #6. The teens can't stand the sight of grown men and women in Spandex. #5. During the Rangers' rescues the teens are busy trying out for Pan Globals and Peace Conferences. #4. The teens are always under spells at the same time that of the Rangers' appearances. #3. The teens are jealous because unlike the Rangers, they can not pull off primary colors. #2. Well SOMEONE has to dust off the dirt of the Rangers' costumes in between battles. And here it is, the #1 reason that the teens and the Rangers never spend time together.... "I don't mean to say duh, but DUH......the teens are the Rangers!!!" I still need some more top ten lists! Send them to marxokman@aol.com, or moxman@chiba.nextn.com! ************************************************************************** **** POWER RANGER STRIP SHOW #2 The box of magic chose Aisha, the Yellow Ranger. * * * * * * * * * * * SERIES ONE (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers symbol) "Power Rangers Profile" Collect 'Em! Trade 'Em! * * * * * * * * * * * AISHA The Yellow Ranger (Picture of the Yellow Ranger's helmet) Aisha Action Aisha is a real live wire...a warm, bubbly, outgoing, fun-loving teen. Her boundless energy and cool hip-hop dancing make her stand out at any party. Aisha looks at life optimistically, and is an expert at turning around a bad situation, making the people around her feel good about themselves. (Picture of the Power Daggers) ------------- Q: What does Aisha draw her power from? A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: Who did Aisha replace as a Power Ranger? A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: How did Aisha first meet Kimberly? A: (will be revealed next issue) (picture of Thunder Griffin zord) Q: Which other Ranger shares Aisha's "Passion For Fashion?" A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: Which weapon does Mega Thunderzord use? A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: What are the Putties made out of? A: (will be revealed next issue) (Yellow Ranger and saber tooth tiger in a triangle) ************************************************************************** **** POWER RANGERS STRIP SHOW #1 [ANSWERS!] Here are the answer's to Billy's strip. Q: What does Billy draw his power from? A: The Triceratops Q: What did Billy discover Zordon and Alpha 5 making in a secret chamber? A: A new White Power Ranger. Q: What made Billy steal the Dragon Dagger for Rita? A: An evil spell. Q: What does the mighty Shuttlezord look like? A: A giant turtle. Q: What is the Shuttlezord used to shield, protect and carry? A: Thunderzords. ************************************************************************** **** DID YOU KNOW... ... that the new Zeo Ranger toys are out. They include the Zeo Megazord ( a small version on a blister card), the Red Puncher, the Zeo Ranger figures, the villains, the Cogs, a tripod machine, and two other mechanically themed monsters. * from davidcro@imap1.asu.edu ... that the new chief villains will be named Mondo and the Machine Queen.. ... that the new "goons" (ex. putties, Tengas) are the Cogs. ... that Marx Okman can now be e-mailed at moxman@chiba.netxn.com ... that the newsletter will now come out on WEDNESDAY! ... that the second movie has been approved in production, so the movie *is* coming! ... that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will be called Power Rangers Zeo, starting April 20th. (DON'T FORGET TO WATCH!!!) ... that five CD Rom Power Ranger games are out *now* (supposedly) ************************************************************************** **** STAR POWER Reprinted from "Radio AAHS Magazine" Radio AAHS: What's it like being a Power Ranger? Karan Ashley: It's hard work but we have a lot of fun and get to meet kids all the time. RA: "Power Rangers" is the number-one kids' show on TV. Why do you think it's so popular? KA: Each of us has a special talent and we all offer something different to kids. Like me: I'm a dancer. I'm also a woman and I'm half black and half Hispanic so the fact that I'm a Power Ranger shows kids like me that they can do something good, too. David Yost: We are regular teens and superheroes. The show's really colorful, with a sense of reality and fantasy mixed together. RA: How did you get to be a Power Ranger? DY: There was an open casting call in a trade paper. Eight callbacks later I got the role of Billy. Billy is an extremely intelligent member of the group. His character has definitely influenced me. For one thing, my vocabulary has expanded. RA: Have you always wanted to be in show business? KA: Ever since I was young I wanted to act. My family didn't have a lot of money for acting classes, but my mom always supported me and told me I could do whatever I set my mind to. RA: Sometimes parents get upset about the violence in the "Power Rangers" TV show. Why do you think that is? KA: We get a lot of the flack because we are the number-one show in America. But the Power Rangers use fake weapons and we never fight people or each other, only aliens and monsters. Parents need to watch the show with their kids and explain it to them. DY: We're always trying to promote team spirit and show that everyone can get along. A lot of the shows are about kids developing confidence and getting to know themselves. The movie's about that, too. RA: Tell us a bit more about the movie. DY: In the movie we have a new villain called Ivan Ooze, and he's basically trying to destroy the world. In our pursuit to catch him he destroys the command center and we lose our powers. So for most of the movie we're in search of our powers. We shot the movie in Australia and it took almost three and a half months. And believe me, the new monsters in the movie are awesome! (END) ************************************************************************** **** MMPR SIGHTINGS! There are no new sightings, so please send any sightings to marxokman@aol.com or moxman@chiba.netxn.com ************************************************************************** **** NICE TO MEET YOU INTERNET ADDRESS: HALMETER@spea.spea.indiana.edu REAL NAME: Heather Almeter BIRTHDATE: 5/26/70 CURRENT RESIDENCE: Bloomington, Indiana FAVE EPISODE: "Wild West Rangers Part I and II" FAVE QUOTE: The pet names Rita and Zedd have for each other ("my little pestilence") ************************************************************************** **** STRETCH Here's the newest fun and game. Ever heard the phrase, "You're stretching". Well, it's time for *you* to stretch. Here's how to play. I give you an object. For example, if I said "Car", you could say "A car is something you drive, and the Rangers drive the RadBug". Or, you could say "the RadBug is a type of car". Stretch the object to make it Power Ranger related... You will get 2 points for picking the relation I'm thinking of, and if you're stretch makes sense and is *really* creative, you'll get 3. Today's object is "honey". (What does honey have to do with Power Rangers?) ************************************************************************** **** MMPR POLL #4 Today's poll is who can replace each Ranger? We'll do this in various ways. First, we'll ask which actor could replace the following actors: ZACK, TRINI JASON, KIMBERLY BILLY, TOMMY ADAM, AISHA ROCKY, KAT TONYA (optional) RITA, ZEDD SQUATT, BABOO ALPHA, ZORDON etc. And, anyone else you'd like to include. Next time (after the results), we'll do "If they were in (a movie), who would be who? (ex. Wizard of Oz -- Zordon would be the Wizard, Kim would be Dorothy, the Tengas would be the flying monkeys...)" ************************************************************************** **** ALL I WANNA DO IS HAVE SOME FUN If you want to get in the Angel Grove mood, go to the following places: If you want to get in the Disneyland mood, go to: http://preview.disney.com/Disneyland/index.html?GL=H or http://www.best.com/~dijon/disney/parks/disneyland/ If you want to get in the Six Flags Magic Mountain mood, go to: http://www.batmanforever.com/sixflags/sixflags.html If you want to get in the Medieval Times mood, go to: http://open.entry.com/festival/medieval/ If you want to get in the Raging Waters mood, go to: http://www.acoates.com/Amusement.html or get the map at http://www.acoates.com/Map37.html By the way, we're canceling "Planet Hollywood" from the trip. Sorry... :( ************************************************************************** **** MUSIC BOX by Jenn Harmer (sthj@maristb.marist.edu) "Ayeyaiyai" Alpha Song (Power Jet) Chorus- Aye-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai Aye-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai Aye-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai Verse 1- Alpha, we need your help. Are you there? Rita's evil curse is in the air. Pterodactyl's down and it won't fly. Aye... *Chorus* Verse 2- Triceratops and T-Rex on the brink. Goldar destroyed everything except the kitchen sink. Alpha, you're our last change give it a try. Aye... *Chorus* Bridge- You're a robot, yet, it's true. Where would us Rangers be without you? You're out last change give it a try. Aye... *Chorus* Verse 3- Make it quick, Rita's wielding her sword. We've got a plan we can make it without the Megazord. It's up to you to make it fly. Aye... *Chorus* *Chorus repeat ad. lib and fade out* ************************************************************************** **** THE MMPR BULLETIN BOARD If you have an announcement you'd like us to print, send it to "BULLETIN BOARD" at marxokman@aol.com! --- The answer to last week's quote ("It might start a whole new fashion trend!") was said by Kimberly in "Reign of the Jellyfish" when she puts her clothes into the time capsule. NinjaMousy and GRTrias got this right! --- Today's quote is the subject title. Who mentioned that the world was very lucky to have the Rangers and when? --- ACMeeko@aol.com is desperately looking for a copy of "Beauty and the Beast". --- Rushnrulet@aol.com is looking for the following cards: series 1: 26, 32, 37 series 2: 74, 96, 115, 122 series 3: 6, 33, 58, 59, 61, 64, 71 --- marxokman@aol.com is looking for *a lot* of cards. If you're willing to help him find some he needs, e-mail him for his checklist. (Thanks to Leroy for helping him practically complete his movie card set) ************************************************************************** **** ASK MAX Q: Is it really the Rangers in the suits when they morph? -jbetts@compusmart.ab.ca A: They have stunt doubles, and if it's not Japanese footage, it's almost always the doubles. Q: What are your favorite quotes? A: "You won't get away with this!" "Why does everyone keep saying that? I *am* getting away with this!"; "I don't mean to say duh.......but, DUH!"; "Well, girl, I do but you can gel before you curl..."; "Catch ya on the flip side"; 'Autograph' and 'Frog' from the movie Q: Does Tommy have a dad? -- AmiRee A: Okay, I need to give a new answer since so many people have pointed out that Tommy mentioned that his dad got a cactus for Kim on "Wild West Rangers". So, yes, he does have a dad. Q: Where can I get MMPR sounds? A: Go to ftp://users.aol.com/tienco/MMPR/sounds ************************************************************************** **** TODAY'S TRIVIA Last week's trivia question was "What was the last episode that Kimberly was on?" The answer was "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger", the 28th issue; not "A Different Shade of Pink Part III" as many people guessed. FalconCJ, Numbr007, ACMeeko, and br550@freenet.toronto.on.ca got this right. The scoreboard is: Acmeeko: 2 points AmiRee: 1 point br550@freenet.toronto.on.ca: 3 points Darlene613: 1 point DGuidry@popalex1.linknet.net: 2 points EChen13: 2 points FalconCJ: 2 points GRTrias: 2 points Hcaldwel@music.cc.uga.edu: 1 point Herndons: 4 points ILvJnyBsch: 4 points JRovang@netcom.com: 2 points kgw@uclink4.berkeley.edu: 1 point KibaRanger: 10 points KRWKarate: 3 points LenaKimeec: 2 points Mesia13: 3 points mhenry@mindcrime.ax.com: 1 point Numbr007: 1 point Patri56297: 1 point RanmaRo: 4 points RushNRulet: 1 point rws@ais.net: 6 points terrynl@roanoke.infi.net: 4 points TienCO: 2 points trouter@ix.netcom.com: 1 point USABlab: 3 points XSENTAIX: 3 points Vanvelzn@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu: 3 points Wiskers198: 1 point ************************************************************************** **** POWER RANGER B-DAY ANNOUNCEMENTS! Welcome to the MMPR Birthday Announcements! It works like this: We'll list your name, either your real or screen, your e-mail address directly after, and then the month and day of your birth. Happy birthday to these MMPR Newsletter members, from March: Tribal Prophet (hootowl@wpg.ramp.net)........3/9 Ann VanVelzen (vanvelzn@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu)........3/10/77 Patrick Fritz (Patri56297@aol.com)........3/21/80 Mike Jones (XxUGKXx@aol.com)........3/24/77 Rachel Herndon (Lunette339@aol.com).3/26/79 Scott Fabel (sfabel@redrose.net)...........3/26/71 Jason Narvy..........................................3/27/74 ************************************************************************** **** NEXT ISSUE! The 57th issue with... -- a new Top 10 list -- the poll results -- a new Stretch game -- information on accessing the IRC from America Online and MMPR channels -- a review on the MMPR MegAdventure on the Web, And, in later issues, look for: A murder mystery A Power Ranger Dictionary The return of the MMPRNL theme song I NEED YOUR HELP! Can you send me any articles or reviews or ANYTHING on Power Rangers? I'm running out of stuff to use! Thanks! Don't forget: To write a Top 10 List To write a review on Power Ranger merchandise (Keep me detailed before you begin) To point out the newsletter to MMPR fans I'd like to say goodbye to Nicole "I Love Johnny" Watson and Amy Michelle "Amy Jo" Michaels. I love and miss you both!!! Remember, there's no place like home. Mark "Just Want To Have Fun" Oxman President of the MMPR Fan Club (Visit me on my FTP site at ftp://users.aol.com/Marx Okman/MMPR) ************************************************************************** SEND REPLIES & CORRESPONDENCE TO marxokman@aol.com or MOXMAN@CHIBA.NETXN.COM **************************************************************************