A.J.'s Time Travelers
| A.J.’s Time Travelers | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Directed by | Mike Finney and others |
| Starring |
John Patrick White Wayne Thomas Yorke Julie St. Claire |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 40 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Gianni Russo |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Gold Coast Company Entertainment DNA Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network |
Fox Syndication |
| Original release | December 4, 1994 |
A.J.’s Time Travelers is a 1994 children’s fantasy series that aired on the Fox television network. The series follows the adventures of teenager A.J. Malloy as he and his crew travel onboard the time-traveling ship Kyros, seeking knowledge across history.[1] The series was later the subject of a lawsuit.
Plot
A.J., a teenage boy, is given a disk by an eccentric neighbor that transports him to the Kyros, a time-traveling ship. Warp is an evil fiend who tries to take over the ship and steal its knowledge. Warp can only be defeated when the crew gains more knowledge by visiting critical events across time, witnessing history as it happens.[1] Episodes included visits to Egyptian court official Imhotep, printing press inventor Johannes Gutenberg, Sir Isaac Newton and World War II’s Tuskegee Airmen.[2]
Cast and characters
- John Patrick White as A.J. Malloy, the Commander
- Julie St. Claire as Maria, the Captain
- Patty Maloney as B.I.T. (Back in Time)
- Wayne Thomas Yorke as Izzy/Mr. Malloy
- Larry Cedar as Warp/Ollie
- John Crane as The Fly
- Jeremiah Birkett as Pulse
- Teresa Jones as Mrs. Malloy
Lawsuit
In 1995, children’s writer Diane Russomanno sued former partner Gianni Russo and his companies for breach of contract, claiming they had used elements of her “Ricky Rocket” character in the A.J.’s Time Travelers series in violation of a 1994 settlement not to do so. After a three-month trial, the court found in favor of Russomanno, awarding her $54.2 million.[3] The award was later lowered to $14.7 million.[4]
Broadcast history
Because of the lawsuit, the series has a complicated broadcast history. Russo initially obtained financing from the Bakrie Group to produce 40 episodes and Bohbot Media Inc. distributed the series as part of its Amazin' Adventures syndicated block of animated TV shows. It debuted on Saturday, December 4, 1994 on the former Fox Children's Network, but only four episodes aired.[4] Bohbot continued to distribute the series to other outlets.
Media information
A VHS tape containing two episodes of the series (visits to Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill) was distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group in 1999.[5] A second tape contained episodes with Leonardo de Vinci and Aristotle.
References
- 1 2 Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007 (Volume 1 A-E). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.
- ↑ "A.J.'s Time Travelers: Old Memories". Skooldays. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
- ↑ "'A.J.'s Time Travelers' Distributor Bohbot Media And Producer Gianni Russo Lose $54.2 Million Lawsuit". The Free Library. Farlex. 2000-07-20. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
- 1 2 Rumbaugh, Diane (2000-11-29). "Diane Russomanno, et al. v. Gianni Russo, et al.". Lexapedia. MoreLaw. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
- ↑ "A.J.'s Time Travelers VHS". International Historic Films. Retrieved 2016-03-28.