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Until 2002, Jem was only available on VHS. 23 episodes were released in the US. No sign of the
very well made Starbright episodes (episodes no. 6-8).
The European releases didn't seem to be very affected by the US releases, and rather seem to have
picked their episodes for themselves. 11 additional
episodes with the original English voices could be found on the UK videos.
The total released episodes was now 34 with English speaking episodes, plus 4 in Swedish.
In 1999 also the episode "In Stitches" was released in the US.
Here is a list of the VHS videos, including international releases and re-releases with
different covers, along with high resolution pictures and information about what episodes the videos contain.
If you plan to collect them all, be aware that most VHS videos released in Europe, are very rare,
and are recorded in PAL and can't be viewed on many NTSC vcrs. However, VHS videos is the one thing
that Jem collectors seem to ignore almost completely, especially now that there are DVD's of all
episodes.
Videos, 1987 by FHE:
Released in cardboard covers. The cover art is from Hasbro's doll boxes, with the exception of
"Last Resorts". How they picked the
episodes is hard to tell, as they skipped the Starbright episodes, aswell as "In Stitches",
"In Search Of The Stolen Album" and "Old Meets New". Advertising poster (back).
- Truly Outrageous
Back.
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter.
Description on back:
"IT'S OUTRAGEOUS! IT'S HOT! IT'S FUN! IT'S NEW! An exciting new animated cartoon series set in the
dynamic world of pop music and rock videos. THE STORY... She's a beautiful and brilliant girl with a
double identity. Off-stage she's Jerrica Benton, co-executive at Starlight Music. Bot on-stage she's
JEM - the glamorous and glittering leader of a rock band called The Holograms. Join JEM in her
struggle against a devious rival band called the Misfits and the trickery of evil Eric Raymond -
the executive who wants to take over Starlight Music".
Funny notes:
Eric Raymond is called evil in the description on the back of the cover.
- Last Resorts [Picture by bloonies]
Back.
Alternate front that also says "Vol 2".
Episodes:
Last Resorts, The World Hunger Shindig,
Adventure In China.
- The Music Awards
Back.
Episodes:
The Music Awards Part 1, The Music Awards Part 2, The Rock Fashion Book.
Description on back:
"The covoted award for best new rock group of the year is about to be announced at THE MUSIC AWARDS.
The competition between JEM and The Holograms and The Misfits is something fierce! In PART 1, The Misfits
employ the devious devices of an eletronic genius to sabotage JEM. Meanwhile, three of Jem's teenage
wards run away! In PART 2, JEM and The Holograms risk losing the valuable award by doing a benefit
performance for a runaways' shelter... but win something more important in the long run. Also includes
the ROCK FASHION BOOK episode!".
Funny notes:
The ending of the two-parter is revealed in the description on the back.
The artwork of Flash 'n Sizzle Jem on the cover, was not made when these episodes were aired.
- The Princess and The Singer
Back.
Episodes:
The Princess and The Singer, Scandal.
Description on back:
"It's double-trouble in the kingdom of Morvania. Jem and the Holograms give a Royal Command
Performance and discover Princess Adriana looks like Kimber! Inadvertantly, THE PRINCESS AND THE
SINGER change places - and Kimber must confront and evil plot to seize the throne. Then,
SCANDAL is in the air at the Roller Rock-Out on trendy Venice Beach. The Misfits find Kimber's private
diary - and turn it over to gossip columnist Harriet Horn. Poor Kimber! She's humiliated, especially
when everyone finds out she has a crush on a British teen idol Sean Harrison.".
- The Jem Jam [Picture by Peter Sääf]
Back.
Episodes:
The Jem Jam: Part 1, The Jem Jam: Part 2.
- Glitter 'N Gold
Back.
Episodes:
Glitter And Gold, Broadway Magic.
Description on back:
"What?! The Misfits are riding a wave of success!! Jem and the Holograms adopt a
new GLITTER 'N GOLD look to top their rivals in a nationwide contest. Then, The
Hologra,s get a chance to appear in a hit Broadway musical. But, a dastardly
scheme to unmask Jerrica Benton's true identity threatens to destroy everything
in BROADWAY MAGIC.".
- Culture Clash
Back.
Episodes:
Culture Clash, Intrigue At The Indy 500.
- Hot Time In Hawaii [Picture by Peter Sääf]
Episodes:
Hot Time In Hawaii, Island Of Deception.
- Talent Search
Back.
Episodes:
The Talent Search: Part 1, The Talent Search: Part 2.
Description on back:
"The Starlight Music Company has to hold a TALENT SEARCH. The reason? Shana has
decided to leaver The Holograms to pursue a galmorous career in fashion design.
Jerrica knows finding a new drummer isn't going to be easy, but when one of the
contestants (Raya) discovers Jem is Jerrica, the situation really gets hairy!
To add to the confusion, The Misfits decide to upstage the competition by getting
a new Misfit - a nasty English rocker named Jetta. And to make matters even
worse, that shady wheeler-dealer, Eric Raymond uses bribery and blackmaíl to
find out who Jerrica really is! Whew! With all this trouble, will Jem and The
Holograms survive?".
Videos, by AVID Home Entertainment:
Re-released by another company.
- Truly Outrageous
The cover is the same except that everywhere where it said "FHE" has been changed, and also
the yellow line in the front where it said "VIDEOCASSETTE" is just yellow.
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter.
Videos, 1987 by Tempo Video (UK):
- Truly Outrageous
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter.
[Picture by Anna Svensson]
- Glitter 'n Gold
Episodes:
"Glitter and Gold" and "Broadway Magic".
- From London To Broadway
Episodes:
"Britrock" and "Broadway Magic".
- The Fan, Roxy Rumbles
Has a repeat of the song "Open A Book" at the end, but with the previous music video.
Episodes:
"The Fan" and "Roxy Rumbles".
- Music & Magic
This video has a repeat of the music video of the song "Takin' A Train" at the end.
All releases I've found of this video have the same problem with picture quality, it looks like
it's been played alot and torn, but it's probably
because of the low quality of the tapes they were recorded on. But this does not go for all the
other UK videos with other episodes.
Episodes:
"Music Is Magic", "Rock And Roll Express" and "Britrock".
- Two Great Rock 'N' Roll Adventures
Episodes:
"A Presidential Dilemma" and "Journey Through Time".
- Jem Video Wars, Homeland Heartland
Episodes:
"Video Wars" and "Homeland Heartland".
[Picture by Lucrezia]
- Hot Hits From The USA
Episodes:
Maxie's World "Friend or UFO?", Maxie's World and Beverly Hills Teens "Beach Blanket
Battle", Jem "Hollywood Jem - For Your Consideration" and "Hollywood Jem - And The
Winner Is...", Beverly Hills Teens "The Dog Ate My Homework".
Videos, 1987 (Poland):
- Jem
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter movie.
[Information and picture by Bartosz Przybylski]
Videos, 1987 by Trefa Video (Sweden):
Jem was released on video 1987, eleven episodes were dubbed by TREFA Video AB.
The covers of the videos are different from the USA ones, but atleast as well done, with
original artwork such as the ones on the Jem doll boxes and posters.
The episodes didn't contain any superstar clips, nor extra scenes, but two commercial
bumpers in the third video.
Included below are translated versions of the descriptions of the plot, from the back of the
covers. The way it sometimes differs from the actual story, indicates that it most likely was
added by the company that released the videos, rather than by anyone involved in
translating or dubbing the episodes to Swedish.
Where Swedish titles are available on the videos, the original American title is in
parenthesis, and then a translation since the Swedish titles aren't a direct translation of
the American titles.
- Jem
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter movie.
Translated description of plot, from cover:
Follow the young star JEM on exciting adventures in
the popmusic's and the rockvideo's fantastic world!
On the scene she is the popstar JEM, the mysterious
singer and leader for the rockgroup The Holograms.
In the days she is Jerrica Benton, one of the
executives for the recordcompany Starlight Music.
Her doublelife takes her time by time out on new,
tough adventures in the entertainment world. See how
JEM and her band are forced to take up the battle with
the competing rockband The Misfits and how Jerrica at
the same time meets the threat from the evil Eric
Raymond - the director who tries to take the power
over Starlight Music.
- Jem 2, En Fallande Stjärna
Episodes:
Starbright three parter.
Translated description of plot, from cover:
Jerrica Benton - becomes by the help of a hologram the
famous rockstar Jem.
For a half year ago Eric Raymond challenged Jem in a
rockbandcontest, Jem and The Holograms against his own
rockgroup - The Misfits. The winner would overtake
Starlight Music and to make the contest even more
exciting, the filmproducer Howard Sands offered, the
winner a fantastic moviecontract. The day of the big
contest, Eric tried to stop Jem from performing. But
Jem and The Holograms managed to come in time and took
home the victory. Now Howard Sands holds a
incomparable party to celebrate that the filming is
starting.
- Jem 3
Episodes:
Broadway Magic
Det Stulna Masterbandet (In Search of the Stolen Album): The Stolen Mastertape
Den Stora Biltävlingen (Intrigue at the Indy 500): The Big Car-contest
Translated description of plot, from cover:
"Broadway Magic" is a big musical that is going to be
put up in town. "Jem and the Holograms" have been
invited to test sing for the roles but so has the
group "Misfits" been. At the same time someone has
offered a big reward to anyone who can reveal Jem's
secret. The journalists are chasing her and terrible
rumours that she would be an alien with the mission
of taking over the earth makes even the police start
interest in her. They do however win the contest about
the musical but "Misfits" have been promised to take
over if something happens to Jem and her band, so now
anything can really happen.
Videos, 1987 by Trefa Video (Sweden):
These are the versions of the videos made for sale. They have very similar covers, and there
is also be a second version of atleast one them with a different cover.
- Jem
- Jem 2, En Fallande Stjärna
Episodes:
Starbright three parter.
[Picture by Anna Svensson]
- Jem 3
This version only included two of the episodes.
Episodes:
Broadway Magic
Det Stulna Masterbandet
[Picture and information by Anna Svensson]
Videos by Collage Entertainment AB (Sweden):
Includes an episode of My Little Pony aswell.
Videos, 1988 by Golden Entertainment (Australia):
Other videos were also available.
- Totally Jem
Beautiful cover with doll line art.
Episodes:
"The Talent Search Part 1", "The Talent Search Part 2", and "Scandal".
Videos, 1988-1989 by Stardust (Italy):
The episodes on the videos, are the same versions as aired on TV in Italy. The first two
videos were released in 1988, and the second two in 1989.
Video (Italy):
- Fivelandia TV
A compilation of Italian cartoons opening themes from TV, including Jem.
[Information by Enzo Gervasio]
Videos, 1989 by INITIAL (France):
All of the videos exist with two different covers. The pictures here with dark blue
background feature the second versions.
- Volume 1
Episodes:
"Last Resorts" and "Adventure In China".
- Volume 2
Second cover.
Episodes:
"In Stitches" and "The Rock Fashion Book".
[Picture by Enzo Gervasio]
- Volume 3
The episode Broadway Magic is cut off in the beginning, so it starts with a
commercial bumper and less than half of the episode is included.
Second cover.
Episodes:
"Broadway Magic", "Hot Time In Hawaii" and "Island Of Deception".
[Picture by Enzo Gervasio]
Videos, 1989 (Denmark)
- Jem
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter movie.
- En Dalende Stjerne
Translation and production by Sun Studi, Denmark, 1989. Collage AB, Sweden. Sault
Video Denmark, 1989. George 1988, Apricale. The cover was made in Sweden, and is pretty
much the same as on the Swedish version of this volume. Volume 2 definitely means a
volume 1 was available, and possibly a volume 3 like in Sweden.
Neither the theme song or any other song is dubbed to
Danish, and there is no listing of the voice actors.
Episodes:
Starbright three parter.
Description on the back:
"Jerrica Benton - Bliver ved hjælp af et hologram til
den berømte rockstjerne Jem. For et halvt år siden
udfordrede Eric Raymond Jem til en rockgruppe
konkurrence. Jem og The Holograms imod hans egen
rockgruppe - The Misfits. Vinderen skulle overtage
Starlight Music og for at gøre konkurrencen endnu mere
spændende, tillbød filmproducenten Howard Sands,
vinderen af konkurrencen en fantastisk filmkontrakt.
Dagen før den store konkurrence, forsøgte Eric at
stoppe Jem i at optræde. Men Jem og The Holograms
lykkedes at slippe fri og vandt sejren. Nu inviterer
Howard Sands til et mageløst party for at fejre de
filmindspilninger der snart skal begynde.".
Videos (Norway)
- Jem
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter movie.
Videos, 1990 (Finland):
The episodes were surprisingly dubbed to finnish over the swedish voices, instead of the
original american voices. It can be heard at one point in the episodes, a few swedish words
after the finnish. Synergy's voice is male.
The songs are all in english. The vocals are missing at the beginning of two songs though,
while the instrumental is playing. In "Who Is He Kissing" the first vocals that appear is the
line "...of when he looks into my eyes", and in the song "Show Me The Way" it's the line
"never know where I stand".
The text on the back of the covers says about the voices: Golden Voice Oy, Published:
Screenet Ay 1990, Oy Octagon Invest Ab.
- Jem
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter.
- Jem 2
Episodes:
Starbright three parter.
Video, 1990 by Kideo Video, ADB, and Blancic Video (Venezuela):
- Verdaderamente Fantastico
Episodes: "Truly Outrageous" five parter
Appearance: Yellow cover with red letters.
Translated description of plot, from cover:
This is a glittering and funny film of animation.
She is a beautiful and bright girl who has dual identity,
offstage she is Jerrica Benton who works as an executive at Starlight Music,
but on the stage she is Jem, the fabulous and sensational star of a rockband named Holograms.
She fights against a rival band by the name The Misfits and against the evil Eric Raymond
who wants to take over Starlight Music. So begins this entertaining animated adventure!
[Information by Alicia López]
Videos, 1991 by Tempo Kids Club (UK):
Videos (UK):
- Rock Fashion Book
Contains only one episode, and that episode is one
of the few that were available on video in both the
UK and the USA. One side of the cover says "FREE
VIDEO", and it looks like it was released attached to
another item, possibly from the doll line. The
video starts without any text messages, directly with
the first Jem theme song, which strangely miss the
singing and is only instrumental. The cover contains
no information about which video company it was
released by, so it was probably not by the company
that released all the other Jem videos in the UK.
Episodes:
"The Rock Fashion Book".
Videos, 1991 by Tempo Video (UK):
- Music Is Magic
A re-released episode. The back of the video mentions it was previously released on VHS.
Episodes:
"Music Is Magic".
Jem et "Les Hollograms", 1991 by Recre VIDEO, Initial (France):
All of the videos exist with two different covers.
- 1
Episodes:
"Adventure In China".
[Information by Jaspion]
- 2: Le triomphe de JEM
Contains two repeats of songs and a superstar clip, #7. Back.
Episodes:
"The Jem Jam Part 1", but not part 2.
- 3
Episodes:
"The Rock Fashion Book".
[Information by Jaspion]
- 4: Le disque d'or
Although this cover has Glitter 'n Gold Jem and Rio, the episode included is a much earlier one. Back.
Episodes:
"In Stitches".
Le Dressin Animé De La Jem Rockstar, by Mirage Junior, Initial (France):
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- Volume 3
Uses three pieces of orignal art on the cover which was made to market the cartoon.
After a break in the middle of the episode, the Jem theme plays again.
Episodes:
"Adventure In China".
Videos, 1997 by Film-Factory (Sweden):
In 1997, Jem was released on video in Sweden once again, by a different company,
Film-Factory AB. The second and third video was released the following year, 1998. It was
the same eleven episodes as the first time, and the same dubbing, but with completely different
covers, especially since they read "Spice Jem", probably changed to sound like some real-life
girlgroup that was popular at the time.
Some of the artwork on the covers, is the same as on the doll boxes and posters, while some
is the more unusual which was obviously made especially to market the videos in the 80's,
but was obviously never used on any of the American videos. Different is also that the names
of the voice actors appear on the front of the covers, possibly since nowadays the names
alone could probably help the sales. The company that released them doesn't seem to be
around anymore, but here are some catalog pages from when they released the Jem videos:
Front page.
Jem page.
Displays.
- Spice Jem
Episodes:
Truly Outrageous five parter.
Translated description of plot, from cover:
In the days she is Jerrica Benton, but in the evenings
she transforms into the famous rockstar Spice Jem.
Jem and her group The Holograms get challenged to
compete in a rockbandcontest. Their competition is
the rockgroup The Misfits which is lead by Eric Raymond
- a bad guy who does everything in his power for The
Holograms to lose. The winners of the rockbandcontest
are going to get control over the recordcompany
Starlight Music, and are also tempted with a big
filmcontract. Into the last it's uncertain who is
going to take home the victory in the rockcontest.
Jem and The holograms or The Misfits..?
- Spice Jem 2, "Filmkontraktet"
Episodes:
Starbright three parter.
Translated description of plot, from cover:
In the days she is Jerrica Benton, and in the evenings
the famous rocksinger...
Spice Jem has with her group The Holograms just won a
big rockbandcontest. First price was the recordcompany
Starlight Music, and a fantastic filmcontract.
To celebrate the victory the filmproducer now holds a
megaparty, and soon the filming can start. But in the
background sneaks the competition The Misfits, who
are ready to do everything for Spice Jem to fail.
- Spice Jem 3, "Dubbellivet"
Episodes:
"Broadway Magic", "In Search of the Stolen Album", and "Intrigue at the Indy 500".
Translated description of plot, from cover:
SPICE JEM, alias Jerrica Benton, and her group, the
popular THE HOLOGRAMS, have gotten the leadrole in
the musical "Broadway Magic".
The deal is that The Holograms biggest competition
"The Misfits" can overtake the place if anything
would happen to them. "The Misfits" takes up the
battle at the same time as Spice Jem's secret
double life is about to be revealed by the police and
press.
The tension rounds, and the whole adventure gets an
unexpected resolution.
Videos, 1999 by Kid Rhino:
Rhino acquired the rights and started releasing videos with a couple of Jem episodes each. This was
great news at the time, and fans were trying to figure out what episodes would be on the videos.
The first video was released on September 21, 1999, and the second on february 22, 2000.
Two videos gave hope of more. But it would take until 2004 before Rhino started releasing Jem on DVD.
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