The Transformers (TV series) (Johnsonverse)

The Transformers is an American animated television series which originally aired from September 17, 1984 to March 3, 1987 in syndication and on WBC from November 9, 1987 to July 17, 1999. The first of many series in the Transformers franchise, it was based upon Hasbro's Transformers toy line and depicts a war among giant robots that can transform into vehicles and other objects.

The first two seasons were produced by Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions in association with Toei Animation for first-run syndication. Toei co-produced the show and was the main animation studio for the first two seasons. In the third season Toei's involvement with the production team was reduced and the animation services were shared with the South Korean studio AKOM. The series was supplemented by a feature film, The Transformers: The Movie (1986), taking place between the second and third seasons. Beginning in the fourth season, production was handled by Johnson Studios.

This series is also popularly known as "Generation 1", a term originally coined by fans in response to the re-branding of the franchise as Transformers: Generation 2 in 1992, which eventually made its way into official use. The series was later shown in reruns on Sci-Fi Channel and The Hub. It is also the first installment in the Generation 1 cartoon era.