It's morphin' time -- again. "The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," who exploded onto the children's TV programming scene 17 years ago and instantly became a ratings and merchandising monster, are making a comeback.
The program, a mix of action scenes from a Japanese series and new footage shot with American actors, followed the exploits of a few teens who would morph into brightly dressed heroes to fight weird creatures.
An 18th season of the series is planned for Nickelodeon in 2011 and the original episodes will run on Nicktoons later this year.
Stewart St. John, a film and TV writer/director, was a big part of the show's early success. He wrote 30 of the original episodes and was the story editor the first season. Among his contributions was naming many of the characters and introducing the Green Ranger.
St. John is certain another wave of "Morphin" mania is on the way.
"I think the show is going to be just as big as it was that first year. It's obvious there are still plenty of fans," St. John said after speaking at the recent Power Morphicon 2 convention in Pasadena, Calif. "Many of us were saying that we just can't believe what's happening with this whole 'Power Rangers' thing."
Thousands of fans -- many dressed in the costumes of their favorite characters -- packed the Pasadena Convention Center to collect autographs, buy collectibles and share their passion for the Power Rangers. Toys based on the series go for as much as $200 and actual props carry price tags as high as $700.
St. John says "Power Rangers" fans are as passionate and as knowledgeable as "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" enthusiasts.
