Animorphs (also known under the promotional title AniTV) is a television adaptation made by Protocol Entertainment based on the Scholastic book series of the same name by K. A. Applegate. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from September 4, 1998 to March 26, 2000, and on YTV and Global in Canada.

The series ran for a total of 26 episodes across two seasons and is currently distributed by 9 Story Media Group. Plot The series revolves around five teenagers, Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias, and one alien, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill (nicknamed "Ax"), who obtain the ability to transform into any animal they touch. Naming themselves as "Animorphs" (a portmanteau of "animal morphers"), they use their ability to battle a secret alien infiltration of Earth by a parasitic clan of aliens resembling large slugs, called Yeerks, that take humans as a host by entering and merging with their brain through the ear canal. The Animorphs fight as a guerilla force against the Yeerks, led by Visser Three.

The Animorphs carefully protect their identities; the Yeerks assume that they're an Andalite strike force, the aliens that created the transformation technology, and to protect their families from Yeerk reprisals, the Animorphs keep up the façade. Over the series' run, the pretense becomes harder to maintain; the Yeerks grow more cautious and dedicate more time and resources to capturing the 'Andalite bandits'.

Though the Animorphs can assume the form of any animal they touch, there are several limitations to the ability: they can only stay in animal form for two hours, or they will not being able to return to human form. Also, the process requires some level of concentration to prevent the animal's natural instincts from overpowering the human intellect.

Cast and characters

Main Shawn Ashmore as Jake Brooke Nevin as Rachel Boris Cabrera as Marco Nadia Nascimento as Cassie Christopher Ralph as Tobias

Paulo Costanzo as Aximili "Ax" Esgarrouth-Isthill/Max

Recurring Eugene Lipinski as Visser Three/Victor Trent Dov Tiefenbach as Erek King Allegra Fulton as Visser One/Eva Joshua Peace as Tom, Jake's older brother Terra Vanessa Kowalyk as Melissa Chapman Richard Sali as Principal Chapman Diego Matamoros as Elfangor Sirinial-Shamtul Peter Messaline as The Ellimist Frank Pellegrino as Jeremy, Marco's father (Peter in the books) Cassandra Van Wyck as Sara, Rachel's younger sister Jonathan Whittaker as Greg, Jake's father (Steve in the books) Karen Waddell as Nikki, Jake's mother (Jean in the books) Melanie Nicholls-King as Aisha, Cassie's mother (Michelle in the books)

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (1998–1999)

Season 2 (1999)

Production The series was filmed in Toronto, Canada. Deborah A. Forte and Bill Siegler are the executive producers of the series. The animals used in this series were supplied by the Bowmanville Zoo, and Homer, the Golden Retriever who is Jake's dog, was trained by Bryan Renfro. Due to budget issues, and for logistical & safety reasons, the morphs of the characters from the books were changed and the others were adapted out, with Jake having the white tiger morph, Tobias' morph being a Harris' hawk rather than a red-tailed hawk, and Rachel having the lion morph rather than an elephant and grizzly bear. Also, instead of Cassie, Marco has the wolf morph, rather than a gorilla.

TV airings & media releases Animorphs originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from September 4, 1998 to March 26, 2000, with reruns airing until August. Around 2015, reruns of the program were aired on over-the-air children's television network Qubo.

In Canada, the series aired on YTV for both seasons and Global for its second. The series also aired in Europe and Australia.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (then known as Columbia TriStar Home Video) had released twelve episodes in four VHS volumes, titled The Invasion Series, collecting episodes from the series. Part 1: The Invasion Begins ("My Name is Jake (parts 1-2)", and "Underground") Part 2: Nowhere to Run ("Between Friends", "The Message" and "The Reaction") Part 3: The Enemy Among Us ("The Stranger", and "The Leader (parts 1-2)") Part 4: The Legacy Survives ("The Capture (parts 1-2)", and "Not My Problem")

Seven volumes spanning the first 20 episodes (only the first of which was identical to its U.S. counterpart) were released in Australia by Paramount Home Entertainment.

As of August 2026, all 26 episodes are currently available on Fandango, Amazon Prime Video, and Tubi.

Revival On April 3, 2026, it was announced that Ryan Coogler's production company Proximity Media had acquired the rights to the book series to be turned into a television series for Disney+ with 20th Television. Bayan Wolcott was attached as writer and executive producer, and Sev Ohanian, Coogler, and his wife Zinzi Coogler serving as executive producers on behalf of Proximity Media. Iole Lucchese and Caitlin Friedman were announced to executive produce via Scholastic. Proximity Media’s Simone Harris and Dezi Gallegos were also announced to oversee the project.

See also List of Animorphs books Manimal Sheena

References

External links