ThunderCats is a science fantasy animated television series, developed by Ethan Spaulding and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network.

[2] A reboot of the original 1980s TV series of the same name (which ran from 1985 to 1989), ThunderCats was produced by American studio Warner Bros.

[5] Following the destruction of their home, the kingdom of Thundera, the ThunderCats (a group of humanoid felidaes) are forced to roam the planet Third Earth, in order to find a way to defeat the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra, who plans on taking over the universe.

Story-wise the series attempts to take a much darker and more cinematic approach than the original show, featuring a lot more focus on characterization and more sophisticated themes.

[6] Initially planned for 52 episodes, the show was cancelled after only one season, as confirmed by ThunderCats art-director Dan Norton in early 2013.

Once they find it, the ThunderCats realize that in order for them to defeat Mumm-Ra, they must unite all the different species living on Third Earth.

Lion-O, always outdone by his adoptive older brother Tygra, undergoes the ritual to be chosen by the Sword of Omens as the next king of Thundera.

His father, Claudus, does not feel his son is ready because he is too lenient and easily distracted by flights of fancy like the myth of ancient technology.

Soon after, King Claudus welcomes the return of his friend Grune and holds a celebration in both his honor and in memory of the fallen Panthro.

However, because of his kindness to the Lizard prisoners that he had freed, Lion-O is given a key (hidden in his meal), allowing him to escape with Tygra to mount a rescue.

Forced to leave Jaga, who sacrifices himself to ensure their escape, Lion-O, Tygra, and Cheetara undertake the quest to find the Book of Omens.

As they leave Thundera, Wilykit and Wilykat approach the trio, asking to join in the journey until they find El Dara.

Their captain, Koinelius Tunar, is obsessed with tracking down and killing a creature called Ramlak, which sucked up the waters of the Fishmen's homeland.

Eventually, the Ramlak snags the ship with its tentacles and tears it to pieces, forcing Lion-O to forget his obsession and save everyone from drowning.

In the jungle, Snarf, while trying to fill his appetite, causes a ruckus which reveals the entrance to a temple leading to the Tower.

After entering the temple, each member of the ThunderCats solves one of a series of deadly puzzles and reaches the Tower's entrance.

Mumm-Ra manages to put himself into an emergency capsule, but Leo and Panthera destroy the controls, trapping him inside.

The ThunderCats come to their aid when the Forest of Magi Oar is threatened by Viragor, and Cheetara loses her staff to the monster.

[6] Michael Jelenic stated that before work even began on the series, the makers mapped out an entire beginning, middle and end for the show's storyline, which was then broken-up into 13-episode arcs.

According to supervising director of Studio 4 °C, Shinichi Matsumi, they were handed the basic concepts for the show by Warner Bros. and were assigned to adjust them into the Japanese anime design.

[1] Kevin Kliesch composed the music for ThunderCats, for which he took inspiration from John Williams, James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith, among others.

Jeff Hidek felt that ThunderCats "successfully echoes the fun, wonder and all-around coolness of the original characters while ditching some of the dated trappings of '80s-syndication".

Variety's Brian Lowry felt the series was designed as a marketing ploy for a new ThunderCats toyline, and that the show "represents a throwback to the drearily toy-driven 1980s, a period that seems destined to keep returning as much out of pragmatism as nostalgia".

[34] A two-disc soundtrack album of Kevin Kleisch's music was released by La-La Land Records in October 2012, featuring suites from all but two of the episodes ("Trials of Lion-O, Part 2" and "The Pit").

Following the end of the show's first season, ThunderCats was not immediately renewed for a second, which led to speculations that the series would be cancelled.

[38] During the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Michael Jelenic and Jeff Prezenkowski announced that ThunderCats had been put on hiatus as they had not yet received any word from Cartoon Network about the future of the series.

[40] The first season ThunderCats episodes briefly aired in the new Toonami block on Adult Swim along with Sym-Bionic Titan.