Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers is Explosive TV Series That Builds Leaders

Introduction and Podcast Updates

Hey, just a couple of quick notes before we start. First, this podcast will soon be called Wholesome TV Picks. The new name starts July 2nd, and it's a better reflection of what this show's really about: safe, timeless entertainment you can trust. And second, we didn't get any entries for The Chipmunk Adventure giveaway, which tells me you're busy. I get it. So I'm rethinking how I do giveaways. And if you'd like a chance to win family-friendly DVDs like this in the future, shoot me an email at familytvuncovered.com/message-us. I'll leave the link in the show notes below.

Personal Connection to the Show

I was 12 and in junior high when it hit the airwaves, and I have zero shame admitting I was hooked. Watching these superheroes use their secret powers and save the world was nothing short of magical. Beyond the surface, this show taught kids about teamwork, respect, standing up for what's right and so much more.

So can it still do that today? And is it worth sharing with your kiddos? And here's a cool bonus. I was there, the one and only time the original cast appeared at Universal Studios Hollywood, and I'll share that experience alongside one cast member's own story.

Show Introduction

Welcome to Wholesome TV Picks where I help busy moms like you find clean, family friendly entertainment to watch with your kids. I'm your host, Jennifer, and today we're diving into a show that was a full on obsession for many nineties kids, myself included. There's a lot to unpack here, so let's get started.

About The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

It is Morphin' time! You may not know that phrase, but if you don't, today, it's all about The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This was the original series that launched the massive franchise that it is today. I am an original Power Rangers fan all the way, and there will never be another cast like them.

The Original Cast

The original series starred Austin St. John, Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Thuy Trang, and Walter Jones as Jason, Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Zach. Together they were the pen ultimate superheroes that couldn't be beat. And I would like to add a rest in peace for both Jason David Frank and Thuy Trang, who are sadly no longer with us.

These characters became household names for every kid glued to their TV after school. I remember coming home from school, throwing my backpack on the floor, rushing to the kitchen to grab a snack and then run to the TV to tune to Fox Kids.

What Made It a Cultural Phenomenon

So what made Power Rangers such a cultural phenomenon? There are so many reasons. The cast, bright colored costumes, martial arts, gymnastics, the music, pyrotechnics, robots, and action. Additionally, they were just normal teenagers from different cultures and backgrounds that any kid could relate to. And they came together to fight the weird and crazy villains and save the world. What could be cooler than that?

Positive Role Models and Values

The Rangers, whether in Ranger mode or not, were also positive role models for kids. In every episode, the show made sure to teach values like respect, kindness, patience, service, and more within the storylines.

Additionally, the Power Rangers did quite a few PSAs or public service announcements in a more matter-of-fact way Again, teaching kids about issues like bullying, peer pressure, anger management, violence, and especially respecting the differences between individuals. Those are real values that still matter today.

Is It Still Relevant Today?

So do I think this show is still relevant for kids today? Absolutely. I truly believe your kids will get something so rich and unexplainable from watching this show.

Watching with My Own Kids

When I introduced the show to my kids years ago, it was an instant hit. We own the DVDs up through Power Rangers Zero, and after that I lost interest due to the constant changing of the cast members with every season and I was also aging out of the show as well. But we still watch the show together to this day.

Remember I said earlier how this show was magical? Well, it was magical watching it again with my own kids. Seeing the joy, laughter, and amazement in their expressions was priceless. They wish they had been around when the show was popular and tell me how lucky I was. I know I was. This show is unlike any other, and there hasn't been nor ever will be another one like it.

Kids Connect with the Rangers

Above all this show will leave a lasting impact on your child, if they watch it through season four or so. Your child will connect with at least one Ranger. I guarantee it. My oldest loved Jason, the Red Ranger, and my other two were Tommy fans all the way. He was the first, the Green Ranger, then the white and later the red Ranger. My kids look up to them as their heroes and just like me, they've bonded with certain rangers on the screen.

And for my daughter that has been Tommy. My daughter cried really, really hard when we learned of JDFs passing, Jason David Frank, because she and my youngest they had always dreamed of going to Comic-Con and meeting JDF and Amy Jo and Austin. And I too had always hoped to meet the Rangers one day. But over the years, I, I never was able to get to Comic-Con. I just was too unfamiliar with the process and and the tickets getting sucked up so fast. So we never were able to make it. She turned to me at one point and said, "Mom, now I understand why you cry when certain actors you like, like Christopher Reeve pass away."

The Universal Studios Hollywood Event

If you didn't grow up with this show, or you kind of just somewhat knew about it, you don't know just how big this show was. And the cast members have even said in recent years that they didn't even know how huge the show was until February 21st, 1994 at Universal Studios Hollywood.

I'm gonna play snippets of an interview that Austin St. John, who played Jason the Red Ranger, that he did for the Fanward channel on YouTube, as he describes what that day was like for him. And by the way, special thanks to Fanward for allowing me to use this interview for today's episode. I'll leave the link for the full video interview and the Fanwards channel below in the show notes. So be sure to go visit Fanward's YouTube channel, check out the full length interview and all the other great stuff that they have.

Ready. Here we go.

Austin St. John's Account

Austin St. John. I played Jason, the original Red Ranger in, uh, the hit TV series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Today I'm doing a video on one of the most epic rockstar moments in history for mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The only time in history the original crew ever appeared live together, at Universal Studios 1994. There are news helicopters in the sky now because the highway into Downtown L.A. in front of Universal is now backed up for eight miles into Downtown Los Angeles with people trying to get into Universal Studios that could...

My Experience That Day

Boy, do I remember that day? No exaggeration. I remember it like it was yesterday. My mom drove my friend and me to Universal Studios Hollywood that morning. And I saw the news the night before reporting on all the people camping out. And my mom came to me and said, "I think you're in for a long day tomorrow, so get some sleep."

The next morning, we left at like 7:00 AM and we thought we got there early enough. Uh, no, we didn't. The cars were lined up on the Lankershim Boulevard off ramp, and we were like the 10th car in line. But when I turned around to look behind us, I told my mom, "holy cow, mom, I can't see the end of the line behind us! There's just so many cars!"

The traffic was so bad though, that when she dropped us off in front of the park, she was originally gonna go like, hang out in the area and wait for us. But she changed her mind and just told me, " call me from a payphone when you're ready, because I'm not staying here."

So once my friend and I got inside. We got in line thinking it was the end of the line. A woman tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and she said, "excuse me, the end of the line is somewhere over there." I look down and there's this huge line of people and the line weaved like a snake throughout the park. It was just insane. There were so many turns and loops, you didn't know where the line ended or began. And we stood in line for like five to six hours and we had to alternate leaving to use the bathroom and bringing each other food.

Austin St. John's Performance Experience

And the crowds, you guys and your parents were insane, man. You guys were insane. I can't even explain to you the goosebumps and the chills before we even got out on stage. Everybody in the crowd just starts chanting names: Jason! Jason! Trini! Trini! The crowd is just ballistic and this is back before all the digital iPhone cameras. So everybody had like B camera with the flash, and this is where I liken it to a rockstar moment meets Star Trek. I see these flashbulbs going off. It looked like being on the Star Trek Enterprise. When it goes from chilling in space to light speed and you see all those, the lights just go. That was exactly what it was like for me.

The Theater Experience

My Polaroid was one of those thousands of flashes. I pointed it and pushed the shutter button, and then I had to wait for the camera to finish printing and spit out each picture. It just couldn't take pictures fast enough. If you've used a Polaroid, you know what I'm talking about. I don't know why I thought it would take good pictures in the dark anyways. I guess I thought the lights were going to be on in the theater.

The theater was electric. There was just so much positive energy, so much excitement in the air. Every time the rangers came out on stage, the pyrotechnics went off and it just made the crowds even louder. The screaming, you could barely hear yourself talking. I was excited, my friend was excited. I mean, who wouldn't be? You're seeing your favorite superheroes come out on stage doing back flips and all the cool gymnastics that you see them do on tv.

The Magnitude of the Moment

It was just insane, greatest rockstar moment of a career ever. And for our team, for the original five, to receive the notoriety and fame that even we have today from a single role as an actor, is something only people like folks from Star Trek, folks from Star Wars, like face camera actors. It's moments like that are, are some of the pinnacles and experiences that make it as magnificent as it is. Almost, as equally as magnificent as standing here, meeting with the fan one-to-one, and hearing about how we impacted their lives.

You want to talk about the rockstar moment for Power Rangers? The only appearance we ever did, we broke universal attendance records that day. Wild man. Absolutely wild. That was my side of that experience. I don't know if you were there, but you know what I'm talking about if you were. Memories. What a magnificent time. Magnificent.

What a magnificent time. I can't even imagine what it was like being one of the Power Rangers on stage experiencing this once in a lifetime event that he nor I nor any of the original rangers will ever forget. I am so lucky that I was a part of this experience.

Personal Impact of the Show

This show impacted the lives of countless fans, including myself. The Power Rangers truly helped me through some tough times as a kid going through my parents' divorce. The Rangers felt like the only friends I had. And years later, during a season of trauma that I kept hidden for over a year, it was actually a Power Rangers PSA, that gave me the courage to finally speak up. And that moment changed everything, and I'll never forget it.

Bottom Line Recommendation

So here's the bottom line. To us adults, this show might seem cheesy except for yours truly. Okay. It's a little cheesy. But to your kids, if they've never seen this show before, the Rangers will be the ultimate superheroes.

The show is packed with heart, teamwork, and values that still matter today. So don't just hit play and walk away. Sit down and watch it together. You may be surprised just how much your kids love it. These are the moments that could become some of the best times spent as a family.

My Daughter's Perspective

One more thing, my daughter wanted to say a little something about the show as well. So here she is.

Okay, so first of all, I just wanna admit that I did cry when I heard that JDF passed, 'cause he was one of my favorite rangers, along with Kimberly. And I, I did dream of going to a Comic-Con and meeting him one day because he was my favorite ranger. And, um, I just cried really hard. And another thing was that I was also, like my mom said, inspired by Kimberly and I've been teaching myself to do gymnastics and I'm still working on it. I'm not the best, but I'm gonna keep working on it. And I just, I love Power Rangers so much. I still watch it quite a bit, with my little brother who also is into it. And I've dressed up as Kimberly three times for Halloween. And I, I will continue to watch this show and I will definitely show this to my children one day. So, you, you need to go check this out.

Where to Watch and Connect

You can stream Power Rangers on Netflix, Pluto TV Tubi, or the Roku Channel. I'll link to all of the options in the show notes. And if you grew up watching it, I would love to hear from you. Really. I would. Who is your favorite Ranger? If you and your kids are new to the show, how did they like it? Send me a voicemail at familytvuncovered.com and click the message us tab.

Closing

And if you enjoy today's show, please head on over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It really helps other families discover clean, meaningful entertainment that they can trust.

Be sure to tune in next week, where I'll answer the following question: what do you get when a group of soldiers has to secretly transport an elephant through the jungle during a war? You'll have to tune in next week to find out.

Until then, thanks for joining me. Have a great rest of your week, and I'll catch you on the next episode.