The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, also known by its onscreen title card as Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures, is a science-fiction action-adventure animated television series that aired from 1996 to 1997.
While the series was somewhat promoted as a sequel/continuation to the original 1960's series, with the team just being a couple years older, it made some notable changes to established canon. In particular, Hadji is now two years older than Jonny, his mystical abilities are much more subtle, and he's Dr. Quest's assistant. The series basically ignores other versions of the series such as the 80's series, but it draws some elements from the two TV films, such as remaking Jessie's character.
The Quest team embark on a series of new discoveries and adventures and battle three dangerous adversaries: the villainous scientist Dr. Jeremiah Surd, vengeful former government agent Ezekiel Rage and Dr. Quest's scheming arch-rival Dr. Zin.
Cast
| Character | Season 1 cast | Season 2 cast |
|---|---|---|
| Jonny Quest | J.D. Roth | Quinton Flynn |
| Hadji Singh | Michael Benyaer | Rob Paulsen |
| Jessie Bannon | Jesse Douglas | Jennifer Hale |
| Dr. Benton Quest | George Segal | John de Lancie Don Messick (some lines) |
| Race Bannon | Robert Patrick | Sonny Van Dusen (episodes 1-6) Robert Foxworth (episodes 7-26) |
| Bandit | Frank Welker | Frank Welker |
When the production team was changed between seasons, the voice cast was predominantly replaced, with only Frank Welker remaining on. The season two team brought back several voice actors from previous versions of the series:
- Paulsen reprises his role as Hadji from the 80s series and the two '90s television films.
- Messick, who previously voiced Dr. Quest, recorded lines for the first four episodes, but his deteriorating health led to recasting the role with de Lancie. A distinct line of Messick's can be heard in Rock of Rages, when Dr. Quest says, "And not a moment too soon!"
- Van Dusen reprises his role as Race Bannon from the '80s series and the two television films of the '90s. He was credited as Granville Van Dusen in those appearances.
List of episodes
- Main article: List of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest episodes
The series consists of 52 episodes, with 26 episodes in two seasons. The two seasons overlapped in air dates.
| Season | Episodes | Premiere episode | Premiere date | Finale episode | Finale date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 26 | The Darkest Fathoms | August 26, 1996 | To Bardo and Back | January 2, 1997 |
| Two | 26 | The Mummies of Malenque | September 18, 1996 | More Than Zero | April 16, 1997 |
Expanded series and merchandising
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest had tie-in material, merchandise, and promotional events.
Literary:
- Book series published by HarperCollins
- Comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics
- Play-A-Sound book
- Coloring and activity books published by Landoll's
- Coloring and activity books (Spanish-language) published by Altea
Games, toys, and merchandise:
- Cover-Up At Roswell PC video game from Virgin Sound and Vision
- Portable arcade game, handheld video game from MGA
- Trading cards from Upper Deck
- Action figures from Galoob
- Micro Machines from Galoob
- Valentine's Day Cards from Cleo
- 1996 Calendar
- Zebco fishing rod
Promotions:
- KFC promotion that included various toys
- Pizza Hut promotion that included Quest Pack toys
- SpaghettiOs promotion that included hologram cards
More:
- 1997 parade float in the Tournament of Roses Parade
- Style guide
- Press kit
Home video releases on VHS:
- The Darkest Fathoms (1996) - The Darkest Fathoms and Besieged in Paradise
- Escape to Questworld (1996) - Escape to Questworld and Trouble on the Colorado
- Rage's Burning Wheel (1996) - Alien in Washington and Rage's Burning Wheel
- The Alchemist (1996) - The Alchemist and Assault on Questworld
Home video releases on DVD:
- Mini DVD: Escape to Questworld (2004, repackaged release in 2005)
- DVD: Season One, Volume One (2009)
- DVD: Season One, Volume 2 (2012)
- DVD: The Complete Second Season (2015)
Notes/Trivia
- This is the only mainstream incarnation to show Jonny and Hadji in their mid-teens. Everything, except for the alternate universe series, Future Quest, has depicted them as their 1960s preteen incarnations. Because of this, it would appear that The Real Adventures is no longer canon, as intended by the people involved.
- The show was intended to be one season of 65 episodes, but production problems cut it down to 52. The series was split between two production groups with vastly different styles in terms of continuity and animation style. As if that wasn't confusing enough, both styles were aired at the same time. To set them a part from each, they have gotten labelled as two different "seasons," which was how Warner Home Video and the Warner Archive Collection treated them when they were released onto DVD.
Gallery
- Main article: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest/Gallery
Images
Video
- Main article: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest/Gallery#Video
External links
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on the Internet Movie Database
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on Wikipedia
