ThunderCats is an American science fantasy animated television series that was produced by Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment and Leisure Concepts[1] debuting in 1985, based on the characters created by Ted "Tobin" Wolf.[3] The series, for which Leonard Starr was the head writer, follows the adventures of a group of catlike humanoid aliens. The animation for the episodes was provided by the Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation, with Masaki Iizuka as production manager. The studio was acquired in 1989 to form Walt Disney Animation Japan. Season 1 of the show aired in 1985, consisting of 65 episodes, followed by a TV movie entitled ThunderCats – Ho! in 1986. Seasons 2, 3, and 4 each contained twenty episodes, starting with a five-part story.