The formula devised by Egyptian businessman Haim Saban remains the same: the action scenes are reused from series known as Super Sentai, a fever in Japan since 1975, and the scenes with the secret identities of the characters are recorded with American actors – avoiding thus the audience’s rejection of the original Japanese actors.
In the first season, you can clearly see the kludge: in the masked moments, the image is on film and, in the “civilian” moments, it is a textured video.
Time to morph! – the uniform, the big robot and other data of the 19 versions:
1. Power Rangers
Exhibition in Brazil: 1994
theme: dinosaurs
Total episodes: 60
2. Power Rangers
Exhibition in Brazil: 1994
Theme: mystical animals
Total Episodes: 52
Curiosity: Jason David Frank, who played the Green (later white) Ranger, became an MMA fighter!
3. Power Rangers
Exhibition in Brazil: 1995
theme: martial arts
Total episodes: 33
4. Alien Rangers
Exhibition in Brazil: 1996
theme: martial arts
Total episodes: 10
5. Power Rangers: Zeo
Exhibition in Brazil: 1997
theme: martial arts
Total episodes: 10
6. Power Rangers: Turbo
Exhibition in Brazil: 1997
theme: cars
Total episodes: 45
Curiosity: in this version, the Blue Ranger is Justin Stewart, a 12-year-old boy
7. Power Rangers in Space
Exhibition in Brazil: 1999
Theme: space and technology
Total episodes: 43
Curiosity: the villain Rito Revolto did not participate in this season… Because his costume was damaged and they never had it fixed!
8. Power Rangers in the Lost Galaxy
Exhibition in Brazil: 2000
Theme: space travel
Total episodes: 45
9. Power Rangers: The Rescue
Exhibition in Brazil: 2001
Theme: rescue missions
Total episodes: 40
10. Power Rangers: Time Force
Exhibition in Brazil: 2001
Theme: future
Total episodes: 40
11. Power Rangers: Animal Force
Exhibition in Brazil: 2002
Theme: wild animals
Total episodes: 40
12. Power Rangers: Ninja Storm
Exhibition in Brazil: 2004
theme: ninja
Total episodes 38
Curiosity: the series began recording in New Zealand, but was banned in the country for encouraging violence among children.
13. Power Rangers: Dino Thunder
Exhibition in Brazil: 2005
Theme: dinosaurs and nature
Total episodes: 38
14. Power Rangers: Super Delta Patrol
Exhibition in Brazil: 2006
theme: aliens
Total episodes: 38
Curiosity: this was the first season with a female red ranger.
15. Power Rangers: Mystic Force
Exhibition in Brazil: 2007
theme: magic
Total episodes: 32
16. Power Rangers: Operation Ultrafast
Exhibition in Brazil: 2008
theme: technology
Total episodes: 32
17. Power Rangers: Jungle Fury
Exhibition in Brazil: 2009
Theme: wild animals
Total episodes: 32
18. Power Rangers: RPM
Exhibition in Brazil: 2010
Theme: cars and robotics
Total episodes: 32
19. Power Rangers: Samurai
Exhibition in Brazil: 2011
theme: samurai
Total episodes: 20
Curiosity: the new season, Super Samurai, debuted in the USA in February 2012. There is no date for it to arrive in Brazil.
In addition to dominating the small screen for nearly 20 years, the Rangers still had time to make it to the big screen. At the height of the series, there were two feature films in theaters, in 1995 and 1997, which grossed around US$ 75 million globally. The third, in 3D, went straight to video, indicating the show’s decline in popularity.
Sources: Sites Power Rangers, ABRIL JOVEM, Imdb, Saban Capital Group, TV Bandeirantes, Nickelodeon and The Cage Door.