The Pastmaster Always Rings Twice

"The Pastmaster Always Rings Twice" is the first episode of SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron season one. It aired on September 11, 1993 on TBS. It was written by Glenn Leopold, and directed by Robert Alvarez.

The ancient evil wizard, the Pastmaster, is accidentally released from his grave, which acted as an 800-year-old prison sentence. Now in the present, he wishes to revert Megakat City back to the Dark Ages.

Characters

 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Jack
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Earl Boen
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Tom
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Charlie Adler
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Pastmaster
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Keene Curtis
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| T-Bone
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Charlie Adler
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Razor
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Barry Gordon
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Doctor Abby Sinian
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Linda Gary
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Callie Briggs
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Tress MacNeille
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Museum guard
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Frank Welker
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Cat the Ripper (statue)
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Zombie sabertoothed tiger
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Frank Welker
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Commander Ulysses Feral
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Gary Owens
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Mayor Manx
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jim Cummings
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Cat the Ripper (statue)
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Zombie sabertoothed tiger
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Frank Welker
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Commander Ulysses Feral
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Gary Owens
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Mayor Manx
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jim Cummings
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Gary Owens
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Mayor Manx
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jim Cummings
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jim Cummings

Organizations

 * Enforcers
 * SWAT Kats

Locations

 * Earth
 * Megakat City
 * Megakat City Historical Site
 * Megakat City Tar Pits
 * Megakat City Museum of History

Objects

 * Kitty Kola (logo)
 * Tome of Time

Vehicles

 * Turbokat

Development
Jack was originally going to be named Mac, as referred to in Glenn Leopold's final draft. Although, he was called Jack in storyboards dated April 23, 1993.

Filming
The copyright date was 1993.

Music
The music and score were composed by Matt Muhoberac, John Zuker, Randall Crissman, and Nick Brown.

Release
Dates are in order of release:


 * United States: September 11, 1993 on TBS

Behind the scenes

 * The episode title is named after the 1981 film The Postman Always Rings Twice.
 * The partially seen exhibit of Cat the Ripper is a parody of Jack the Ripper.

Everlasting influence

 * In the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Balloonenstein," when the portal first appears, it is stock footage of the Pastmaster's portal.

Home availability

 * In the United States:
 * December 14, 2010: Warner Archive Collection releases SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron: The Complete Series on DVD.
 * January 19, 2012: Warner Archive Collection releases SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron: The Complete Series on DVD.