One of the first action-adventure shows, with characters more like real people and less like cartoons, Jonny Quest drew an audience somewhat more sophisticated and family-oriented than most cartoons seen in the Saturday morning lineup. The series centered around an eleven year old boy, his adopted brother Hadji, and their father, Dr. Benton Quest, a government scientist modeled as a James Bond figure.
Jonny was very close to his father, and Hadji to Jonny himself. The three of them went on exciting and important adventures relating to Dr. Quest’s job. They were accompanied by the family bodyguard, athletic Race Bannon.
The Adventures of Jonny Quest only ran for one season, 1964-1965, largely because watchdog groups were not pleased with the amount of violence inherent in the escapades of a James Bond figure. IGN has named the series the 77th best in history.
Because it was deemed a more “mature” cartoon, inspired by the movie, Dr. No, it was featured in prime time on Friday nights. It was rerun for years before new episodes were created in 1986. The series is now in syndication.
A feature film is expected to be out in 2012.
Additional information on Jonny Quest
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