The original animated series (1987–1996) was produced by Fred Wolf Films Dublin (as "Murakami Wolf Swenson" ("MWS") and "Murakami Wolf Dublin" ("MWD") during earlier seasons), and syndicated by Group W. The series itself is owned by Wolf Films, with home entertainment rights residing with Lions Gate Entertainment, and the syndication rights belong to Nickelodeon's corporate sibling CBS Television Distribution. The initial five-part miniseries (retroactively considered the first season) was copyrighted by Playmates Toys, although their rights to those episodes were bought out by Fred Wolf Films.