Atomic Betty

Lore & Background

Betty Barrett is a 12-year-old girl living in Moose Jaw Heights, a fictional suburb of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. She enjoys school, daydreaming about outer space, sci-fi movies, and singing in her band. Unknown to her friends and family, she is a member of the Galactic Guardians, an elite interstellar crime-fighting team. As Atomic Betty, she is assisted by the alien pilot Sparky and the robot X-5, and she confronts the evil overlord Maximus I.Q. and his servant Minimus, along with other supervillains. Despite being unassuming on Earth, Atomic Betty is a superstar throughout the galaxy.

Reader's Guide

Atomic Betty received positive-to-mixed reviews from critics and audiences and has since gained a cult following. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the show four out of five stars, noting its 'equal opportunity' appeal and worthwhile messages, while Anita Gates of The New York Times commented on the show's action and lessons, though she criticized the villain's name for its implication about intelligence. The series was produced using Adobe Flash by Atomic Cartoons in Vancouver, with Tele Images Kids handling the French-language version. Three seasons were produced, totaling 78 half-hour episodes, plus a one-hour Christmas special titled Atomic Betty: The No-L 9. The first season had a budget of $9 million. The show aired on various networks, including Cartoon Network in the U.S. and The Hub, and later streamed on Kartoon Channel.

Did You Know?

• The show was retitled Atomic Betty: Mission Earth for its third and final season.
• Betty's bracelet houses a communications device, remote controls for her spaceship, a holographic disguise function, and grants basic telekinesis.
• The villain Maximus I.Q. is a Siamese cat-like alien overlord.
• Two planned DVD volumes, Betty Powers Up! and Betty Blasts Off!, were cancelled.