According to Shout! Factory’s press release, in addition to the two volumes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1 coming August 21, 2012 and Fall 2012, there will be two special box sets sold exclusively online and on “direct-response television” through Time Life: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season One 6-DVD set and 40-DVD collection of Power Rangers: Seasons One – Seven. The latter will span from Mighty Morphin Season 1 to Lost Galaxy.

Both special sets will include “a retrospective featurette on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers phenomenon, brand-new interviews with members of the cast and the creative team, and much more”. Sets will be available July 30, 2012.

Press Release from TVShowsOnDVD.com:

Shout! Factory and Saban Brands announced a multi-year, multi-property alliance to bring Saban’s iconic live-action pop culture series, including Power Rangers, to the home entertainment marketplace in the U.S and Canada. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory’s founding partners Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and Elie Dekel, President of Saban Brands.

The multi-year alliance provides Shout! Factory with exclusive home entertainment packaged media (DVD/Blu-ray) and select digital rights to Saban Brands’ extensive catalog of properties including more than 700 episodes of Power Rangers (1993- 2009), 92 episodes of VR Troopers, 26 episodes of Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, and 88 episodes of Beetleborgs for home entertainment releases and digital distribution across select entertainment platforms in North America. [...]

Shout! Factory plans an aggressive rollout of Saban Brands television properties beginning this summer 2012, including from individual programs as well as complete series. As excitement builds for these upcoming home entertainment product-lines, Shout! Factory and Saban Brands will announce additional news and activities in forthcoming months.

(Courtesy: zeogo via Rangerboard)

The ratings for Disney’s original programming have always been higher than Power Rangers could offer, so if anything were to get bumped from the lineup, it would be our beloved heroes in spandex. There is a possibility that Power Rangers reruns could resurface on Disney XD, but we all know how well that turned out the last time.

(Courtesy: The Futon Critic and Elephant via Rangerboard)

Reminder, the network is airing the episodes by production numbers, not the original airing order.

In this one, 3 kids find the new Doritos WildFire and they morph…into the Ninjetti ninjas from Season 3. But not just some Photoshop outfits. Oh no. They get 2 points for donning Ninjetti gear. Love it.

I wasn’t going to post about this, but looking over this recent Topless Robot list of The 8 Mightiest Power Rangers Series again, I couldn’t ignore it. From 8 to 1, they start out with Zeo. Putting my own bias aside, I let that go…until I saw Wild Force at Number 5! And then I sorta let that slide (by a bare margin) until RPM wasn’t even on the list! Come. on.

I don’t mean to go hard on this guy, but I’m so over the folks that fill their lists of “serious” seasons and call them the best ever. Sprinkling the list with Zeo and Dino Thunder can only carry you so far. Oh yes, and the obligatory Mighty Morphin as Number 1.

To end on a good note, more people writing about Power Rangers is always a good thing. But damn, advice: Watch RPM.

The first features Juvenile with “I Got That Fire” in 2000, and the second (Warning: Explicit Content) features Young Dro with “House on Me” in 2008.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Deluxe Mix & Morph Titanus Base ($32.99 SRP): The first toy on our list really demonstrates the polarization of the hardcore collectors. For those who don’t know, the Mix & Morph line is based around Bandai of America’s extremely popular Ben 10 alien creation line. It basically allows you to take small versions the individual arms, legs and torsos of your favorite rangers and zords to combine them in any way that you see fit. It’s perfect for letting your imagination run wild.

On the flip side, we have Titanus. MMPR was back in the day before every ranger team had dozens of zords. Titanus – much like the Dino Megazord – was a sacred cow not to be messed with. Now they’ve been combined. I see it as the best of both worlds. The Megazord can ride on Titanus just like he did nearly two decades ago and kids can continue to create their own ranger/zord hybrids. But this begs the question: where’s the Dragonzord? The first season of MMPR had three main zords. We have the first. The third is confirmed. But where is the second?

(Picture Courtesy: ActionFigs.com)

Mighty Morphin Cycle with Figure ($12.99 SRP): This has been a staple of every single Power Rangers line. What’s better than a Power Ranger? How about a Power Ranger riding a motorcycle? That’s like combining peanut butter and chocolate. Two great tastes taste great together. That being said, over the years this aspect of the line has been met with mixed results. Some bikes are from the actual show. Some are thrown together to just fill out the line. Fans continue to question the odd suit designs of the figures on the bikes.

Our first cycle figures of the year featured the male rangers riding amalgamated versions of the dinosaurs. In fact, BoA went so far to keep the “males only” rule in effect that the Green Ranger rode a yellow Sabertooth Tiger. They also had traditional cycles which could be combined as new arms and legs to the deluxe Dino Megazord. This new line features a ripcord gimmick that will allow the cycles to move on their own. They will also be able to combine with the Dino Megazord.

Mighty Morphin – Morphin Racer with Figure ($17.99 SRP): To understand this part of the line picture Transformers meets Power Rangers. BoA is taking the concept of allowing kids to create their own megazords to the next level. Instead of just attaching arms and legs made out of cycles to the Dino Megazord base these cars that feature decals can morph into their own megazord torso. Its mix & morph on a whole other level.

(Picture Courtesy: Bandai)

Other toys include the traditional action feature rangers that go for $9.99. This time around they shoot projectiles from their shoulders.

We also have the Power Rangers Air Attack Megazord retailing at $44.99 making it the most expensive toy thus far of the new MMPR line. That’s right. The megazord flies. I don’t care how much hardcore fanboys sandbag and pretend otherwise, that’s cool as heck.

(Picture Courtesy: ActionFigs.com)

Speaking of the hardcore fans, you may be asking what else is out there for you to anticipate? The list might not be as long as you’d hope for but what is there delivers. The basic figure line continues with the White Ranger and the core three male rangers decked out in the Green Ranger’s dragon shield. The Green Ranger himself gets a toy only upgrade that includes more gold and silver highlights. I’m getting a Magna Defender vibe from him myself.

The cutesy, two inch line also expands featuring the Red Ranger with the dragon shield, the White Ranger, the Dino Megazord and the Dragonzord in Battle Mode.

Another interesting toy is a replica of the original morpher that shoot both the original dino coins and oddly enough the ninja coins. Could this be a sign of how deep BoA is planned to go into its MMPR catalog?

(Picture Courtesy: Sprocketman via Photokucket)

That’s all we have for now. I wouldn’t expect this to be the depth of the MMPR line for the entire fall. Typically, there is a moderate release of toys between the initial spring releases and the second big wave in the fall. I expect many of the above toys to hit in the next few months. From the wacky and the weird to the mainstays and collectibles, Bandai of America’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers has it all…

…including Jason and Tommy as cellphones.

Click here to view the embedded video.

(Courtesy: LilFormers.com)

Click here to view the embedded video.

And there’s an extra “treat” for Ranger fans, as there is a clip of the reversioned “Green with Evil Part 1″. It’s a doosy, with Japanese characters and onomatopoeia plastered within Tommy and Jason’s tournament match. Here are the screencaps:

And for once, can TV pros get basic, Wikipediable information correct? Power Rangers ran from 1993-2009. Not to 1995. Not. hard. to. look. up.

(Courtesy: ViRGE via Rangerboard)

Reminder, the network is airing the episodes by production numbers, not the original airing order.

(Courtesy: Spandex Report)

(Courtesy: Atop the Fourth Wall)