Day of the Dumpster
Day of the Dumpster is the first episode of the American children's television program Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and, as a result, the first episode of the Power Rangers franchise. It was initially broadcast on August 23rd, 1993, on the Fox Network, as part of the Fox Kids programming block, and was later released on VHS. As with all Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episodes, the vast majority of the scenes featuring the Rangers in costume or the Zords are taken from a Japanese tokusatsu series, Kyouryuu Sentai ZyuRanger.
Plot summary
In Day of the Dumpster, Zordon recruits five "teenagers with attitude" to become Power Rangers. The "dumpster" of the title is located on Earth's Moon. Having held Rita Repulsa for 10,000 years, it is opened, and Repulsa's campaign of terror restarted, thanks to its opening at the hands of several astronauts. Thus, the Power Rangers era was born.
FOX's Pilot
The Pilot episode was released on FOX as a special episode during Lost Galaxy. The Pilot had the same basic story as the official "Day of the Dumpster" but with a couple differences.
1. Billy's speech pattern was even more fragmented with complex words.
2. Rangers teleported with a bending effect instead of light up effect.
3. Trini was played by another actress.
4. The Command Center was not as detailed as it was in the series.
5. The Rangers hangout was a bowling ally.
6. The Rangers morphers would open up during morph sequence.
7. The Rangers fought Goldar and a sphinx monster, not just Goldar.
8. Some of the monsters had different voices.
9. Alpha 5 was bulkier than the one in the series.
10. Zordon looked more solid than light.
11. Zordon's original name was Zoltar.
12. The rangers were less tolerant and more violent as teenagers, when confronted with Bulk and Skully's bullying.
13. King Sphinx was known as Fly Guy in the pilot. Goldar's name in the pilot sounded like if Zoltar said Rygog, a villain from Power Rangers Turbo.
14. When surrounded by Putties (unnamed in the pilot though), the Teens screamed for help before morphing.
15. Power Morphers were known as Transmorphers in the pilot.
16. The Rangers called on their Zords differently.
17. In the original pilot, Zords were known as Droids and the Megazord was known as the MegaDinoDroid. This was changed in the air pilot to make it so that it's the MegaZord.
Despite these differences, the plot and Sentai footage used was pretty much exactly the same.
Cast
Primary cast
- Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Hart, Pink Power Ranger
- Austin St. John as Jason Lee Scott, Red Power Ranger
- David Fielding as Zordon
- Walter Jones as Zack Taylor, Black Power Ranger
- Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier
- Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch
- Thuy Trang as Trini Kwan, Yellow Power Ranger
- David Yost as Billy Cranston, Blue Power Ranger
Secondary cast
- Michael Sorich as Squatt (voice)
- Kerrigan Mahan as Goldar (voice)
- Dave Mallow as Baboo (voice)
- Romy J. Sharf as Alpha 5,
- Richard Horvitz as Alpha 5 (voice)
- Richard Genelle as Ernie
- Machiko Soga as Rita Repulsa
- Barbara Goodson as Rita Repulsa (voice)
- Robert Axelrod as Finster (voice)