TigerSharks is an American animated children's television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1987. The series involved a team of heroes that could transform into sharks and other marine animals and resembled the series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, also developed by Rankin/Bass. The series lasted one season with 26 episodes and was part of The Comic Strip show, which consisted of four animated shorts: TigerSharks, Street Frogs, The Mini-Monsters, and Karate Kat. The animation was provided by Pacific Animation Corporation. Warner Bros. Animation currently owns the series, as they own the 1974-89 Rankin/Bass library, which was incorporated into the merger of Lorimar-Telepictures and Warner Bros.
Production and development
Rankin/Bass followed up their successful ThunderCats and SilverHawks series with this series about a team of powered up man/marine form hybrids called the "TigerSharks". This third series also featured many of the same voice actors who had worked on ThunderCats and SilverHawks including Larry Kenney, Peter Newman, Earl Hammond, Doug Preis and Bob McFadden.
Story
The members of the TigerShark team were humans who had to use a device called the Fish Tank in order to transform between human and powered-up marine forms. The TigerSharks' base was a spaceship that could also function underwater. The ship was called the SARK and contained the Fish Tank, along with other research facilities. The action took place on the fictional world of Water-O, which was almost completely covered by water. The planet was inhabited by a race of fish-men called the Waterians. The TigerSharks arrived there on a research mission and ended up serving as the protectors of the planet against the evil T-Ray, who had arrived there beforehand.
Characters
TigerSharks
Protectors of Water-O, the team members are:
Mako - A gifted scuba diver, he is considered the field leader of the TigerSharks. Mako is not only a good mediator, but also an excellent fighter. He transforms into a human/mako shark hybrid, which grants him incredible speed underwater. Mako also uses his forearm fins and head fin to slice through metal.
Walro - The scientific and mechanical genius who created the Fish Tank. He acts as the advisor of the team and is very respected by his comrades. Walro turns into a human/walrus hybrid.
Rodolfo "Dolph" - Second-in-command and also an experienced scuba diver. Dolph has a knack for jokes and fooling around, but he knows when to joke and when to work. Dolph turns into a human/dolphin hybrid, which makes him very maneuverable underwater.
Octavia - Captain of the SARK, communications technician and main strategist. Octavia turns into a human/octopus hybrid.
Lorca - the team’s mechanic and often helps Walro to repair or build new machines. He’s also the team’s strongest member. Lorca turns into a human/orca hybrid.
Bronc - A teenager who works as an assistant in the SARK, he is very adventurous and sometimes reckless. He turns into a human/seahorse hybrid; hence his name, which is derived from "Bronco".
Angel - Bronc's sister. She, along with her brother, is the younger member of the team, She works as an assistant in the SARK and is more serious and responsible than her brother. She turns into a human/angelfish hybrid, hence her name.
Gupp - the TigerSharks' pet Basset Hound. While his name might imply that he turns into a guppy, his features, including flipper-shaped legs and pin teeth, more closely resemble a seal or sea lion.
Villains
The show featured two major antagonists, both with teams of followers. They are:
T-Ray - T-Ray is a human/manta ray hybrid-type creature. He and his Mantanas arrived on Water-O because their home planet had dried up. In seeking to conquer Water-O, he freed Captain Bizzarly and his crew from their iced prison on Seaberia. He is bent on conquering the Waterians and destroying the TigerSharks. He and his assistants cannot survive outside the water without using water breathing apparatus.
* Mantanas - The fish-like minions of T-Ray
** Wall-Eye A human/frog hybrid who seems to be T-Ray's right hand man.
** Shad - A human/grouper hybrid with a bad temper.
** Dredge - A fishman who has a pet purple eel on his back.
** Carper - A merman with a frog-like face. Identical Twin Brother of Weakfish. Both him and his brother whine and complain about everything. He has green skin.
** Weakfish - A merman with a frog-like face. Identical Twin Brother of Carper. Both him and his brother whine and complain about everything. He has purple skin.
Captain Bizzarly - A pirate with aquaphobia who controlled all crime-related activities on the vast oceans of Water-O until the Waterians froze him and his crew in ice many years ago. T-Ray freed Bizzarly and his crew expecting them to join forces. However, Bizzarly promptly betrayed T-Ray. Bizzarly now constantly tries to get rid of the TigerSharks and regain control of the oceans of Water-O.
* Dragonstein - Captain Bizzarly's pet sea dragon.
* Long John Silverfish - A human-like being who has a rat-like mouth.
* Spike Marlin - A human pirate with a wrinkle face who carries a spear-like staff.
* Soulmate - The only female member of Captain Bizzarly's pirate crew. She has a appearance of a female samurai.
* Lump - A blob creature who resembles slime.
* Grunt - A overweight humanoid who makes grunting sounds like a ape.
In other media
The TigerSharks made a cameo in an episode of the 2011 ThunderCats remake called "Legacy." They are among the animals that were forced to work under Mumm-Ra. The TigerSharks, along with other characters from its companion cartoons within The Comic Strip, along with characters from sibling series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, were all represented in a live stage show for children that toured the USA in 1987. https://www.doubledumbassonyou.com/tag/rankinbass/
