Codename: Kids Next Door
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| Codename: Kids Next Door | |
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 Codename: Kids Next Door logo |
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| Format | Animated television series |
| Created by | Tom Warburton (Credited as "Mr. Warburton") |
| Voices of | Ben Diskin Lauren Tom Dee Bradley Baker Cree Summer Tom Kenny Grey DeLisle Tara Strong Jeff Bennett Maurice LaMarche Jennifer Hale |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 81 (including 3 specials) (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes approx. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Cartoon Network |
| Original run | December 6, 2002 – January 21, 2008 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Codename: Kids Next Door, also known as Kids Next Door or by its acronym KND, is a United States animated television series created by Tom Warburton and produced by Curious Pictures. The series debuted on Cartoon Network on December 6, 2002 and aired its final episode on January 21, 2008. The series came about as the result of a viewer's poll by Cartoon Network. It briefly aired on Miguzi at 4:00 p.m. Broadcast as two episodes per half-hour (except for a few half-hour episodes). The main characters of the series are five 10 year-olds who operate from their high-tech treehouse against the tyranny of adults and teenagers. The central characters make up what is known as Sector V of a worldwide organization called the Kids Next Door. On December 29th, 2007, the series aired its series finale: Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S. on Cartoon Network Philippines. The finale was first aired in North America on January 21, 2008.
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[edit] Overview
[edit] Production history
Mr. Warburton created a pilot episode for another show, Kenny and the Chimp. Originally, there was a group of children who called themselves "The Kids Who Lived Next Door" among the recurring characters. The Kids Next Door would get Kenny into trouble but the plotline was changed to focus on the group of kids alone, and later, the kids battling adulthood. In 2001 the show won on a Cartoon Network viewer's poll with its own pilot episode, No P in the OOL.
[edit] Storylines
The stories are titled as the Kids Next Door's missions, denoted as "Operation:" followed by an acronym which often give viewers clues to what the story is about. The stories are often about typical problems that children face, but usually magnified and exaggerated, mostly on the show's early episodes (this was slowly changed into a bigger, more complex storyline). Every mission may or may not be chronologically ordered in relation to the previous or the next, but it's accepted that most of the time they occur in the order that the episodes are shown. Sometimes missions make a references to a certain situations, or lead to consequences in another mission.
[edit] KND Universe
The Kids Next Door Organization is a worldwide group comprising thousands of kids joined in mutual struggle against adult tyranny. They fight villains that embody specific menaces to children overall; such as Knightbrace (going to the dentist), Count Spankulot (spanking), the Common Cold (self-explanatory), Windsor and the Queen Tie (wearing ties), Mrs. Dirt (taking a bath), and Father/Benedict Uno, (the ultimate figure of authority). For every member of Kids Next Door, upon following a period of training, the kids are then assigned a number or alphanumerical code (pronounced "numbuh") and sent to a "sector", that is, a treehouse of gigantic proportions. The KND Organization Head Quarters itself is set on the Moon (Moonbase). Kids follow their oath of protecting other kids as well as battling adulthood until the age of 13, when they are "decommissioned": their brains are washed-clean of memories of any past KND activity, upon which they are thence considered teenagers, and a threat to KND as well. The practice of strict decommissioning at age 13 was later on revealed to be subject to some exceptions: kids who have proved to be exceptional agents are offered the chance to carry on in KND as spies infiltrating the teen organization (see Maurice for a prime example) [1]. This practice is kept secret. Decommissioning has also proved reversible due to errors [2] [3] and thus brainwashing is not necessarily permanent.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Sector V
- Numbuh One (Nigel Uno) - Leader and head of Sector V, a workaholic, bald British kid who does not put complete trust in anyone but his teammates. Throughout the series, his girlfriend is Lizzie Divine, but their relationship was ended when she explained that she was tired of him always putting KND priorities over her. He is the only operative on his team without a sibling.
His last name, Uno, is Spanish for the number one. He is easily annoyed by distractions and occasionally has a short temper, and is somewhat paranoid. A running joke after an initial episode is that he has a big butt. His primary conflict is with Father, later revealed to be his uncle, whose main goal is consistently to destroy the Kids Next Door and Numbuh 1 altogether.
His own father was once the KND's greatest agent, Numbuh Zero, and was briefly recommissioned to help the KND fight against Grandfather and his legion of Senior Citizombies. Nigel's mother is Numbuh 999, the first girl operative in KND, which is revealed in the series finale.
Throughout the series, he shows great leadership skills, resourceful thinking, and devotion to the KND and kids' rights in general, which ultimately results in him being selected to join the Galactic Kids Next Door, as detailed in the series finale Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S. and hinted at throughout the final episodes leading up to it. Voiced by Ben Diskin.
- Numbuh Two (Hoagie Pennywhistle Gilligan Jr.) - Inventor and pilot with a passion for flight, a chubby American kid obsessed with cracking puns at every chance he sees. He hangs out with nerds on occasion and enjoys some considerably nerdy interests, and also enjoys being a detective (he once interrogated his family and the Sanbans when a Rainbow Monkey was stabbed at the dinner table).
Food is also something he shows great interest in, and underlies much of what he does. He has a crush on Numbuh Five's sister Cree throughout the series, and often ignores the fact that she is an enemy and considers him extremely annoying. Him being "Jr." ostensibly makes him the number two.
His family members include his mother, who seems to have some inventions of her own, and a little brother named Tommy (later Numbuh T, and then "The Tommy") who is also a prolific inventor in his own right. According to the series finale, he marries Numbuh Five when he is an adult, it is also shown that he was aware of the Galactic KND and gave Numbuh 1 several 2x4 technology he was working on, though he states they're probably nothing compared to what the Galactic KND have. Voiced by Ben Diskin.
- Numbuh Three (Kuki Sanban) - An 'airhead' and the epitome of 'girly', is a usually happy Asian girl whose love for every creature almost always interferes with her responsibilities. She has a great love for, is a fan of, and has extensive knowledge about Rainbow Monkeys (which her room is filled with), and will often irrationally defend them, occasionally allowing her insanely aggressive side to show (generally accompanied by her face turning red, teeth and ears becoming pointed and eyes flaming, resembling an oni).
Despite her usual demeanor, she is just as capable as the other operatives in her sector - her trademark 2x4 technology is a large, robotic bunny that she rides in, it is revealed in the series finale that she isn't an airhead and was in fact aware of everything around her this whole time and acts perky and dense so she doesn't feel sad (she also kisses Numbuh 1 as encouragement in the Galactic KND).
Loosely translated from Japanese, Sanban means "number three". It is implied throughout the series that she has a crush on Numbuh Four, and is often angered by his insensitivity towards her and Rainbow Monkeys.
In her cameo in the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy movie, she is allotted the position of the Grim Reaper, putting Grim out of commission. Her family consists of two incredibly uptight parents who demonstrate suppressed anger as she does, and her little sister Mushi, who is arguably cuter than she is but twice as cruel.
As an adult, Kuki becomes owner of the entire Rainbow Monkey Coporation and, opposing her attitude as a child, tears down an amusement park related to it, as detailed by the series finale - it is also mentioned that she ultimately marries Numbuh Four. Voiced by Lauren Tom.
- Numbuh Four (Wallabee Beatles) - A short, blonde-haired, impulsive Australian boy known for acting before thinking. He is the most capable when it comes to physical fighting, but is arguably the ex-least intelligent KND operative, which leads to him being easily fooled, and most usually selected for dangerous parts in missions.
Wallabee is barely literate and is ignorant in basic knowledge of social studies, English and mathematics, and his grades in school greatly reflect this. However, he does have some moments where he shows some intelligence, such as when evil version of the KND (knows the DNK, Destructively Nefarious Kids) posed as his friends around he was able to tell that they were importers (despite that they looked exactly like the originals), and being able to realize the evil version of him, Negative Numbah Four was a coward since he found that the evil versions of the KND were the opposites of the normal ones.
His passion is dodgeball, which he displays great talent in. He used to secretly go to the Bully Fights, until his opponent presented was his father. He has a terrible fear of swimming (and doesn't learn how until late in the series), which leads to many water-related conflicts. Besides his other phobias (girls and Rainbow Monkeys) 4 is also unlucky (possibly because 4 is unlucky in Chinese): he once found himself at a convention of KND villains! He has a slightly complicated crush on Numbuh Three, and constantly denies it because he is in opposition to all things cute and girly, and often is easily annoyed by her antics.
In Operation C.A.K.E.D.-F.O.U.R, he quickly objects when The Kid flirts with Numbuh Three, but can't do much to stop it because he is stranded on an island in the middle of the river; when the announcer calls him a "loser in love", he is quick to deny that love has anything to do with it.
His last name, Beetles, is a reference to British rock band The Beatles, who were also known as the Fab Four - his hair style also seems to be referenced to them. His family consists of his father, an accountant, and his mother, who are both seemingly as clueless as he is (if not more), and his baby brother, who shows more potential in dodgeball than Numbuh Four does due to the rule "the younger you are, the better you are at dodgeball".
In the series finale, he acts tough to disguise the fact that he's going to miss Numbuh 1. Numbuh Four also mentions that he married Numbuh Three when grown, and, in a great display of irony, he attended Harvard Medical School. Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
- Numbuh Five (Abigail Lincoln) - Second in command, an intelligent and relaxed girl of French and African American descent who keeps her head cool even in the worst situations. She talks in third person much of the time, and her passion is candy and sweets - mostly notably ice-cream, which is best shown in her solo adventures and otherwise hinted at. Her life's dream was to taste the legendary Fourth Flavor of ice-cream, which she lived out in Operation F.L.A.V.O.R.
Her last name, Lincoln, is a reference to former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, whose visage appears on the U.S. five dollar bill. Her evil teenage sister is Cree, and her parents' faces are never shown.
As detailed in the series finale, following Nigel Uno's departure, she becomes the leader of Sector V though she was at first reluctant because of an incident that is never mentioned (it can be speculated it was the incident with Numbuh 1's baldness), is promoted to Supreme Leader of KND three months later, and ultimately marries Numbuh 2 when grown. In at least one episode, including Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S, there is proof that she used to lead Sector V before she introduced Nigel to the KND. Voiced by Cree Summer.
[edit] Other characters
[edit] Episodes
To date, there is a contract for six seasons, each with 13 episodes (two half-length episodes counting as one), adding up to 78 episodes altogether. There has been one movie, taking place between Seasons 5 and 6, Operation: Z.E.R.O. (direct-to-TV).
[edit] Trivia and Cultural References
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- In the episode Operation: F.O.O.D.F.I.T.E. two songs by heavy metal band GWAR were used for the show's rock opera theme. The songs were "The Private Pain of Techno Destructo" off the album Carnival of Chaos and "Gor-Gor" off the album America Must Be Destroyed. How ever only the music was used as the writers replaced the lyrics with new ones that went with the plot of mutant food items. "RAWG" was list as the "Music Operatives" which is what Gwar calls themselves when they tour without their costumes as the only official Gwar tibute band.
- From Season 4 (Operations R.A.B.B.I.T. and F.L.U.S.H. onwards), the closing credits were redone, so that they show on half the screen (the secret agent-themed crediting and closing theme remain) with a "beauty shot" on the right. This is usually showcasing a humorous event inspired from the episode which follows the ending [4] (These type of credits were also used in the first three season 3 episodes (Operation: F.U.T.U.R.E., Operation: A.F.L.O.A.T. and Operation: L.E.A.D.E.R.), while other episodes in that season used the old credits.).
- All of the weapons, vehicles, and accessories the Kids Next Door use are presented in a 3D rendering with the name of the object shown underneath as an acronym. The words in the acronym are then spoken and usually refer to what said object does or the effect it has on its victims.
- Operation: S.P.I.N.A.C.H. is in part a parody of Monty Python, especially in its musical number and rewording of a famous line from the movie as "No one expects the Spinach Inquisition!". The musical number also takes cues from Green Eggs and Ham in trying to 'encourage' (ie force) different ways of eating spinach on the kids.
- In the movie Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure, Kuki Sanban (A.K.A. Numbuh 3) makes multiple appearances as a substitute Grim Reaper.
- In the Latin American version, the names of characters are: Numero 1: Miguel Uno (But most characters calls him "Miguelon" instead, a familiar way to address to a close friend in Mexico), Numero 2: Guillermo González Jr., Numero 3: Kuki Q (a reference to Rolling Stone's song Suzie Q), Numero 4: "El Güero" Torres, & Numero 5: Abigail Oliveira.
- Sector V also stands for 5 in roman numerals and the team happens to have five members.
- Every time Numbuh Three's giant robotic bunny appears it is almost immediately crushed except for the head. Numbuh Three is then ejected from the cockpit and lands hard on the ground due to the parachute opening too late.
- The story behind the origin of adults is a parody of The Second Renaissance, an Animatrix episode, involving the creation of Robots and the Matrix (see The Second Renaissance). In this case, the Robots were substituted with adults, and men were substituted with children. B166-ER, the first robot to rebel, was paralleled to 'Father', the first adult who did not wish to be controlled. In the beginning of the episode Operation: A.R.C.H.I.V.E., we see fractal art akin to the access of the 'Zion Archive', seen in The Second Renaissance.
- One of the kids in Operation: A.R.C.H.I.V.E. sitting in the stands of the children's auditorium when discussing a plan has the clothes of Ash Ketchum from Pokemon.
[edit] References
- ^ Operation: M.A.U.R.I.C.E.: Season 4, Episode 11
- ^ Operation: E.N.D.: Season 2, Episode 13
- ^ Operation: Z.E.R.O.
- ^ Sooper Secret KND Production Blog - This Week's Sneak Peek. LiveJournal (2005-04-29). Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
[edit] External links
[edit] Official websites
- Codename: Kids Next Door at Curious Pictures (producer)and blog
[edit] Wiki sister projects
- Kids Next Door Code Module — The Kids Next Door Wiki
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