Summary

• Codename: Kids Next Door deserves a sequel that follows up on the creator's ideas for a follow-up series.
• The Galactic Kids Next Door would be a dark follow-up with global stakes and a major role reversal.
• Modern updates and turning Numbuh One as a complex villain could bring back the beloved Cartoon Network series.

One of Cartoon Network's most entertaining original shows, Codename: Kids Next Door, deserves a follow-up sixteen years after it concluded, and it already has the perfect set up. Cartoon Network has been behind many of animation's most memorable creations, with shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe expanding beyond their original runs to incorporate spin-offs and sequel shows. Reboots of properties like The Powerpuff Girls and Ben 10 have been produced, but one of the best candidates for a follow-up only remains a possibility. However, the show's creator has teased what a sequel would be like if it were produced.

Codename: Kids Next Door was centered around the titular secret organization, that united children around the world in the fight against adult tyranny. The series primarily focused on the five agents based in Sector V — the hyper-competent Numbuh One, dorky pilot Numbuh Two, bubbly communications officer Numbuh Three, dim-witted bruiser Numbuh 4, and the perpetually cool Numbuh Five — and their missions around the world. Although the series ended sixteen years ago, the show's creator Tom Warburton has a pitch for a sequel series that would be an ideal (and long over-due) follow-up that would flip the original in huge ways.

Codename: Kids Next Door Ended On A Bittersweet (& Opened-Ended) Note

Codename: Kids Next Door's Ending Left The Door Open For Follow-Ups

Codename: Kids Next Door was an iconic part of the Cartoon Network original programming in the early 2000's, and is long overdue for the sequel series that the show's creator has been pitching for years. Codename: Kids Next Door ran for 81 episodes across 6 seasons, concluding with the extra-length series finale "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S." The episode follows the final mission of Numbuh One with Sector V. The episode eventually reveals that the season 6 sub-plot about a splinter cell within the organization was connected to the Galactic KND, which wanted to recruit Numbuh One as their first agent from Earth.

The episode ends on a bittersweet but open-ended note, with Numbuh One reluctantly agreeing to leave his loved ones behind, ing the GKND and heading off into space. The episode's framing device was a series of interviews with the other Sector V agents, now grown adults who'd been briefly recommissioned to speak about Numbuh One — although the ending implied the other agents had remained in with him and were still working alongside him against villainous forces like Father. This kind of ending sets up potential follow-ups that explore more of the universe and introduce new worlds to the mix.

There's Already A Perfect Setup For A Codename: Kids Next Door Sequel

Galactic: Kids Next Door Would Be A Great Sequel Series

That's clearly something that series creator Tom Warburton agrees with, as he's been very public with his attempts to pitch a Galactic Kids Next Door sequel series. For over ten years, Warburton has been teasing the potential direction of a follow-up show in an effort to stir up fan . This includes multiple animatics and teasers that hint at a surprisingly dark direction for the potential sequel series. The teasers show Numbuh One with the Galactic KND, who are revealed to be far more ruthless than they initially appeared, including being willing to wipe out all adults across the cosmos.

Despite the pleas of longtime adversary Chad to show restraint, it appears that Numbuh One has sided with the GKND and is willing to enact their plan on Earth. Other teasers have revealed that a GKND operative known as Agent Vine disagrees with their plans and has been reaching out to Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 4 to warn them to evacuate the planet — and in the process accidentally exposing herself as Lizzie, Numbuh One's love interest in the original show. These shifts set up a truly massive sequel series that could take the show's premise to a whole new level.

G:KND Would Be A Dark Follow-Up To The Original Cartoon Network Series

Notably, Galactic Kids Next Door would likely be a much darker series. While the original could feature some surprisingly effective scares and drama, the show was largely a goofy riff on various varieties of the action genre. Few storylines actually played the premise for genuine drama, with the focus often remaining on Sector V and its missions. By contrast, Galactic Kids Next Door seems to have global stakes set up by the very premise. The idea of Lizzie being an alien spy puts an entirely different spin on her actions throughout the original series, especially her romance with Numbuh One.

Another important element that could play into the show would come from flipping the premise of the original into something far darker. As opposed to being the well-meaning but ridiculous KND, the GKND being an overbearing and dangerous force could put the heroes on the run in a way the original never could. The teasers that have been released have hinted recurring villains like Cree have been captured while important allies like Numbuh 362 and Numbuh 60 are considered "fugitives" and on the run. It all sets up a potentially fascinating role reversal from the original show's expansive global resources.

Why The Time Is Right For More Kids Next Door

Codename: Kids Next Door was a highlight of the Cartoon Network original programming, an endlessly inventive and silly action-comedy that would benefit from a modern perspective and update. The 2x4 technology that defined much of the show's visual style could be seen with upgraded tech and designs, highlighting the advances made in the years that have ed since the original concluded. Advancements like the internet could introduce some exciting wrinkles into the show's universe, while still leaving room for some creative homemade technology. The sequel show also seems to be setting up Numbuh One as a complex and dangerous antagonist.

While Codename: Kids Next Door was functionally an ensemble show that could shift focus to different agents, Numbuh One was effectively the main character of the series. Many overarching storylines focused on him and his growth. Turning him into a villain would be an exciting twist on the original show's format, and an exciting way to force the remaining heroes to face some surprisingly complex questions about personal morality and the cost of victory. The idea behind the Codename: Kids Next Door sequel series is a strong way to bring back one of the Cartoon Network's most entertaining animated shows.