Power Rangers is an American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes. First produced by Saban Entertainment and later by BVS Entertainment, the premise for the series and much of its footage originated from the Japanese tokusatsu Super Sentai Series. Its first entry, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, helped launch the Fox Kids programming block in the 1990s during which it catapulted into popular culture along with a popular line of action figures and other toys by Bandai. Despite initial criticism for its action violence targeted for children, the franchise has continued, and consists of 17 television seasons, 15 different series, and two theatrical films. The new series, Power Rangers: RPM, debuted on March 7, 2009.

Premise

The Power Rangers

A Power Ranger is a fictional individual who "morphs" from an ordinary person into a powerful superhero — generally wearing a color-coded battle suit usually made of spandex or other skin-tight material and a helmet with an opaque visor. In many cases, the helmet serves to protect his or her secret identity. In some cases, more powerful Rangers may have extra shielding on their suits to protect them from strong blows.