Jonny Quest (TV series) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Jonny Quest
Title card
Genre	Adventure Action Spy-fi Science fiction
Created by	Doug Wildey
Written by	William D. Hamilton Walter Black Charles Hoffman Joanna Lee Alan Dinehart Herbert Finn Doug Wildey William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Directed by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera Story Director Alex Lovy Paul Sommer Lewis Marshall Dan Gordon Kin Platt Animation Direction Charles A. Nichols Irv Spence
Voices of	Tim Matheson Mike Road Danny Bravo John Stephenson (Episodes 1-4; 9 as Dr. Quest) Don Messick (Episodes 5-8; 10-26 as Dr. Quest) Vic Perrin
Theme music composer	Hoyt Curtin
Composer(s)	Hoyt Curtin and Ted Nichols
Country of origin	United States Canada
No. of seasons	1 (U.S.) 7 (Canada Run)
No. of episodes	42 (split episodes, Canada Run) (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Hanna-Barbera Productions
Distributor	Screen Gems
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	September 18, 1964 (1964-09-18) – November 6, 1972 (1972-11-06) (Canada Run) March 11, 1965 (1965-03-11) (U.S.)

Jonny Quest (also known as The Adventures of Jonny Quest) is an exciting American science fiction adventure cartoon. It's about a brave boy named Jonny who travels the world with his scientist father on amazing adventures. The show was made by Hanna-Barbera Productions and created by Doug Wildey.

This cartoon was different from other Hanna-Barbera shows because it had more realistic drawings and human characters. It was inspired by old radio shows and action comics. Jonny Quest was the first of many action-packed shows from Hanna-Barbera, like Space Ghost and The Herculoids. It first aired on ABC in 1964 and 1965.

Even after its first run, the show stayed popular through reruns for 20 years! Later, new episodes were made in 1986. There were also two TV movies, a comic book series, and another new show called The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest in the 1990s.

Meet the Characters
Show History
Episode Guide
Cool Stuff and Toys
Watching the Show at Home
Other Appearances
See also

Meet the Characters

The Quest team. Front row (left to right): Dr. Benton Quest and "Race" Bannon. Back row: Jonny Quest, Hadji, and Bandit.

Jonny Quest is an 11-year-old American boy. He's smart, brave, and loves adventure. Jonny is good at judo, scuba diving, and using firearms. He always tries to do the right thing and respects adults. Tim Matheson was the voice of Jonny.

Dr. Benton C. Quest is Jonny's father. He is a super smart scientist who works for the U.S. Government. People say he is "one of the three top scientists in the world" because he knows a lot about many different science fields. Dr. Quest is a kind and caring father to Jonny and Hadji. He is also ready to act when danger strikes. John Stephenson and Don Messick both voiced Dr. Quest.

Roger T. "Race" Bannon is a special agent. His job is to protect Jonny all the time. Race is an expert in judo and can fly planes. He is very strong and can even beat sumo wrestlers! Mike Road provided Race's voice.

Hadji Singh is an 11-year-old boy from Kolkata, India. He becomes Dr. Quest's adopted son and Jonny's best friend. Hadji is also good at judo. He seems to have some special skills, like snake-charming, but it's hard to tell if they are real magic or clever tricks. The Quest family met Hadji in India after he saved Dr. Quest's life. Danny Bravo was the voice of Hadji.

Bandit is Jonny's pet bulldog. He got his name because he has black markings around his eyes that look like a domino mask. Bandit is a regular dog, not like other talking Hanna-Barbera dogs. But he seems to understand what people say and can make funny faces. Don Messick made Bandit's barking sounds.

Jezebel Jade is a smart and mysterious woman. She is very rich and seems to know a lot of important people. Jade has known the Quest family for a while, and she and Race might have had a romantic relationship. She appears in two episodes, "Double Danger" and "Terror Island." Cathy Lewis voiced Jade.

The Quest family lives in the Florida Keys, but their adventures take them all over the world. They explore scientific mysteries, which often turn out to be caused by bad guys. They face many dangers, like spy robots, electric monsters, Egyptian mummies, and even prehistoric pterosaurs!

One bad guy who appears more than once is Dr. Zin. He is a smart criminal mastermind from Asia. Vic Perrin voiced Dr. Zin and other characters.

Show History

Jonny Quest first aired on September 18, 1964, and quickly became popular. However, it was expensive to make, so ABC canceled it after just one season in 1965.

Even though it was canceled, the show made a lot of money when it was shown again in reruns. Jonny Quest is one of the few TV shows that has been shown on all three major TV networks in the United States.

Episode Guide

No.	Title	Written by	Original air date
1	"The Mystery of the Lizard Men"	Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Douglas Wildey, and Alex Lovy	September 18, 1964 (1964-09-18)
Dr. Quest investigates why ships are disappearing in the Sargasso Sea. He finds a secret laser base hidden in an old shipwreck, protected by divers in lizard suits.
2	"Arctic Splashdown"	Walter Black	September 25, 1964 (1964-09-25)
Dr. Quest and his team race against a foreign submarine crew to find a crashed missile in the Arctic ice. This is Hadji's first appearance!
3	"The Curse of Anubis"	Walter Black	October 2, 1964 (1964-10-02)
An old friend of Dr. Quest, now a revolutionary, tries to blame Dr. Quest and Race for stealing a valuable Egyptian artifact. He is also being chased by a mummy.
4	"Pursuit of the Po-Ho"	William D. Hamilton	October 9, 1964 (1964-10-09)
While trying to help another scientist in the Amazon jungle, Dr. Quest is captured by a tribe of warriors who plan to sacrifice him.
5	"Riddle of the Gold"	Herbert Finn and Alan Dinehart	October 16, 1964 (1964-10-16)
Dr. Quest finds fake gold from an old mine in India. He discovers that his enemy, Dr. Zin, is running a fake gold operation that could harm the world's money system. This is Dr. Zin's first appearance.
6	"Treasure of the Temple"	Walter Black	October 23, 1964 (1964-10-23)
On an archaeological trip to an ancient Mayan city, Dr. Quest faces a greedy British treasure hunter who wants to find riches in the same ruins.
7	"Calcutta Adventure"	Joanna Lee	October 30, 1964 (1964-10-30)
While investigating a strange illness in India, Dr. Quest finds a secret nerve-gas factory hidden in the mountains. There's also a flashback showing how Hadji joined the Quest team.
8	"The Robot Spy"	William D. Hamilton	November 6, 1964 (1964-11-06)
Dr. Zin sends a giant, spider-like robot to a U.S. research center. Its mission is to steal the plans for a powerful ray gun that Dr. Quest is working on.
9	"Double Danger"	Joanna Lee	November 13, 1964 (1964-11-13)
Dr. Zin sends a fake Race to join Dr. Quest's trip in Thailand. The imposter wants to get a rare plant that can control minds. This is Jade's first appearance.
10	"Shadow of the Condor"	Charles Hoffman	November 20, 1964 (1964-11-20)
After an emergency landing in the Andes Mountains, Race is challenged to an air battle by an old German pilot from World War I. The Baron's plane has real bullets, but Race's does not!
11	"Skull and Double Crossbones"	Walter Black	November 27, 1964 (1964-11-27)
In the Caribbean Sea, a new cook on the Quest research vessel betrays them to Mexican pirates. The pirates are looking for a sunken treasure chest that Jonny found.
12	"The Dreadful Doll"	William D. Hamilton	December 4, 1964 (1964-12-04)
While studying sea life in the Caribbean, Dr. Quest finds a fake witch doctor. This witch doctor is protecting a secret submarine base with his supposed voodoo powers.
13	"A Small Matter of Pygmies"	William D. Hamilton	December 11, 1964 (1964-12-11)
After their plane crashes in the jungle, Dr. Quest must rescue his team from a tribe of hostile Pygmy warriors. Local authorities help him.
14	"Dragons of Ashida"	Walter Black	December 18, 1964 (1964-12-18)
In Japan, Dr. Quest visits an old biologist friend who has gone crazy. The friend is breeding giant, meat-eating lizards to hunt humans!
15	"Turu the Terrible"	William D. Hamilton	December 25, 1964 (1964-12-25)
In the Amazon jungle, Dr. Quest and Race find a prehistoric Pteranodon. A man in a wheelchair has trained it to capture native workers for his mining operation.
16	"The Fraudulent Volcano"	William D. Hamilton	December 31, 1964 (1964-12-31)
Dr. Quest and Race investigate strange tremors on a tropical island. They discover a secret ray gun base, run by Dr. Zin, hidden inside a volcano.
17	"Werewolf of the Timberland"	William D. Hamilton	January 7, 1965 (1965-01-07)
While looking for petrified wood in the Canadian Rockies, Dr. Quest is threatened by a group of lumberjacks. One of them pretends to be a werewolf to protect their gold-smuggling business.
18	"Pirates from Below"	Walter Black	January 14, 1965 (1965-01-14)
Foreign agents attack the Quest home in Florida from a submarine. They want to steal a new underwater vehicle that Dr. Quest is building for the United States Navy.
19	"Attack of the Tree People"	Walter Black	January 21, 1965 (1965-01-21)
Jonny and Hadji are shipwrecked on the coast of Africa. They are adopted by friendly gorilla-like apes who protect them from poachers. When Dr. Quest and Race are kidnapped, Jonny and Hadji convince the apes to help rescue them.
20	"The Invisible Monster"	William D. Hamilton	January 28, 1965 (1965-01-28)
Dr. Quest responds to a distress call from a scientist who accidentally released an invisible energy monster on a South Pacific island. This episode is known for being very scary!
21	"The Devil's Tower"	William D. Hamilton	February 4, 1965 (1965-02-04)
While doing research in the African savanna, Dr. Quest finds a high plateau. It is home to prehistoric cavemen who are forced to mine diamonds by a hidden Nazi criminal.
22	"The Quetong Missile Mystery"	William D. Hamilton	February 11, 1965 (1965-02-11)
Dr. Quest investigates pollution and strange changes in sea life in China. He discovers a secret missile base, run by a rogue general, hidden deep in a swamp.
23	"The House of Seven Gargoyles"	Charles Hoffman	February 18, 1965 (1965-02-18)
Dr. Quest visits a scientist friend in Norway. He must help protect his friend's new invention, an anti-gravity machine, from a thief disguised as a gargoyle on the roof.
24	"Terror Island"	Story by: Doug Wildey Teleplay by: Alan Dinehart and Herbert Finn	February 25, 1965 (1965-02-25)
Dr. Quest is kidnapped by another scientist who needs help with his experiments. This scientist is trying to create giant crab, spider, and lizard creatures at a secret lab in Hong Kong. This is Jade's second appearance.
25	"Monster in the Monastery"	Charles Hoffman	March 4, 1965 (1965-03-04)
During a trip to Nepal, a group of terrorists dressed as yetis try to overthrow the local leader, who is an old friend of Dr. Quest.
26	"The Sea Haunt"	Charles Hoffman	March 11, 1965 (1965-03-11)
The Quest group responds to a distress signal in the Java Sea. They get stuck on an abandoned freighter ship with a sea monster that can live on land and in water.

Cool Stuff and Toys

Many cool items were released when the show first aired:

A special code ring was given away by PF Flyers. It had a secret code wheel, a magnifying glass, a signal flasher, and a hidden compartment.
Whitman made a Jonny Quest coloring book.
A Jonny Quest card game was made by Milton Bradley.
Milton Bradley also released six different Jonny Quest puzzle sets.
Transogram made three Jonny Quest coloring sets: paint-by-number, crayon-by-number, and pencil-by-number.
Transogram also released a Jonny Quest board game.
Kenner released a projector with Jonny Quest slides and later a projector for short films with a Jonny Quest cartridge.
Hanna-Barbera records released an audio story called "Jonny Quest in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" on a record.

Watching the Show at Home

You can watch episodes of Jonny Quest on VHS and DVD.

On May 11, 2004, Warner Home Video released Jonny Quest: The Complete First Season on DVD. It had all 26 episodes.
On June 11, 2019, the show was released on Blu-ray for the first time by Warner Home Video. This version used the original recordings, so the episodes are uncut and uncensored.

Other Appearances

Characters from Jonny Quest have appeared in other cartoons:

They showed up in an episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
Characters from the show were in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated episodes "Pawn of Shadows" and "Heart of Evil".
The cartoon series The Venture Bros. is a funny parody of Jonny Quest and similar adventure shows. It also features characters that look a lot like the original Jonny Quest team.
Jonny Quest and Hadji will appear as adults in the cartoon Jellystone!.