Codename: Kids Next Door

Codename: Kids Next Door, commonly abbreviated to Kids Next Door or KND, is an American animated television series created by Tom Warburton for Cartoon Network, and the 13th of the network's Cartoon Cartoons. The series centers on the adventures of five children who operate from a high-tech tree house, fighting against adult villains with advanced 2×4 technology. Using their codenames (Numbuh 1, Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, Numbuh 4, and Numbuh 5), they are Sector V, part of a global organization called the Kids Next Door.

The series came about as the result of a viewer's poll by Cartoon Network. It ran from 2002 to 2008, with six seasons and 78 episodes. It also had two television films, Operation: Z.E.R.O. aired in 2006, and the series finale Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S., aired in 2008.

Premise
The show revolves around the main home operatives of Sector V — Numbuh One (Nigel Uno), Numbuh Two (Hoagie P. Gilligan, Jr.), Numbuh Three (Kuki Sanban), Numbuh Four (Wallabee Beatles), and Numbuh Five (Abigail Lincoln). Their mission is to fight crimes against kids (such as homework and flossing) committed by adults, senior citizens, teenagers, and other "evil" children. They make up what is known as Sector V of a worldwide organization called the Kids Next Door.

Production history
Warburton created a pilot episode, entitled "Diseasy Does It", for another planned show, Kenny and the Chimp, which was produced by Hanna-Barbera. Originally, there was a group of children who called themselves "The Kids Next Door" among the recurring characters, and would often get Kenny into trouble. The plot-line was then changed to focus on the group of kids alone, and later, the kids battling adulthood. In 2001, the show's pilot episode, "No P in the OOL", 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. As an interest fact, the character Professor XXXL, that appeared in "Diseasy Does It", became a villain in Codename: Kids Next Door after Kenny and the Chimp wasn't picked up for a series.

Storylines
The episodes are titled as the Kids Next Door's missions, denoted as "Operation:" followed by an acronym which often gives viewers clues as to what the episode is about. The episodes have little continuity, although occasionally missions make a reference to earlier episodes or lead to consequences in another. Season Five's "Operation: O.U.T.B.R.E.A.K." is the only episode that is a direct continuation of another episode ("Operation: V.I.R.U.S.").

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 a mysterious splinter cell within the KND itself observing Numbuh One for an unknown assignment. This was concluded in the series finale Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.

The show frequently contains references to films, especially in the later seasons, such as Dragon Ball Z, The Pink Panther, Planet of the Apes, Jaws, Jurassic Park, King Kong, The Terminator, Resident Evil, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, X-Men, James Bond, Toy Story, the Stargate franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Indiana Jones film series.

KND Organization
The Kids Next Door Organization is a worldwide group comprising thousands of kids joined in mutual struggle against teenage/adult tyranny. They fight villains that embody specific menaces to children overall (such as dental hygiene or school lunch). Following a period of training, every member of the Kids Next Door chooses a number or alphanumeric code (deliberately pronounced and spelled as "numbuh") and is sent to a "sector" that acts as their home base. Sector headquarters are often tree houses of ludicrous proportions, which 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 tree house Moon Base. Kids 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 (notably Cree, formerly known as Numbuh 11 and Numbuh 5's older sister, 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 have proved to be exceptional agents are offered the chance to carry on in KND as spies infiltrating the teen organization. Decommissioning has also proved reversible due to a "re-commissioning" module used twice in the series.

Technology
KND agents utilize a vast array of mechanical, electronic gadgets and machinery, collectively referred to as 2x4 (two-by-four) technology. The KND 2x4 technology was originally conceived as an assortment of common household objects, being put to use in combat situation; a theme that their weapons continued to adhere to. However, as the series progressed, the complexity of their defensive weaponry and transportation advanced to such absurd levels as to be considered science fiction, despite all of it still being constructed with nothing but household materials. In addition to the technology, many KND operatives also wear helmets similar to kabuto or samurai helmets — an example being Supreme Leader Numbuh 362.

A common theme of the show is the introduction of a new never-before-seen device, complete with its own acronym, in a sidebar screen that temporarily interrupts the storyline. It is interesting to note that many of these devices require military-level driving or piloting skills in order for them to be operated effectively.

Characters

 * Numbuh 1 / Nigel Uno (voiced by Benjamin Diskin)
 * Numbuh 2 / Hogarth "Hoagie" Pennywhistle Gilligan, Jr. (voiced by Benjamin Diskin)
 * Numbuh 3 / Kuki Sanban (voiced by Lauren Tom)
 * Numbuh 4 / Wallabee "Wally" Beatles (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker)
 * Numbuh 5 / Abigail "Abby" Lincoln (voiced by Cree Summer)
 * Numbuh 86 / Fanny Fulbright (voiced by Jennifer Hale)
 * Numbuh 362 / Rachel McKenzie (voiced by Rachael MacFarlane)
 * The Delightful Children from Down the Lane / Sector Z (voiced by Benjamin Diskin, Dee Bradley Baker, and Cree Summer)
 * Father / Benedict Uno (voiced by Maurice LaMarche in Father mode and Jeff Bennett in Benedict mode)
 * Mr. Boss (voiced by Jeff Bennett)
 * Numbuh 11 / Cree Lincoln (voiced by Cree Summer)
 * Numbuh 274 / Chad Dickson (voiced by Jason Harris)
 * Knightbrace / Jasper Jelly (voiced by Tom Kenny)
 * Stickybeard (voiced by Mark Hamill)
 * Toiletnator / Lou Pottingsworth III (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker)
 * Crazy Old Cat Lady (voiced by Grey DeLisle)
 * Grandma Stuffum (voiced by Grey DeLisle)
 * Mr. Wink and Mr. Fibb / John Wink and Timothy Fibb (voiced by Tom Kenny and Dee Bradley Baker)
 * Henrietta "Heinrich" Von Marzipan (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker and Candi Milo)
 * Ice Cream Men (voiced by Tom Kenny, Dee Bradley Baker, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Daran Norris)
 * Senior Citizen Squad (voiced by Candi Milo, Tom Kenny, and Dee Bradley Baker)
 * Numbuh 0 /Montgomery "Monty" Uno (voiced by Frank Welker in adult mode and Dave Wittenberg in Numbuh 0 mode)
 * Numbuh 49(-Temporary)/Numbuh Vine /Elizabeth "Lizzie" Devine (voiced by Grey DeLisle)
 * Numbuh T/Trillion/ Thomas "Tommy" Gilligan (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker)
 * Mushi Sanban (voiced by Tara Strong)
 * Numbuh 6 / Bradley the Skunk (animal sound effects by Dee Bradley Baker)
 * Numbuh 83 / Sonya (Voiced by Janice Kawaye)
 * Numbuh 84 / Lee (Voiced By Janice Kawaye)
 * Count Spankulot (Voiced by Daran Norris)

Episodes
There are six seasons, each with 13 episodes (two half-length episodes counting as one), adding up to 78 episodes altogether. There have been two TV movies, the first taking place between the second and third episodes of season 6 (Operation: Z.E.R.O.), and the second at the end of season 6 (Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.), which served as the series finale.

Reception
Common Sense Media, an education and advocacy group that promotes safe technology and media for children, wrote that the "silly cartoon is too violent for youngest viewers."

Awards and nominations
In 2005, The series won The Best Television Series for Children Award at The Ottawa International Animation Festival for "Operation: A.R.C.H.I.V.E.", which was written by Tom Warburton & Mo Willems and storyboarded by Guy Moore and Quack Leard.

The following year, "Operation: L.I.C.O.R.I.C.E." won the Festival's Collideascope Award for Television Animation for Children.

Broadcast

 * Cartoon Network (2002-08; 2009-14)
 * Kids' WB (2004)
 * Boomerang (July 2016-October 2016; February 2017-March 2017)

DVD releases
Two DVDs in two volumes were released of Codename: Kids Next Door, totaling 16 episodes by Warner Home Video.

Episodes were also featured in other DVD releases by Cartoon Network
 * Scooby-Doo and the Toon Tour of Mysteries—"Operation: T.E.E.T.H.", "Operation: P.O.I.N.T.", "Operation: I-S.C.R.E.A.M."
 * Cartoon Network Halloween 2—"Operation: T.R.I.C.K.Y."
 * Cartoon Network Christmas 2—"Operation: P.I.A.N.O."
 * Cartoon Network Halloween 3—"Operation: J.E.W.E.L.S."
 * Cartoon Network Christmas 3—"Operation: N.A.U.G.H.T.Y."
 * Toon Foolery — Laugh Your 'Ed Off!—"Operation: C.A.K.E.D"
 * Cartoon Network Hall of Fame Vol. 2" (4 disc set featuring Sooper Hugest Missions: File One as one of the discs)

In other series or works
On an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy entitled "Sickly Sweet", a scene depicts Grim watching Codename: Kids Next Door. Also, in Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure, Numbuh Three makes a cameo as Grim's replacement. Also, in the MAD episode "Taking Nemo / Once Upon a Toon", Numbuh One cameos as one of the cartoon characters who has forgotten his identity. The show was also referenced in the New Boyz song "Tough Kids." In the 2004 film Sideways, the show is playing on Miles's mother's television set.

Publications
Stories featuring the Kids Next Door have been featured in the comic series Cartoon Cartoons, Cartoon Network Block Party, and Cartoon Network Action Pack. The characters are also featured in the books 2x4 Technology Handbook and Sooper Secrets and Boomerang Bloopers, both by Alison Wilgus.

Trading cards
A trading card game based on the series was launched by Wizards of the Coast in July 2005.

Video games
Two video games were released for the series: Operation: S.O.D.A. in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance and Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. in 2005 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. Several browser games were also released on the Cartoon Network website. The MMORPG style game Operation: B.E.S.T. was playable for a brief time in 2005, but was shut down shortly thereafter.

In Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, Numbuhs One through Five, and villains Father, Toiletnator, and Stickybeard appear as non-playable characters. KNDefense armor and 2x4 Tech weapons are available for players, Sector V's treehouse can be explored, and KND S.C.A.M.P.E.R.s can be used for transport. In Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, Father and Numbuh 1 are playable, Sector V Treehouse and the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. are arenas, and Numbuh 2 and Stickybeard are assist characters. In the console versions, Toiletnator is a playable character, Numbuh 4 is an assist character, and KND Moonbase is an arena.

Sequel
The concept for a related series entitled Galactic: Kids Next Door was created towards the ending of the original show's production. Tom Warburton had unsuccessfully pitched G:KND several times to Cartoon Network executives, and eventually decided to create a pitch that would be distributed over the internet pseudonymously in order to try and get the series approved with help from fans. Warburton wrote the script and collaborated with others who had worked on the series to produce an animatic-style pitch. On March 19, 2015, a video was posted on YouTube of what appears to be an animatic of a sequel series featuring Numbuh 1 and the Galactic KND, entitled Galactic: Kids Next Door. On April 1, 2015, a fan-made petition was started on Change.org to make G:KND a real series. Many fans signed the petition, including creator Tom Warburton and Numbuh 4's voice actor Dee Bradley Baker. A fan-made G:KND Facebook page was also created. Walburton later communicated that the executives at Cartoon Network had noticed the response but were not interested in a continuation to Kids Next Door, however, he is confident to get the sequel approved in the future.

In September 2016, the original video was re-animated by Rat Animation, retaining the original voice acting but given a full animation style. Rat Animation also offered to animate the first episode of the potential series if an animatic was created.