The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (also known as Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures) is an American animated action-adventure television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. A continuation of the Jonny Quest (1964) series and ignoring the events of The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (1986) series, it features teenage adventurers Jonny Quest, Hadji Singh, and Jessie Bannon as they accompany Dr. Benton Quest and bodyguard Race Bannon to investigate strange phenomena, legends, and mysteries in exotic locales. Action also takes place in the virtual realm of QuestWorld, a three-dimensional cyberspace domain rendered with computer animation. Conceived in the early 1990s, Real Adventures suffered a long and troubled development. Hanna-Barbera dismissed creator Peter Lawrence in 1996 and hired new producers to finish the show. John Eng and Cosmo Anzilotti completed Lawrence's work; David Lipman, Davis Doi, and Larry Houston wrote new episodes with reworked character designs akin to those of classic Quest. Each team produced half of the show's fifty-two episodes. While Lawrence's team crafted stories of real-world mystery and exploration, later writers used science fiction and paranormal plots. Turner supported the show through a massive marketing campaign with thirty-three licensees. Real Adventures debuted with an unprecedented wide release on Cartoon Network, TBS, and TNT, airing twenty-one times per week. Critics have debated the merits of the show's animation, writing, and spirit compared to classic Quest, but it has also received praise in those categories. Real Adventures failed to gain high ratings with its targeted demographics and its merchandise performed poorly, leading to cancellation after fifty-two episodes. Turner Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video have released eight VHS tapes, two laserdiscs, and twenty-six DVD episodes; reruns have appeared on Toonami, CNX, and other Turner networks. All 52 episodes were made available for digital purchase on the iTunes Store in 2013.