Johnny Test

Did You Know?

• The Johnny Test YouTube channel premiered the web shorts 'League of Johnnys' on May 2, 2020.
• In May 2020, Netflix picked up the show for two additional seasons and an interactive special, released on July 16, 2021.
• The series aired in syndication on Boomerang intermittently between April 2013 and June 2016.

Premise

The series is set in the fictional town of Porkbelly and centers on Johnny Test, an 11-year-old boy. He lives with his parents and his 13-year-old twin sisters, Susan and Mary, who are genius scientists. The twins frequently use Johnny as a test subject for their experiments and inventions in their home laboratory, often to impress their neighbor Gil. Johnny is hyperactive and mischievous, and he is accompanied by Dukey, an anthropomorphic talking dog given human intelligence by the sisters. Johnny often misuses the inventions to avoid schoolwork or chores, causing chaos that he must resolve. Recurring characters include Eugene "Bling-Bling Boy" Hamilton, a wealthy rival; Sissy Blakley, a tomboy and love interest; Bumper Randalls, the school bully; and government agents Mr. Black and Mr. White.

History

The WB announced Johnny Test as part of its Kids' WB Saturday morning lineup on February 16, 2005. Scott Fellows created and executive produced the series, basing the titular character and his twin sisters on himself and his real-life sisters. In 2013, a live-action television director filed a lawsuit alleging he was the original creator of the series' concept. Aaron Simpson developed the series for television and produced a Flash-animated test pilot. James Arnold Taylor voiced Johnny in the pilot and remained with the show throughout its run. The first season was produced in-house by Warner Bros. Animation, with animation services outsourced to several studios. Following the 2006 merger of UPN and The WB into The CW, production underwent budget reductions and was taken over by Cookie Jar Entertainment. The animation pipeline transitioned to Adobe Flash for seasons two and three. Cartoon Network picked up the show for a fourth season in 2009, and it was renewed for a fifth and sixth season, totaling 117 episodes. Voice cast changes occurred in later seasons, including Trevor Devall replacing Louis Chirillo as Dukey in season five.

Reception

Johnny Test received mixed reviews from television critics and audiences. Joly Herman of Common Sense Media gave the series three out of five stars, calling it age-appropriate and "surprisingly inventive," and noted it was less violent than other cartoons. Retrospective commentary has been more mixed; a 2023 Collider ranking noted that early seasons were praised for their energy, but later seasons faced criticism for a drop in animation quality and overused sound effects after the transition to Flash animation. The first season was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing at the 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards and a Golden Reel Award. The second season won a Gemini Award for Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series in 2007. The third season was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Original Music Score in 2008. The fourth season was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Animated Program or Series in 2010 and won a Grand Prize for Best Program at the Alliance for Children and Television's 2009 Gala.

In other media

Cookie Jar partnered with CKE Restaurants for a promotional Johnny Test toy campaign at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants in the U.S. and Mexico from June 28 to August 24, 2010. Carl's Jr. also presented a soccer-themed promotion in Mexico from June 7 to July 25, 2010, to coincide with World Cup activities. Jollibee in the Philippines advertised a toy campaign in their Kids' Meals with the Amazing Adventure Chasers mini-toyline. In 2014, DHX Media signed a master toy license with Imports Dragon. On January 21, 2010, Cookie Jar partnered with Jirbo to produce two Johnny Test video games for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad: Johnny Test: Clone Zapper and Johnny Test: Bot Drop. Both games are shoot-'em-up and side-scrolling titles utilizing multitouch capabilities. In spring 2011, a third video game for Nintendo DS was licensed by Cookie Jar; a sneak preview was included on the complete first and second seasons DVD set released on March 29, 2011.