This week, the TMNT are back in theaters with a new animated movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This is actually the seventh time that the TMNT have had their own film in theaters. Beyond that, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has had four different animated series, a handful of direct-to-video animated flicks, and even a short-lived live-action TV show. That’s a lot for any franchise!
Ahead of the new film, you may want to revisit some of the Turtles from years past. The good news is that the vast majority of these shows and movies are available to stream. And the few that aren’t are still on digital outlets for rent or purchase. To make things easier for you, check out our list of where to watch all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and TV shows.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
Do you know why the TMNT are so popular almost 40 years after their first comic book appearance in 1984? It’s because of this show, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which brought the team to kids across the nation in 1987.
This show ran for ten seasons with 193 episodes, a rare feat for a kids series. Paramount+ recently picked up the series, and it’ll take you a long time to make it through every episode.
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount+.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Just a few years after the Turtles cartoon hit the airwaves, director Steve Barron and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop took on the monumental task of bringing the TMNT to live-action.
In 1990, they succeeded, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a blockbuster hit just under a year after Tim Burton’s Batman established comic book movies as potential franchises. It also holds up really well after 33 years.
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount+ and Max.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Unfortunately, some films don’t hold up so well against the test of time. Case in point: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. If you’ve ever seen footage of Vanilla Ice rapping about the Turtles, it came from this movie.
And that’s not even the most cringe-worthy thing in the film! Jim Henson’s Creature Shop’s creations still look good, but this was the start of the franchise’s first downward turn.
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze on Paramount+ and Max.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
The third movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, had a plot that seems better served for the animated series. The Turtles’ best friend, April O’Neil (Paige Turco), is accidentally sent back in time to feudal Japan. So naturally, the Turtles find a way to go back as well in order to save her. This basically killed the movie franchise for over a decade so watch it at your own peril.
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III on Paramount+ and Max.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997)
This is the only TMNT series to be disowned by the creators of the franchise. Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation was a live-action series on Fox Kids that jettisoned nearly everything fans loved about the TMNT, including April O’Neil and Casey Jones. Instead, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello were joined by a new female Ninja Turtle: Venus de Milo. Let’s just say that Venus did not go over well.
But at least we got a Power Rangers crossover out of the show!
Buy or rent Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)
The TMNT’s comeback began in 2003 with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a complete reboot of the 1987 series. This show was closer in spirit and tone to the original comics, and it played more to older kids than the first series.
And in the series finale, Turtles Forever, the 2003 Turtles even got to team up with the 1987 Turtles!
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount+.
TMNT (2007)
Following a successful return on television, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles returned to the big screen in an animated film, TMNT, which loosely connected to the three previous live-action movies.
This also marked a more mature take on the Turtles as the brothers come into conflict with each other over their roles in the city and in the team itself.
Watch TMNT on Paramount+.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)
Prior to getting a third animated TV series, TMNT co-creator Peter Laird sold the rights to the franchise to Nickelodeon. Naturally, the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series to come out of the Nickelodeon era was a much kid-friendlier take on the characters.
It’s also the first CGI-animated television show for the Turtles, and it appears that Mutant Mayhem may have taken some of its cues from this show.
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount+ and Netflix.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Michael Bay brought the Transformers to the realm of live-action films, and Bay produced the live-action reboot that hit theaters in 2014. Director Jonathan Liebesman brought plenty of Bay-hem to the film, which got absolutely terrible reviews. But nobody could argue with its box office success, which even out-grossed the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Director Dave Green toned down the Michael Bay-like antics in the sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, which in turn led to better overall reviews than its predecessor. However, that didn’t translate to bigger box office as the Turtles faced a vengeful Shredder and the evil alien known as Krang.
Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows on Paramount+.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018)
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the most radical reinvention of the franchise to date, with completely new character models, personalities, and even superpowers.
This show leaned heavily into over-the-top anime style, and it’s earned a cult following of its own.
Watch Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount+ and Netflix.
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
Before this movie came about, there was actually a Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover that was so successful as a comic that it was given two sequels and an additional outside-of-continuity crossover. Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adapts the first crossover, and uniquely for the first meeting between superheroes, the Dark Knight and the TMNT actually like each other.
But of course, they had a fight first. There’s almost always a fight in superhero crossovers before the heroes team up to face their respective enemies. In this case, it was Shredder and Ra’s al Ghul, with cameos from several other Batman villains.
Buy or rent Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
After the series finale, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie gave this incarnation a feature-length sendoff. Casey Jones (Haley Joel Osment) comes back in time to warn the team about the imminent threat of the Krang. And before all is said and done, the Turtles will have to fight each other and the evil alien invaders if they want to save their city once and for all.
Watch Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie on Netflix.
