The Transformers production timeline

 

4023-4024-4025 The Transformers (More Than Meets The Eye)

Script revisions by George Arthur Bloom: 13th March 1984

MP 700

01 Transport To Oblivion

First draft script: 4th June 1984

Revised by Malek and Robbins: 8th June 1984

Final revised script: 22nd June 1984

02 Roll For It

First draft script: 15th June 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 26th June 1984

Finalised: 2nd July 1984

03 Divide And Conquer

First draft script: 21st June 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 29th June 1984

Finalised: 2nd July 1984

04 Fire In The Sky

First draft script: 9th July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 11th July 1984

Finalised: 19th July 1984

05 S.O.S Dinobots

First draft script: 29th June 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 7th July 1984

First draft storyboards: 25th July 1984

06 Fire On The Mountain

First draft script: 2nd July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 9th July 1984

07 War Of The Dinobots

First draft script: 6th July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 15th July 1984

Finalised: 22nd July 1984

08 The Ultimate Doom, Part 1

First draft script: 11th July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 18th July 1984

Finalised: 27th July 1984

09 The Ultimate Doom, Part 2

First draft script: 16th July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 25th July 1984

Finalised: 27th July 1984

10 The Ultimate Doom, Part 3

First draft script: No date on cover

Revised by Ron Friedman: 28th July 1984

Finalised: 5th August 1984

11 Countdown To Extinction

First draft script: 23rd July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 26th July 1984

Finalised: 9th August 1984

12 A Plague Of Insecticons

First draft script: 27th July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 6th August 1984

Finalised: 13th August 1984

13 Heavy Metal War

First draft script: 27th July 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 1st August 1984

Finalised: 13th August 1984

Dialogue recording: 23rd August 1984

Season 2 

18 City Of Steel

First draft storyboards: 17th October 1984

Storyboards revised: 2nd November 1984

Dialogue recording: 12th November 1984

23 Atlantis, Arise!

First draft storyboards: 7th January 1985

Dialogue recording: 8th January 1985

24 Day Of The Machines

First draft script: 29th November 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 6th December 1984

25 Enter The Nightbird

First draft script: 4th December 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 8th December 1984

Finalised: 11th December 1984

27 The Core

First draft script: 21st December 1984

28 The Insecticon Syndrome

First draft script: 28th December 1984

Revised by Ron Friedman: 4th January 1985

29 Dinobot Island, Part 1

First draft script: 7th January 1985

Revised by Ron Friedman: 13th January 1985

30 Dinobot Island, Part 2

First draft script: 9th January 1985

Revised by Ron Friedman: 15th January 1985

31 The Master Builders

First draft script: 25th January 1985

Computerised revisions/inserts by Flint Dille: 30th January 1985

Handwritten revisions by Ron Friedman: 31st January 1985

Dialogue recording: 11th February 1985

32 Auto-Berserk

First draft script: 31st January 1985

Computerised revisions by Flint Dille: 1st February 1985

Handwritten revisions by Ron Friedman: 9th February 1985

33 Microbots

First draft script: 15th February 1985

34 Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1

First draft script: 12 February 1985

Revised by Ron Friedman: 17th February 1985

Story inserts by Flint Dille: 22nd March 1985

35 Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

First draft script: 20th February 1985

36 Desertion Of The Dinobots, Part 1

First draft script: 25th February 1985

37 Desertion Of The Dinobots, Part 2

First draft script: 4th March 1985

Revised by Ron Friedman: 7th March 1985

38 Blaster Blues

First draft script: 13th March 1985

Revised by Ron Friedman: 18th March 1985

39 A Decepticon Raider In King Arthur's Court

First draft script: 8th March 1985

Revised by Ron Friedman: 13th March 1985

40 The Golden Lagoon

First draft script: 29th March 2985

41 The God Gambit

First draft script: 15th March 1985

Revised by Ron Friedman: 19th March 1985

42 Make Tracks

First draft script: 11th March 1985

Revised from Ron Friedman: 14th March 1985

43 Child's Play

First draft script: 22nd April 1985

44 Quest For Survival

First draft script: 17th April 1985

45 The Secret Of Omega Supreme

First draft script: 4th April 1985

46 The Gambler

First draft script: 17th May 1985

47 Kremzeek!

First draft script: 10th May 1985

48 Sea Change

First draft script: 28th May 1985

Revised by Doug Booth: 30th May 1985

First draft storyboards: 8th June 1985

Dialogue recording: 20th June 1985

49 Triple Takeover

First draft script: 23rd May 1985

Dialogue recording: 10th June 1985

50 Prime Target

First draft script: 10th May 1985

51 Auto-Bop

First draft script: 31st May 1985

52 The Search For Alpha Trion

First draft script: 28th June 1985

53 Hoist Goes Hollywood

First draft script: 31st July 1985

Dialogue recording: 16th August 1985

60 Cosmic Rust

First draft script: 10th September 1985

Dialogue recording: 30th September 1985

First draft storyboards: 3rd October 1985

Final revision/Shipped to Toei: 9th October 1985

61 Starscream's Brigade

First draft script: 16th September 1985

Dialogue recording: 2nd October 1985

62 The Revenge Of Bruticus

First draft script: 16th September 1985

Finalised: 26th September 1985

4034 The Transformers The Movie

First script outline by Ron Friedman: revisions from 15th August 1984 to 19th September 1984
First draft script by Ron Friedman: submitted November 12th 1984. Revised February 13th 1985.
Reference photos of Powered Convoy toy designated as Ultra Magnus, provided to Ron Friedman: Taken 18th March 1985
Second script outline by Ron Friedman: revised 28th March 1985
Second draft script by Ron Friedman: completed 27th April 1985. Revised 2nd May 1985
Model sheets approved 14th June 1985: Cyclonus, Galvatron (Marvel model with revised head), Hot Rod, Kranix (the pre-final model, can be seen with Granix name on it), Quintesson Judge (colour approved on 18th November 1985 by J. Bacal), Rodimus Prime, Scourge/Sweep, Sharkticon, Unicron robot mode, Wheelie, Wreck-gar
Model sheets approved 24th June 1985: Ultra Magnus robot mode(first Powered Convoy version)
Model sheets approved 2nd July 1985: Ultra Magnus (Initial Toei design. Colour revised on 20th July 1985)
Model sheets approved 19th July 1985: Arblus robot mode, Spike (final model), Ultra Magnus vehicle mode(first Powered Convoy version)
Model sheets approved 29th July 1985: Quintesson Prosecutor (a.k.a Quintesson leader. Approved by J. Bacal on 18th December 1985)
Model sheets approved 31st July 1985: Arblus spaceship mode
Model sheets approved 6th September 1985: Rewind flip side of the cassette mode
Dialogue recording (main sessions): 10th and 11th September 1985
Model sheets approved 3rd October 1985: Rewind and Eject
Model sheets approved 8th October 1985: Lithonian Scientist, Lithonian Woman no.1
Storyboard sequence 1 (Attack on Lithone): Final 31st October 1985
Storyboard sequence 2 (Title sequence): Final 31st December 1985
Storyboard sequence 3 (2005): Final 31st October 1985
Storyboard sequence 4 (More Than You Imagine): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985.
Storyboard sequence 5 (Attack On The Shuttle): Final 31st October 1985
Storyboard sequence 6 (Gone Fishin'/Dare): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 7 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 1): Final 14th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 8 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 2): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 9 (Death Of Optimus Prime): Final 7th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 10 (Witness To A Funeral): Final 7th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 11 (Contest For Leadership): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 13th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 12 (Transformation): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 26th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 13 (Coronation): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 18th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 14 (Destruction Of Moonbase One): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 19th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 15 (Escape): Final 16th December 1985. Revised Final 24th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 16 (Pursuit): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 17 (Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 18 (Arrival On Junk): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 19 (Unwelcome Visitors): Final November 14th 1985. Revised Final 27th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 20 (The Matrix Survives): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
Storyboard sequence 21 (An Unexpected Friend): Final 18th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 22 (Destruction Of Moonbase Two): Final 17th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 23 (Ambush): Final 11th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 24 (Judgement/Rescue): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 25 (Another Leader Dies): Final 9th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 26 (Unusual Allies): Final 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
Storyboard sequence 27 (The Enemy Revealed): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 28 (Confrontation): Final 19th November 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 29 (United Against The Enemy): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 4th December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 30 (In The Belly Of The Monster): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 3rd December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
Storyboard sequence 31 (Their Darkest Hour): Final 2nd December 1985. Revised 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985

Season 3

86 Five Faces Of Darkness, Part 1

First draft script: 4th March 1986

87 Five Faces Of Darkness, Part 2

Finalised/Approved script: 20th March 1986

Memo from Sunbow New York requiring story changes affecting miniseries from Part 3 onwards: 17th March 1986

88 Five Faces Of Darkness, Part 3

Finalised script: 27th March 1986

89 Five Faces Of Darkness, Part 4

Revised script: 22nd April 1986

90 Five Faces Of Darkness, Part 5

Dialogue recording: 16th May 1986

91 The Killing Jar

First draft script: 22nd April 1986

Revised script: 30th April 1986

92 Chaos

First draft script: 12th April 1986

Revised script: 28th April 1986

Finalised by Flint Dille: 29th April 1986

Dialogue call sheet prepared: 5th May 1986

Dialogue recording: 19th May 1986

First draft storyboards: 4th June 1986

93 Dark Awakening

Dialogue recording: 29th May 1986

96 Thief In The Night

Revised script: 30th May 1986

Dialogue recording: 4th June 1986

105 The Big Broadcast Of 2006

Finalised script: 9th July 1986

106 Fight Or Flee

Finalised script: 11th July 1986

Dialogue recording: 31st July 1986

110 Grimlock's New Brain

Script finalised by Marv Wolfman: 16th September 1986

115 The Return Of Optimus Prime, Part 1

First draft script: 10th November 1986

116 The Return Of Optimus Prime, Part 2

Finalised script: 24th Nobember 1986