Created by Ted Turner in 1990, Captain Planet and the Planeteers was the first ever environmentally-themed animated series.  Captain Planet and his team of eco-superheros inspired an entire generation of kids to respect the planet and do what they could to take care of it.  And now, almost 13 years after the show went off the air, the Captain is back to inspire a new generation of eco-stewards.

For the next 12 months, (I’m the blogger behind their Family Channel) will unveil more than 20 episodes of this classic cartoon as well as never before seen bonus footage from the show.

Twenty-five year old Marisa Picker of New York City is not embarrassed to admit that she’ll be tuning in.  As a kid, Captain Planet inspired her to take care of the environment, a lesson she carries with her today.  After all, she can still sing the theme song in full and she always thought Captain Planet was “hot, despite being kind of greenish…”.

Even if you may have missed the series when it was in its heyday, you can share it with your kids today.  I’d pick a greenish eco-hero over a purple dinosaur anyday!