Codename: Kids Next Door


Codename: Kids Next Door is an American animated spy fiction television series created by Mr. Warburton for Cartoon Network. It was produced by Curious Pictures with assistance from Cartoon Network Studios. The series follows the adventures of a diverse group of five children who operate from a high-tech treehouse, fighting against adult and teenage tyranny with advanced 2×4 technology. Using their code names, they are Sector V, part of a global organization called the Kids Next Door.
The series' pilot premiered on Cartoon Network in mid-2001 as part of The Big Pick II, a special broadcast event showcasing 11 pilots for different series. The winner of a viewers' poll by Cartoon Network would decide which pilot would be greenlit to be a full series. After winning the poll, the series premiered on December 6, 2002, and concluded on January 21, 2008, after six seasons and 81 episodes. Two television films were broadcast: Operation: Z.E.R.O., which aired in 2006, and Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S., which aired as the series finale in 2008. A special half-hour crossover episode with fellow Cartoon Network series, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, aired in 2007.
Spin-off media include two video games, Operation S.O.D.A. and Operation V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E., as well as a trading card game, comic books, and DVD releases. Codename: Kids Next Door has also appeared in DVD anthologies and compilation video games from Cartoon Network.

Overview

Synopsis

The series revolves around a group of five 10-year-old children, using codenames Numbuhs 1 through 5, who are the main home operatives of what is known as Sector V, which is part of a worldwide espionage-style organization called the Kids Next Door. Their mission is to fight crimes against children, many of which are willingly committed by "evil" adults, senior citizens, teenagers, and occasionally other children. Numbuh 1 is a level-headed, no-nonsense British boy named Nigel Uno, leader of Sector V. Numbuh 2 is an overweight, nerdy American boy named Hogarth "Hoagie" Pennywhistle Gilligan, Jr. Numbuh 3 is a friendly, happy-go-lucky Japanese girl named Kuki Sanban. Numbuh 4 is a short-tempered, irrational Australian boy named Wallabee "Wally" Beetles. Numbuh 5 is a quiet, laid-back, black French girl who speaks in illeism named Abigail "Abby" Lincoln.
Following a period of training, every member of the Kids Next Door chooses a number or alphanumeric code and is sent to a "sector" that acts as their home base. The sector headquarters, like some of the organization's bases and facilities, are tree houses, with both treehouse and the tree it is in being of ludicrous proportions, and often suited to their environment. This includes a base constructed beneath the Arctic ice shelf, and a base built into a large pine tree. The main headquarters of the Kids Next Door is a treehouse Moon Base. The Kids Next Door follow their oath of protecting other kids as well as battling adulthood until the age of 13 when they are "decommissioned", a process of wiping their memories of any past KND activity and warping their minds. Such a practice has inevitably led to the creation of many KND villains who escaped decommissioning, including Numbuh 5's older sister Cree, formerly known as Numbuh 11 and former leader of Sector V; and Chad, formerly known as Numbuh 274 and supreme commander of the Kids Next Door.
The practice of strict decommissioning at age 13 was later on revealed to be subject to exceptions: kids who are deemed exceptional agents are offered the chance to carry on in KND as spies infiltrating the teen organization in the Teens Next Door until the age of 20 when they are decommissioned. Decommissioning has also proved reversible via a "re-commissioning" module used four times in the series.
KND agents utilize a vast array of mechanical, electronic gadgets, weapons, and machinery, collectively referred to as 2×4 technology. The KND's 2×4 technology was originally conceived as being constructed from an assortment of objects, mostly common household ones. However, as the series progressed, the kind of objects their technology would be constructed from became bigger, consisting of things such as large vehicles and small buildings. Not only that, but the complexity of their technology, such as their defensive weaponry and means of transportation, advanced to such absurd levels as to be considered science fiction, despite all of it still being constructed from nothing but an assortment of objects.

Storylines

The episodes are titularly presented as the missions of the members of Sector V in the Kids Next Door, denoted as "Operation:" followed by an acronym that can give viewers clues as to what each mission is about. Most episodes are divided into two parts, each with a different mission, while some episodes consist of two directly linked parts with one mission. Usually, the episodes have very little continuity with each other, although occasionally an episode will have a reference to at least one earlier episode and/or lead to consequences in later ones. Season Five's "Operation: O.U.T.B.R.E.A.K." is a direct continuation of the episode "Operation: V.I.R.U.S.", and Season Six's "Operation: R.E.C.E.S.S." and "Operation: H.A.M.S.T.E.R.", occur simultaneously, the latter showing what sort of thing transpires while the team is away; while another pair of Season Six episodes "Operation: S.C.I.E.N.C.E." leads into "Operation: A.M.I.S.H.".
Stories in the earlier episodes were often about typical childhood problems, but magnified and exaggerated. As the series progressed, a more complex and continuous storyline developed. The final season revolved around the mysterious Splinter Cell within the KND itself observing Numbuh One for an unknown assignment, which was concluded in the series finale "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.".

Production

created a pilot episode, titled "Diseasy Does It", for another planned show, Kenny and the Chimp, which was to be produced by Hanna-Barbera. Among the planned recurring characters for Kenny and the Chimp was a group of rebellious children known as "Those Kids Next Door", who carried out their mischief from a house next to Kenny's home, and frequently caused trouble for him. The plot-line was then changed to focus on the group of kids alone, and later, the kids battling adulthood. The show began development under the name The Kids Next Door, which was later changed to the current title after another network began developing a show called Pigs Next Door. In 2001, the show's pilot episode, "No P in the OOL", which was produced at Cartoon Network Studios, won a Cartoon Network viewer's poll, and as a result, Codename: Kids Next Door was greenlit to become a series, while Kenny and the Chimp was not greenlit by the channel. The character Professor XXXL, who appeared in "Diseasy Does It", became a recurring character in Codename: Kids Next Door after Kenny and the Chimp was not picked up for a series, while Kenny and Chimpy did make a cameo in "No P in the OOL".
Codename: Kids Next Door was the most popular TV series produced at Curious Pictures, who previously did the work on Sheep in the Big City at Cartoon Network.

Characters

Main characters

  • Numbuh 1/Nigel Uno - The leader and head operative of Sector V as well as the only child of Monty Uno.
  • Numbuh 2/Hogarth Pennywhistle "Hoagie" Gilligan, Jr. - The best friend of Numbuh 1, the joke-cracking engineer and 2x4 Technology Officer of Sector V as well as the older brother of Tommy Gilligan.
  • Numbuh 3/Kuki Sanban - The happy-go-lucky tactician and medic of Sector V as well as the older sister of Mushi Sanban.
  • Numbuh 4/Wallabee "Wally" Beetles - The brash combatant of Sector V as well as the older brother of Joey Beetles.
  • Numbuh 5/Abigail "Abby" Lincoln - The intelligent, relaxed second-in-command/spy of Sector V and the younger sister of Cree Lincoln. Numbuh 5 also speaks in illeism.

    KND Organization

  • Numbuh 6/Bradley - A skunk that became an honorary member of Sector V after Hoagie and Kuki saved him in the streets. In "Operation: H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L." Bradley is made into a cyborg to save his life after he gets hit by a car.
  • Numbuh 9/Maurice - A former member of Sector V who was reinstated to the Teens Next Door, a special operations group that fake being decommissioned on their 13th birthday, so they can learn information from both adults and teenagers.
  • Numbuh 13 - The Klutz of the KND. While he means well, he is ignorant to the fact that he is incredibly clumsy, klutzy, and moronic. Like the KND's Toiletnator, every sector dreads having to work with him, even his own. The Sector Leader of N, Numbuh 14/Mary-Lou Sara-Jane Jones, has the literal job of being his damage control, which she resents very much.
  • Numbuh 60/Patton Drilovsky - A high-ranking operative of the Kids Next Door Arctic Base.
  • Numbuh 65.3/Herbie - The stuffy and nerdy Head Communications Officer of Moonbase. He often hails Sector V for urgent missions. He is also fond of Lizzie Devine.
  • Numbuh 83/Sonia - The Soda, Snacks, and Treats officer of Sector W, she has an irrational fear of the dark and will go into a blind rage when she is forced towards it.
  • Numbuh 84/Lee - The tactical Yo-yo Specialist of Sector W.
  • Numbuh 86/Fanny Fulbright - The Head of Decommissioning and Global Tactical Officer of the KND Organization. She is a bossy girl and speaks with an Irish accent.
  • Numbuh 92 and Numbuh 93 - Two KND operatives who reside on the Kids Next Door Moonbase. Their roles are effectively replaced with Numbuh 44/Pete and Peter Doblemitz, twin operatives who also work as infantry.
  • Numbuh 101/Matt - The Head of the KND Seriously Cool Museum of Artifacts and Stuff. He is a mega fan of Sector V, having made a macaroni statue of Numbuh 5, and even having Numbuh 1's infamous Rainbow Monkey underwear; This can turn them off from him. He is also an avid KND history enthusiast, believing in Sector Z and Numbuh 0 even when others thought that they were just myths.
  • Numbuh 362/Rachel McKenzie - The Supreme Leader of the KND Organization.
  • Numbuh 363/Harvey McKenzie - The sector leader of Sector W, and Numbuh 362's younger brother. He is rivaling with Sector V in the series finale, who do not like him very much due to his cockiness and dislike of being touched by others. He was decommissioned months later by Numbuh 5 because she got sick of him not wanting to be touched.
  • Numbuh 74.239 and Numbuh Infinity - Two KND operatives who both worked for the Splinter Cell, a shadowy faction of the Kids Next Door. They have manipulated events to sign Nigel to the Galactic KND.