Ninjago (TV series)

Ninjago (previously known as Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu until 2019) is a Danish-Canadian computer-animated television series produced by The Lego Group. It was created to coincide with the Lego Ninjago line of construction toys, which is based on the characters and events of the series. It centres on the fictional world of Ninjago, telling the story of a group of six teenage ninjas and their battles against the forces of evil. The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen, two Danish film producers. The storyline was written by Dan and Kevin Hageman until the ninth season; their successor as the head writer is Bragi Schut. The show features a large ensemble cast of voice actors who have recurring roles in the series. The English-language voice cast has been recorded in Canada for its entire run. The music is scored by composers Michael Kramer and Jay Vincent.

The series has been in continuous production for over ten years and celebrated its ten-year anniversary in January 2021. It began with two pilot episodes in January 2011, which were followed by two 13-episode seasons that aired from December 2011 to November 2012. Both the Lego theme and the series had an intended shelf life of three years with the second season planned as the original ending. However, the success of the series and its product line led to the show continuing production, with fourteen seasons and two specials being released as of May 2021. Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu was produced in Copenhagen, Denmark, by Wil Film ApS for its first ten seasons. The production was relocated to WildBrain Studios in Canada for the eleventh season and the series was retitled Ninjago.

In Denmark, where the series' original production companies are located, it premiered on Nickelodeon. It airs on various Nickelodeon networks internationally and on Cartoon Network in the United States, United Kingdom and Poland. In  Latin America, the series is broadcast on Disney XD Latin America. In Canada, the series is broadcast on Teletoon and YTV.

Synopsis 
The show is largely set in the fictional realm of Ninjago, a place loosely inspired by East Asian myths and culture. While featuring historically designed buildings and traditional clothing, Ninjago exists in a modern setting centred around the large metropolis of Ninjago City, which features skyscrapers, current-age and futuristic vehicles, modern electronics, mechanical exo-suits (mechs), and other futuristic technology. The plot focuses on a group of six teenage ninja fighting against the forces of evil, who are also defined as "Elemental Masters", several characters who have elemental powers.

The series began with the ninja team being formed and trained by their ancient master Sensei Wu in the fictional martial art of "Spinjitzu", which is the main fighting method depicted in the show. The ninjas' base is a flying junk ship named "Destiny's Bounty", which has varied in design over the course of the series. The Pilot Episodes introduced the original four ninja characters named Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane and Kai's sister Nya, while the central character Lloyd Garmadon was introduced in the first season, titled Rise of the Snakes.

Series overview

References

2011 television series debuts