Codename: Kids Next Door

Codename: Kids Next Door, also known as Kids Next Door or by its acronym KND, is an American animated television series created by Tom Warburton and produced by Curious Pictures.^[1] 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.^[2][3]

The main characters of the series are five children who operate from their high-tech treehouse against the tyranny of adults, senior citizens and teenagers. They make up what is known as Sector V of a worldwide organization called the Kids Next Door. The series ended in January 2008, but was re-syndicated on January 4, 2010.

Overview

From left to right: Numbuh 2, Numbuh 4, Numbuh 3, Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 5

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 Next Door" among the recurring characters, and would often get Kenny into trouble. The plotline was then changed to focus on the group of kids alone, and later, the kids battling adulthood.^[4] In 2001, the show's pilot episode, "No P in the OOL", won a Cartoon Network viewer's poll. As a result, Codename: Kids Next Door was greenlit to become a series and also aired on Adult Swim many times, the last being sometime in 2007 at 2:00 am ^[5]

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 story is about. 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 certain situations, or lead to consequences in another mission. Mostly in the earlier episodes, the stories were often about typical childhood problems, but magnified and exaggerated. As the series progressed, a bigger, more complex storyline developed.

KND Universe

The world portrayed in KND is one that resembles childhood make-believe, with children going on epic adventures, and creating secret weapons and tools from everyday items and refuse. The series continually straddles the borderline of admitting whether the events are meant to be interpreted as the imagination of children or taken verbatim as a cohesive universe. The Episode 'Operation: A.R.C.H.I.V.E.' addresses this dichotomy most directly; Numbuh One's school teacher dismissing his report on the great Adult Conspiracy as fiction, only to be seen later making a surreptitious phone call with the message "They Know".

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)and mr. boss ( number 4's [Wallaby "Wally" Beetles] dad's boss ) . For every member of Kids Next Door, upon following a period of training, the kids then choose a number or alphanumerical code (pronounced "numbuh") and sent to a "sector", that is, a treehouse of gigantic proportions. The main headquarters of the Kids Next Door, the Moon Base, is located on the moon. 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 hence considered teenagers, and a threat to KND as well. Such a practice has inevitably led to the creation of many KND villains (notably Cree, Numbuh 5's older sister, and Chad, formerly numbah 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 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).^[6] This practice is kept secret. Decommissioning has also proved reversible due to a recomissioning module used twice in the series, once in Operation: E.N.D. and once again in the full length motion-picture Operation: Z.E.R.O., where it is subsequently destroyed by the first member of the Kids Next Door and their founder Numbah Zero (also Numbah One's dad)^[7][8].

Technology

KND agents utilize a vast array of mechanical and/or electronic gadgets and machinery, collectively referred to as 2x4 (two-by-four) Technology. It typically falls into one of three categories: offensive weaponry, defensive weaponry, and transportation. 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 offensive weapons still 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 (e.g., time machines, cloning device , shrinking rays etc. ), despite all of it still being constructed with nothing but household materials and refuse.

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 operate effectively

Characters

Sector V

• Numbuh One/Nigel Uno (voiced by Benjamin Diskin) - The leader and head of Sector V, a workaholic, bald British boy who does not put complete trust in anyone but his teammates. He is bald due to an unexplained event involving the Delightful Children from Down the Lane. Throughout the series, his girlfriend is Lizzie Devine, but their relationship came to an end when she explained that she was tired of his always putting KND priorities over her.^[9] He is the only operative on his team without a sibling. His last name, Uno, is Spanish for the number one. When in a fight, he shouts his war cry: "KIDS NEXT DOOR...BATTLE STATIONS!!!". 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 very large buttocks, though not as big as those of Numbuh 2 (see below). He is often embarrassed by this, such as when his underwear is revealed in several episodes and he is naked in one. 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. The Delightful Children From Down the Lane are his cousins by adoption. In Operation H.O.L.I.D.A.Y., it is revealed that Numbuh 10(Leader of Sector L, anchor of the Kids Next Door News Network(K.N.N.), and prettiest girl in the Kids Next Door) is his cousin. His own father was once the KND's creator and greatest agent, Numbuh Zero, who 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 the seventh age of the Kids Next Door, 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, making him one of the most skilled members of the KND ever. This ultimately results in him being selected to join the Galactic Kids Next Door (GKND), 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. It appears that he stays at the GKND for at least 30 years. Whether he aged or not is never shown, however Nigel is informed that aging is in truth a disease that needs to be cured. As such it is possible that if he remained a child, he may have indeed found a cure for adulthood. In Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S., a conversation between Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 5 suggests that he eventually returns to the KND Moon Base.

• Numbuh Two/Hoagie Pennywhistle Gilligan Jr. (voiced by Benjamin Diskin) - An inventor and pilot with a passion for flight which wears an old fashion pilot hat. He is a chubby European American boy obsessed with cracking puns at every chance he sees. He hangs out with nerds on occasion and enjoys some considerably unusual interests (such as trading cards), and also enjoys being a detective (he once interrogated his family and the Sanbans when a Rainbow Monkey was stabbed at the dinner table) ^[10]. He was the one who designed the Sector's treehouse. This was mentioned by Numbuh Four in "Operation: H.U.G.S." ^[11]. Food is also something he shows great interest in, and underlies much of what he does. This interest gives him a significant advantage against Gramma Stuffum. (Operation: N.O.-P.O.W.U.H., and Operation: F.O.O.D.F.I.T.E.) 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. His being "Jr." ostensibly makes him the number two (as being a "Jr." means he's the second male in his family to be named after his father). 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 and a grandmother who mostly smacks with her an hinted she used to be an teen super group According to the series finale, he is still fat. 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. He married Numbuh 5, which is made clear, when Number 4 snaps at him for hugging his wife, to which Hoagie realizes "Wait, you're not Abby!" implying that he may be suffering from poor eyesight.

• Numbuh Three/Kuki Sanban (Lauren Tom) - An 'airhead' and the epitome of 'girly' and optimistic, is a usually happy Japanese 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 she named Hippy Hop that she rides in (which always seems to get smashed by something). 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. Loosely translated from Japanese, Sanban means "number three". It is strongly implied throughout the series that she has a crush on Numbuh Four, and is often angered by his insensitivity toward her and Rainbow Monkeys. With OPERATION: Z.E.R.O., right after she was turned into a senior citizombie she pulled a screaming number 4 in for a kiss which automatically proved each other's feelings as the zombies. She also seems to have several boys that are crushing on her and this often makes Numbuh Four jealous due to his huge crush on her. Later they made out as evil citizombies. In her cameo in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy movie, she is allotted the position of the Grim Reaper during her 3-day trial period, 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 Corporation and, opposing her attitude as a child, tears down an amusement park related to it, claiming that The Rainbow Monkey Let's-Learn-About-The-Lavatory Fun Park was just too stupid and smelly, she also shows that she is no longer an excitable, optimistic girly-girl and lashes out a few times, and that she ultimately marries Numbuh Four, all mentioned in the season finale.

• Numbuh Four/Wallabee "Wally" Beetles (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A short, blonde-haired, impulsive Australian boy known for acting without thinking. He is a jock and a sort-of bully as he is the most capable when it comes to physical fighting and he plays the most sports of the group, but is arguably the least intelligent KND operative, which leads to him being easily fooled, and most usually selected for dangerous parts in missions. He is not always briefed on everything about the mission, such as "Operation: H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L.", when he didn't know the injured operative was Bradley (a.k.a. Numbuh Six the skunk), and in operation U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R. he was the only one who didn't know what the "crud"(his special word) was going on at the end of the episode. Wallabee is barely literate and is ignorant in basic knowledge of social studies, English and mathematics, and his grades in school greatly reflect this (in operation H.O.U.N.D. his awful report made a Were-Poodle sick to its stomach). However, he does have some moments where he shows some intelligence, such as when evil versions of the KND (known as the Destructively Nefarious Kids, or DNK) posed as his friends, he was able to tell that they were impostors (despite looking exactly like the originals), and was able to realize the evil version of him, Negative Numbuh Four was a coward since he found that the evil versions of the KND were the opposites of the normal ones. He is very possessive over things that belong to him, and will go to great lengths to recover anything that was taken from him, which tends to be something small, replaceable, or insignificant. 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. Also, in Operation C.A.K.E.D., though his name is Wallabee, the Delightful Children From Down the Lane called him Wallace.^[12] He has a terrible fear of swimming and doesn't learn how until late in the series, which leads to many water-related conflicts. He also is shown to be very afraid of blood as seen in operation S.A.F.E.T.Y because he cries and faints at the sight of it. Besides his other phobias (girls and Rainbow Monkeys) Numbuh Four is also unlucky (possibly because 4 is unlucky in Chinese): he once found himself at a convention of KND villains.^[13] 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. Numbuh Four has tried to tell Numbuh Three that he likes her numerous times, but was always interrupted. 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. And on Operation: Z.E.R.O., he kisses Numbuh Three which turns him into a citizombie. If you look closely in operation S.N.O.W.I.N.G. will see at the very left of Number 4's room he has a drawing of Kuki. Also in "Operation M.O.O.N.", the same drawing of Kuki with hearts around it can be seen near his window. They call each other by their real names (Wally and Kuki) more than any one. He often is the one to come to Kuki's rescue at times but he has been the "Damsel in Distress" at times due to his act of being easily fooled.^[14] His last name, Beatles, is a reference to British rock band "The Beatles", which had four members and was often nicknamed "The Fab Four." His family consists of his father, an accountant, and his mother and his little brother Joey. His parents are both seemingly as clueless as he is, if not more. His father is very dumb and his mother has a very short temper. Joey is occasionally portrayed as being smarter than Numbuh Four, and who shows more ability in dodgeball due to the rule "the younger you are, the better you are at dodgeball".^[15] In the series finale, he acts tough to disguise the fact that he's going to miss Numbuh One. Numbuh Four also mentions that he is married to Numbuh Three when grown, and, in a great display of irony, he attended Harvard Medical School and is shown to be a few inches taller than his wife.

• Numbuh Five/Abigail Lincoln (voiced by Cree Summer) - An intelligent and laid back tomboy. Of African American and French descent, she keeps her head cool even in the worst situations. Abigail rarely overreacts in their missions, and sometimes, she would try to mollify her friends (Operation L.I.Z.Z.I.E., Operation L.O.C.K.D.O.W.N., and Operation M.U.N.C.H.I.E.S) and even friends that have become enemies, usually Heinrich Von Marzipan. In Operation D.I.A.P.E.R. , Abigail sings to calm the crying babies at the treehouse. She talks in third person much of the time, and her passion is candy and sweets - most notably ice-cream (which she seems to be connected to, once doubling over in pain when an ice-cream plant was destroyed, similarly to Yoda during the Great Jedi Purge), this 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.".^[16] 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 - just as Nigel Uno is the only Operative who doesn't have a sibling, Abigail's parents are the only ones whose faces are never shown; her father, however, has a voice that is a caricature of Bill Cosby's. It is also known that she has an older brother, who has a couple of kids (Operation: D.I.A.P.E.R.). In Operation W.H.I.T.E.-H.O.U.S.E. , Numbuh One recalls that he was not accepted into the Kids Next Door at first, but Numbuh Five hacks into the comptuer database to help him to be an operative anyway. 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 Number 1's baldness), and becomes Supreme Leader of KND three months later. In at least one episode, including "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.", there is proof that she was the leader of Sector V. Also, in the conclusion to "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.", it is hinted that the team was decommissioned, but that Father managed to restore their memories somehow. Also in Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S, you see Numbuh 5 talking on a 2x4 phone as she says, "Oh and Numbuh 1, welcome back." Which indicates that after a period of time in the GKND, Numbuh One has returned. That fact she and the others retained their memories and managed to communicate with Numbuh 1 and intended to meet up with him on the Moonbase, implies that perhaps Sector V was never truly decommissioned, and works as adult spies for the K.N.D. Her voice's name, Cree Summers, might be the inspiration for her sister, Cree Lincolns' name who was noted to have betrayed the KND by joining their rivals.Number 5 was supposed to originally be mute.

Other characters

and List of villains in Codename: Kids Next Door

• Numbuh 86/Fanny Fulbright: (Jennifer Hale) The head of decommissioning in the Kids Next Door and daughter of the villianous Mr. Boss. She is the only one of Mr. Boss`s children that speaks with an Irish or Scottish accent.
• Numbuh 362/Rachel T. McKenzie: (Rachael MacFarlane) The Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door. She took the place of Numbuh 274 after he turned thirteen and betrayed the Kids Next Door. Also she is the strictest KND operative.
• Numbuh 60/Patton Drilovsky: (Matt Levin) A drill sergeant at the Kids Next Door Arctic Trianing Base and Prison.Commander of KND

Arctic Training Base and Prison.

• Monty Uno, previously Numbuh Zero: (Frank Welker), Is the founder of the 7TH age of the Kids Next Door and Numbuh One's father. He is the brother of Benedict Wigglestin, also known asFather.
• Numbuh 20,000: Head of security at the Kids Next Door Deep Sea Research Lab.
• Numbuhs 44 and 46: Extra Operatives repeatedly seen in the series.
• Numbuh 6/Bradley: Numbuh 3's pet skunk that she dubbed Bradley. After the events in Operation: H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L., he was given cybernetic parts by Numbuh 2 in order to live. This is a possible reference to Bunnie Rabbot from Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog series or Cyborg from the Teen Titans.
• Numbuh 274/Chad Dickson: A former Kids Next Door Soopreme leader named Chad Dickson, who betrayed the Kids Next Door for the events in Operation: E.N.D., although it was hinted in Operation: T.R.E.A.T.Y. that he was a double agent for the Kids Next Door.
• Cree Lincoln: Formerly Numbuh 11, Cree Lincoln is Numbuh 5's older sister. She betrayed the Kids Next Door for reasons unknown, although she states that she "got older" as a reason of her betrayal.
• Heinretta, previously Heinrich, nicknamed "Heinie": A hunter who searches for rare candies. He repeatedly appears in conflict with Numbuh 5. She appears to be a boy, but it is revealed that she has lost her beauty in one of her candy hunting exploits. Her conflict with Numbuh 5 was resolved in Operation: C.A.R.A.M.E.L., when Numbuh 5 helped Heinrech gain her beauty again. It is unclear whether or not she was actually a boy in the time since she was transformed, and before she got her beauty back.
• Lizzie Devine: The girlfriend of Nigel Uno (a.k.a. Numbuh 1), she broke up with him in Operation: G.I.R.L.F.R.I.E.N.D.

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.),^[17][18] and the second at the end of Season 6 (Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.).

DVD

• Codename Kids Next Door Complete Seasons 1-6 (6 Seasons 13 Episodes and 3 Movies.) to Coming Soon in January 2011.

References

External links

• Official website
• Codename: Kids Next Door at Curious Pictures
• Codename: Kids Next Door at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Codename: Kids Next Door at the Internet Movie Database
• Codename: Kids Next Door at TV.com