Ultraman Mebius is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 17th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting System on April 8, 2006. Unlike the two prior entries, Ultraman Nexus and Ultraman Max, Mebius was moved from Saturday mornings to Saturday evenings at 05:30. "Mebius" is the Japanese approximation of Möbius; the Möbius strip is a recurring motif in the series and the show going to air in Korea in April 2012. The series opens with the introduction of the rookie Ultraman Mebius, who is sent to Earth by the Father of Ultra. The series is set 40 years after the shows of Ultraman, and makes many references from Ultra Q through to Ultraman 80.