What do you think are the most influential TF series/ continuities?

[GotBot]

Following the terrific response and interesting feedback to the why I collect vid/thread. I thought I would try again,. So here are my 10 most influential series/continuities in the TF Franchise. By influential I mean significant, as in they added something unique that has endured to become part of the legacy. They may or may not be among my favorites and, of course, it isn't a definitive or exhaustive list. See if your favorites made it and please, speak up about which ones you think have been the most influential!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1QlAABcS2w

[Msol]

G1, BW, IDW, Bay.

[79transam]

G1 in both Cartoon and Comics for me for what I collect.
IDW for what I try to draw.

[Roadhammer]

I agree with the assessment that G1, the Beast Era (perhaps Beast Wars moreso than Beast Machines), and the Bayverse are the big three. I don't know if I personally would count IDW as being separate from G1, though I do really enjoy their work.

I might also add Armada to that list. We're almost twenty years out from it, and lately there seems to have been a bit of an upswing in Armada-themed product. We're far enough out for Armada to be to a younger generation what G1 and the Beast Era were to us. So I'd probably throw that in there too.

[Shepp]

Everything aside from influence, I'm going to have to say that Beast Wars/Beasties is in the top spot.

G1 had it's day, much like other 1980s franchises, and as good as it was, it somewhat moved into it's retirement years by the mid-90s.

The Beast Wars/Beasties TV series came out and revived the entire franchise for North American kids. The previous toy series weren't big hits since G1 season 3 and 4, but this cartoon got kids more interested and drove toy sales up. This is partly due to it's cutting edge CGI from Mainframe (of ReBoot fame) and the better than usual writing and acting compared to other "let's sell toys" cartoons of the time. The show could have held it's own without a toy series. That being said, the toy sales were Hasbro's goal, and the fact that they provided actually good toys with the series instead of half-assing it like some other company might have done helped with the series' longevity and nostalgia.

The second spot for influence has got to be DreamWave's G1 series. While the ever changing Transformers brand was a hit with kids, it was these comics that brought the adult fans back through nostalgia. Not just the G1 fans, but also the Beast Wars fans. Two generations that were not children.

This made the franchise viable for big budget motion pictures, high detailed collectables, and 3rd party products.

Third would have to be the Bayverse. For good or ill, those movies moved the Transformers franchise from pop-culture to global phenomenon. People who had never heard of the toys, cartoons, or comics were suddenly aware of the brand and it's products.

[GotBot]

Originally Posted by Shepp

Everything aside from influence, I'm going to have to say that Beast Wars/Beasties is in the top spot.

G1 had it's day, much like other 1980s franchises, and as good as it was, it somewhat moved into it's retirement years by the mid-90s.

The Beast Wars/Beasties TV series came out and revived the entire franchise for North American kids. The previous toy series weren't big hits since G1 season 3 and 4, but this cartoon got kids more interested and drove toy sales up. This is partly due to it's cutting edge CGI from Mainframe (of ReBoot fame) and the better than usual writing and acting compared to other "let's sell toys" cartoons of the time. The show could have held it's own without a toy series. That being said, the toy sales were Hasbro's goal, and the fact that they provided actually good toys with the series instead of half-assing it like some other company might have done helped with the series' longevity and nostalgia.

The second spot for influence has got to be DreamWave's G1 series. While the ever changing Transformers brand was a hit with kids, it was these comics that brought the adult fans back through nostalgia. Not just the G1 fans, but also the Beast Wars fans. Two generations that were not children.

This made the franchise viable for big budget motion pictures, high detailed collectables, and 3rd party products.

Third would have to be the Bayverse. For good or ill, those movies moved the Transformers franchise from pop-culture to global phenomenon. People who had never heard of the toys, cartoons, or comics were suddenly aware of the brand and it's products.

This was some excellent insight and reasoning. It makes perfect sense. I find it very interesting to see everyone's take on the most important ones. Naturally, it is different for different reasons and interests, but amazing to see how us fans are influenced in different ways. there are some mentioned here that never made my list, though I did say it wasn't definitive or exhaustive. As for your comment above, Shepp, not only does it make great sense but it likes to the business side of things too, which, in all honesty, we can't overlook.