Sonic the Hedgehog is a television series was a joint effort by SEGA and DiC and released in 1993 on ABC (U.S.). While it doesn't follow the game establishments to a tee, it was still a storyline that was founded by the combined works of SoA (Sega of America) and Sonic Team, before the creative staff at DiC would expand on the story they were provided. Unknown to most Sonic fans, the storyline, the profiles and the world would actually be made by the Sonic Team and SoA prior to any of the workers at Dic handling the story. The American cartoon would be one of action, which differentiated itself from DiC's other Sonic offering during the early 90's, the comical Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Because the two series were released around the same time, fans refer to this series as SatAM (because it originally aired on Saturday mornings).

The show takes place on a faraway planet called Mobius. An evil, bald, dark-eyed and mustachioed scientist named Doctor Robotnik (Jim Cummings) invaded and conquered a huge and beautiful city named Mobotropolis, with the help of his intelligent but craven assistant Snively and his army of laser-toting robot soldiers called SWATbots. Robotnik then used a giant airship to turn Mobotropolis into a new city renamed Robotropolis, a polluted city of factories and warehouses.

Robotnik soon invaded the castle home of the city's king (Tim Curry) who mysteriously vanished. Robotnik captured the rest of the citizens, including a brainy old hedgehog named Chuck (William Windom) and his dog Muttski, and used a machine called the Roboticiser to turn them in to robot slaves. Those who managed to escape retreated into the Great Forest to build a village named Knothole to hide from Robotnik. Among the youngest of the citizens were a group called the Freedom Fighters. First there's Sonic the Hedgehog (Jaleel White, or Urkel on Family Matters), Charles' speedy nephew. Then there is his best friend Tails, a young two-tailed fox who can twirl his tails to fly. Next, there's Rotor, a walrus with a knack for machines. Next, Antoine (Rob Paulsen), a French coyote with many personality flaws who is the palace guard. Next is Bunnie Rabbot (Christine Cavanaugh), a pretty southern cyborg rabbit who would almost certainly have been completely roboticised if not for Sonic (as it were though, she was roboticised up to her waist). Last is the group's leader, Princess Sally (Kath Soucie), the king's only daughter.

For 10 years, the Freedom Fighters constantly foiled Robotnik's schemes. In the show's second season, a female dragon named Dulcy (Cree Summer) was a new star. The show went up to 2 seasons and it got cancelled after the final episode, "The Doomsday Project", ended with a cliffhanger (suggesting a new villain for season three... it was subsequently revealed that it would have been a sorcerer from a previous episode, named Ixis Naugus). There were rumors of a third season but it never aired.

A DVD of five first-season shows is now available from DiC, under the title "Sonic the Hedgehog - Super Sonic". It can be ordered from Amazon.com.

Episode List

Season 1

1. Heads or Tails
2. Sonic Past Cool
3. Sub Sonic
4. Warp Sonic
5. Sonic and Sally
6. Ultra Sonic
7. Sonic Racer
8. Hooked on Sonics
9. Harmonic Sonic
10. Sonic's Nightmare
11. Sonic Boom
12. Super Sonic
13. Sonic and the Secret Scrolls

Season 2

1. Game Guy
2. Sonic Conversion
3. No Brainer
4. Blast to the Past (1)
5. Blast to the Past (2)
6. Fed Up With Antione / Ghost Busted
7. Dulcy
8. The Void
9. The Odd Couple / Ro-Becca
10. Cry of the Wolf
11. Drood Henge
12. Spyhog
13. The Doomsday Project

External links

• Sonic the Hedgehog (http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/D/DiC_Entertainment/Sonic_the_Hedgehog/index.html) at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• http://www.satamsonic.com - Fans United for SatAM
• http://www.satamnetwork.com - The SatAM Network