Line #12 Trivia/VRTroopers


1	* CreatorBacklash: Creator/SarahBrown doesn't look back on her time on the show fondly — and for good reason: She'd met her ex-husband, co-creator Shuki Levy, while on the former and during their relationship, he'd physically abused her and Brown also stated that Haim Saban and his wife Cheryl were complicit in the abuse.
2	* {{Defictionalization}}: In a sense. While the series' primary depiction of VR obviously ain't gonna happen, the VR headsets they used have become the current wave of VR technology, what with Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard, [=PlayStation=] VR, and even View-Master VR.
3	* FollowTheLeader: No, ''not Franchise/PowerRangers''; {{Toku}} is a genre of its own. However, high schooler heroes use pendants to fully transform into robotic forms? Sounds suspiciously like the new-at-the-time Creator/MarvelComics character ComicBook/{{Darkhawk}}.
4	* TheOtherDarrin: This trope was not kind to the Swordbot Brothers. Magician, Fistbot, Spitbot, Minotaurbot, Wolfbot, Amphibidor also. Played around with when Zelton turned into Graybot and Metalbot.
5	** Once, the Swordbot Brothers even ''switched'' voice actors from the previous appearance. But it seems they never got the same VA twice, and they kept getting ''prominent'' appearances (rather than the standard "hanging out in the background in Grimlord's lair sequences 'til it's your turn as MonsterOfTheWeek" situation.) The last [[Creator/RichardEpcar voice actor]] ended up [[ActingForTwo playing both characters]].
6	* TheOtherMarty: Creator/JasonDavidFrank was originally set to play Adam Steele in the unaired ''Cybertron'' pilot while Creator/BradHawkins was cast as the White Ranger, possibly named Rocky, on ''Power Rangers''. Saban realized that replacing the popular Frank on ''Power Rangers'' was too risky so Frank returned to the show as Tommy in the role of the White Ranger and Hawkins stepped into the ''Cybertron'' role, renamed Ryan Steele. A second pilot was then made which featured Professor Hart being played by an Einstein-esque Caucasian. (The name Rocky ended up being reused for for the second Red Ranger in ''MMPR''.)
7	* PropRecycling:
8	** The suits used for the battle grid fights were based on the spandex suits used in ''MMPR'', notably using the Red Ranger helmet mold from ''MMPR''. You could even see the dino details on the helmet.
9	** Meanwhile, Creator/{{Kenner}} reused molds from other toylines to fill out the VRT toy lineup- the "VR Skyborg" [[http://actionfigureadventures.blogspot.com/2013/09/jail-bird-speeder-skyborg-jet.html was recycled from]] the ''WesternAnimation/COPSAnimatedSeries'' line (where it was the "Jailbird Speeder"), while the "VR Pursuit Jet" was an [[http://www.toyarchive.com/Aliens/Prototypes/DropShipSmallTestShot1.html unused mold]] from the cancelled ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' toyline- which in turn had began back in 1986 as the [[http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/firebat/ Cobra Firebat]] from ''Franchise/GIJoe'' (Creator/{{Hasbro}} having bought Kenner in 1991).
10	* RecycledScript: Not only the underground lab raid, but the brief OncePerEpisode sequence of a giant floating head thingy (knows as "Gargantus") that would attack Ryan, only for the VR Troopertron to come and shoot it down throughout Season 2. There's no explanation given as why they're not used for more than this sequence.
11	* RomanceOnTheSet: Sarah Brown was briefly engaged to the show's executive producer Shuki Levy and the couple had a child together in 1998; [[MayDecemberRomance Levy is 28 years older than Brown]].
12	* StuntDouble:
13	** When the actors are oddly dressed in '80s clothing for certain scenes in an episode, anticipate the show using footage of the Japanese actors as this in the very next shot.
14	** Similarly, if part of the plot revolves around an Asian-American child, expect them to be kidnapped by a monster, in order to sync up with the kidnapped child in the Japanese footage.
15	** Doom Master, the Vixens, and Despera all do this as well.
16	* ToylessToylineCharacter: [[http://www.toyarchive.com/VRTroopers/PrototypeTSGrimlord.html Grimlord]] and [[http://www.toyarchive.com/VRTroopers/PrototypeJebMOSC.html Jeb]] both had figures planned, but they were both scrapped, Jeb at the last minute, for reasons unknown. The VR Troopertron never got a US release; obviously the Gran Nacza (''Spielban'''s equivalent) was released, but not in the US.
17	* TroubledProduction: Like its sister series, this show has a fair share of headaches as well.
18	** Originally a vehicle for former Green Ranger Creator/JasonDavidFrank, a short pilot using footage from the ''Series/MetalHeroes'' series ''Series/ChoujinkiMetalder'' called ''Cybertron'' was filmed with him alone. However, his immense popularity as Tommy led to Saban deciding to pull him back to ''Rangers.'' As such he switched places with Creator/BradHawkins (who was originally supposed to be the White Ranger during the second season of ''MMPR''), who became Ryan Steele. This alone led them to believe the show was beyond hope, but because of commitments to broadcasters, they had to press on.
19	** Since they didn't have Frank's Green Ranger star power to support the show, they decided to expand it, buying up a second ''Metal Heroes'' series, ''Series/JikuuSenshiSpielban,'' hired two more actors, and made the show about a trio. Since the two series were completely unrelated, the only footage they had off all three Troopers together and morphed were things they filmed themselves, which they didn't have the time or budget to do a lot of, so the majority of episodes involved finding new and unique ways to split Ryan away from Kaitlyn and J.B.
20	** While filming the show, they noticed several new problems. Alongside the fact that the ''Metal Heroes'' footage was almost a decade old (unlike ''Sentai'' footage, which is never more than a year or two old, ''Metalder'' and ''Spielban'' were from 1987 and 1986), the shows in question also used a lot of '''unmorphed''' battles, meaning the usable footage was thin to begin with. StockFootage was abused, with the same scenes of a drill driving through the wall of an underground lab seeming to be in almost every episode. Despite all this, the show was a hit and a second season was ordered.
21	** The second season had the ''Metalder'' footage (Ryan's armor) run out fast, so they had him get an upgrade to new armor, this time from ''Series/SpaceSheriffShaider'', an even '''older''' series (1984). The second season limped along with its endlessly repeated StockFootage, until, by the end of the season, both ''Shaider'' and ''Spielban'' footage had run dry. [[WordOfGod Per producer Robert Hughes]], bad toy sales were the defining factor in Saban giving up on ''Troopers'' and instead they bought and turned a much more recent ''Metal Heroes'' show, ''Series/JuukouBFighter'', into ''Series/BigBadBeetleborgs''.
22	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
23	** Saban originally conceived the show as a vehicle for Creator/JasonDavidFrank. However, the [[EnsembleDarkhorse runaway popularity]] of his ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' character Tommy led to their bringing him back to ''MMPR'' as the White Ranger and recasting the lead role in ''VRT'' with Creator/BradHawkins, who had originally been going to play the new White Ranger. Creator/JamieKennedy also had an early role.
24	** The ''Cybertron'' pilot also shows that the series was originally intended to be a stand-alone adaptation of ''Metalder'', with Tao as his ally and Ziktor having a son. It was only after Jason David Frank was replaced Brad Hawkins that the series was revamped into a team show and the ''Spielban'' footage was brought in for the two additional main characters (since Metalder was a lone hero, whereas Spielban had a costumed female sidekick). By that point, Saban was also using footage from two different ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' series for ''MMPR'' (''Zyuranger'' and ''Dairanger''). Not only that, but Hasbro nearly sued them over the use of the name "Cybertron", which is the name of the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' home planet, which might explain why ''VRT'' toys were made by then Hasbro subsidiary Kenner rather than Bandai. The Cybertron name was retained in the ending credits, listing the production company as "Cybertron Productions", in the same mold as "MMPR Productions".
25	*** If ''Cybertron'' was made and successful, Saban could have potentially adapted one ''Metal Hero'' series per year, in a manner similar to ''Power Rangers''.
26	** Even earlier than the ''Cybertron'' concept, the plan was to bring over ''Metalder'' as a GagDub with the title ''Metalhead''. It was decided that sticking to the formula that made ''Power Rangers'' successful would be more profitable, but not before a pilot was allegedly made of the original ''Metalhead'' dub idea.
27	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rzm2AGXkVE A promo seen]] on certain ''Power Rangers'' videos prior to the show's debut had Jeb with a different voice, Kaitlyn with a different last name, and Professor Hart was played by a Caucasian who looked like Einstein.
28	** There was loose talk during production of possibly doing a crossover with ''Power Rangers''. Various interviews with the cast revealed the sets of both series were in close proximity of each other, but nothing ever came of it. It's suspected that the lack of any usable Japanese footage was the primary reason.
29	*** This tied into rumors that Ryan Steele was to become a {{Transplant}} and end up as the Gold Ranger on ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', due to Brad Hawkins voicing Trey; this was actually a stopgap until Saban could hire an actor (or as it was, actors) to play him.
30	** Reportedly, Saban planned on making a third and final season to tie up all the loose ends, with ''Series/BlueSWAT'' as the intended series for adapting[[note]]''Blue SWAT'' had 3 main heroes, which would have fit the three main heroes of ''VR Troopers''[[/note]]. However, Saban reportedly did not want to alienate the existing fandom, so they instead chose to use ''Series/JuukouBFighter'', and eventually to make an entirely new series, ''Series/{{Beetleborgs}}''. [[WordOfGod Producer Robert Hughes]] has apparently gone on the record saying that, had the show continued, they would've continued combing back through all the ''Metal Heroes'' shows for usable footage. Ironically, Saban would later end up adapting the SpiritualSuccessor of ''Blue SWAT'', ''Series/KyukyuSentaiGoGoV'', as ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue''.
31	** The video game, which was released for the Platform/SegaGenesis and Platform/GameGear, was going to have a version for the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]].
32	* WorkingTitle: ''Cybertron'', and before that, ''Psycon''.

Context Trivia / VRTroopers