Wing Commander Academy
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Entertainment |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Larry Latham (producer) |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Animated television series |
| Parent | Universal Cartoon Studios |
Wing Commander Academy is an American animated television series from 1996, developed by Universal Cartoon Studios with Larry Latham as producer. Drawing inspiration from the Wing Commander universe, it functions as a loose prequel to the original Wing Commander game. The show was broadcast on the USA Network within the "USA Action Extreme Team" programming segment, running from September 21 through December 21, 1996.
Principal cast
- Mark Hamill portraying Christopher 'Maverick' Blair
- Thomas F. Wilson as Todd 'Maniac' Marshall
- Malcolm McDowell in the role of Commodore Geoffrey Tolwyn
- Dana Delany voicing Gwen 'Archer' Bowman
Supporting voices
- Lauri Hendler providing voices for Maya McEaddens and Lindsay 'Payback' Price
- Kevin Schon as Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka and Hector 'Grunt' Paz
- Pat Fraley performing as Dr. Guthrig Andropolos and Gharal nar Hhallas
- Ron Perlman lending his voice to Daimon Karnes and Krulan nar Ragitagha
- Jeff Bennett as Bokh nar Ragitika
- Dorian Harewood portraying Jazzman
- Jessica Walter as Admiral Rhea Bergstrom
- Joan Van Ark voicing Dr. Bronwyn Sing
- Jim Cummings performing Emil 'Easy' Zoharian
- Jennifer Hale as Princess Zukara nar Kiranka
- Andrew Prine in the role of Vidkun
- Michael Dorn as the Warrior King
Spacecraft featured in the series
The animated series incorporated various spacecraft designs originating from the Wing Commander video games. Key fighter and bomber roles were fulfilled by the Scimitar and Broadsword models for the protagonists, whereas Kilrathi forces utilized Dralthi and Grikath fighters. The TCS Tiger's Claw, depicted as a Bengal class strike carrier, aligns with its portrayal in Wing Commander I. Several episodes included brief appearances of vessels from subsequent titles such as Wing Commander III's Arrow, Hellcat, and Longbow, alongside unnamed ships like the Avenger from Wing Commander IV. Additionally, the show introduced new capital ships including the Achilles class destroyer and the dreadnought-class Agan Ra Sivar.
Home media
The complete series of Wing Commander Academy was released on DVD for Region 1 by Visual Entertainment in March 2012, marking its first availability in this format. Later, in July 2020, the series was added to the streaming catalog of Peacock.
References
External links
- 1996 American animated television series debuts
- 1996 American television series endings
- 1990s American animated television series
- 1990s American children's television series
- American children's animated action television series
- American children's animated space adventure television series
- American children's animated science fiction television series
- Animated series based on video games
- Animated television series set on fictional planets
- USA Network original programming
- USA Action Extreme Team
- Military science fiction
- Wing Commander (franchise)
- Television series by Universal Animation Studios