onny
Quest is one of the longest running Saturday morning
cartoon shows of all time, alongside such mainstays as
Scooby-Doo and Fat Albert. Unlike Scoob and Al, however,
only 26 episodes were produced of the original Jonny
Quest.
The show was an adventure series about pre-teen Jonny
Quest, who, along with mystical Indian friend Hadji, pet
dog Bandit, Jonny’s super-scientist father Dr. Benton
Quest, and government intelligence agent/bodyguard/pilot
Race Bannon, investigated strange goings-on all over the
world. Episodes of Jonny Quest blended mystery, adventure,
action, intrigue, scientific marvels, and humor as the
group traveled everywhere from the Sargasso Sea to
equatorial Africa.
Jonny Quest originally ran in primetime on ABC during
the 1964-65 season, but much like Hanna-Barbera
predecessor The Jetsons, the program didn't find success
until it moved to Saturday morning. When it hit, it hit
big. Jonny Quest ran on CBS from 1967-1970, then back to
ABC through 1972. In 1978, the program became part of The
Godzilla Power Hour, and in 1979, Jonny Quest moved to
NBC, where it stayed until 1981.
In 1996, the Turner Company released an updated,
all-new series entitled The Real Adventures of Jonny
Quest. This new series featured an additional character in
Jessie Bannon, the daughter of Race, and made extensive
use of computer animation.
