Men in Black: The Series

Men in Black: The Series

Official series title card
Genre Action/Adventure
Comedy
Science fiction
Based on
Developed by
Voices of
Theme music composer Jim Latham
Composer(s) Jim Latham
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English (1997–2001)
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 53 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Laurie MacDonald
Walter F. Parkes
Richard Raynis
Rafael Rosado
Jeff Kline
Producer(s) Kim Bass
Duane Capizzi
Frank Paur
Running time 22–24 minutes
Production company(s) Amblin Television
Adelaide Productions
Columbia TriStar Television
Distributor Columbia TriStar Television (2001–2002)
Sony Pictures Television (2002–present)
Sony Pictures Television International (2002–2009)
Release
Original network The WB (Kids' WB)
Original release October 11, 1997 (1997-10-11) – June 30, 2001 (2001-06-30)
Chronology
Preceded by Men in Black

Men in Black: The Series, also known as MIB: The Series, MIB: The Animated Series, and Men in Black: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series that originally aired on The WB's Kids' WB programming block from October 11, 1997 to June 30, 2001[1] The show features characters from 1997's science fiction film Men in Black,[2] which was based on the comic book series The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham,[3] originally published by Marvel / Malibu Comics. The series was produced by Adelaide Productions Inc., a division of Columbia TriStar Television, and Amblin Television as a half-hour series originally airing on Saturday mornings, and later moving to weekdays during the final run. It was a more detailed TV series of the movie saga.

Plot

The show is set in alternate timeline to Men in Black, the film series where Agent K never retired and Jay is still an inexperienced agent.

Voice cast

Characters

Character Voice Actor Notes
Agent K Ed O'Ross [Season 1], Gregg Berger [Seasons 2-4] Agent K (originally Kevin Brown) is a top agent and a founder of the organization; and after working at the organisation for nearly 40 years, he shows nearly no emotion. He and J must constantly fight off his old partner Alpha.
Agent J Keith Diamond Agent J (originally James Darrel Edwards III) is one of the main agents of the organization. He is energetic, and tries to bring emotion back to the bland organization. At one point, J arrests the alien Jarra for attempting to steal the Earth's ozone layer and sell it on the Black Market. He remains somewhat of a sidekick to Agent K.
Agent L Jennifer Lien [Seasons 1-3], Jennifer Martin [Season 4] Agent L (originally Dr. Laurel Weaver) is a morgue worker who joins the MiB after she helps Agent K and J stop the Bug from stealing The Galaxy. She stays in the medical section of the organization until Season 4, wherein she becomes a field agent with Agent X as her partner.
Chief Zed Charles Napier The head of the organization and K and J's boss. He is usually shown in his office, high above the main floor of the headquarters. It is known that he took the job of director at some point prior to the incident with Serlena and the Light of Zartha, in 1978.
Agent D John Mariano Agent D is Agent K's former partner; now retired. He was a founding member of the organisation. He is seen enjoying his retirement with his wife, before he is wiped out of existence by a time traveling alien-hating bigot, and restored by Agent K and a Cerebro-Enhanced Agent J.
Jack Jeebs Tony Shalhoub [Season 1], Billy West [Seasons 2-4] Jack Jeebs is a humanoid alien who runs a pawn shop, carrying both alien and human merchandise. Jeebs' head is frequently blasted off but grows back.
Edgar the Bug Vincent D'Onofrio The main antagonist of the feature film until he was killed by Agent L; his only appearance in the series was in a flashback to his death. Edgar is revealed to have a twin named Edwin and was the Queen Bug's favorite. His death causes The Queen Bug to put a bounty on Elle's head.
Frank the Pug Eddie Barth Frank the Pug is an extraterrestrial living in New York City, in the guise of a pug. It is later revealed that the "human" at Frank's newspaper stand is a robot, and that Frank's true form still resembles a pug, albeit with a dark green color, antennas, and a 3-pointed tail.
The Worm Aliens Patrick Pinney and Pat Fraley Four aliens that love to drink coffee and relax in the organisation's break room. They are renowned for knowing many figures of speech and the organisation rulebook. They occasionally help K or J. In the alternate future, the worms are shown as the dominant race after they got slimed and multiplied.
Arquillians N/A An Arquillian is a member of a race of tiny humanoid aliens. Arquillians have large heads and eyes, but a small body, and hide in human-like robots. The Arquillians are the possesers of the Arquillian Galaxy (a miniaturized 'source of sub-atomic power') and will not stand for it being lost or stolen. They are ruled by a complex monarchy.
Baltians N/A The first race of aliens encountered by the original agents of the organization: a tall, slender species that vaguely resemble Grey Aliens. The Baltians return to Earth every ten years to provide new alien technologies to help fund the organisation.
Idikiukup and Bob Patrick Pinney and Pat Fraley A pair of alien twins (earning them the nickname of the Twins) that serve as the MIB's head scientists along with Agent L. They mostly stay at headquarters though Bob pilots a helicopter in "Its a Fmall Fmall World".
Alpha David Warner Alpha is Agent K's former mentor, and now the sworn enemy of the M.I.B. and Agent K. Allying himself with Vangus after escape, Alpha turned himself into a cyborg. Alpha is killed in "Endgame Part 2". J often mockingly calls him "Alfalfa". He is the main antagonist of the series.
Buzzard Sherman Howard A Zombarian bounty hunter who is an occasional adversary of Agents J and K.
Dak Jeebs Billy West Jack Jeebs' twin brother.
Drekk Ron Perlman Drekk is alien who has a long criminal record: "longer than Van Allen's belt", according to Chief Zed. He is a former cell-mate of Frank the Pug, and an antagonist of the lead characters.
The Emperor Worm Vincent D'Onofrio The Emperor Worm is the leader of the Worms. Unlike the other Worms, the Emperor is hugely fat, and almost double the height of the others. He usually shows up un-announced at the organisation. The Emperor is careless and defenseless, so the other Worms must watch him.
Agent H Kurtwood Smith One of the founding members of the Men-In Black. He was responsible for most of the MIB's medical equipment.
Agent Q N/A One of the founding members of the organization; responsible for the weapons and vehicles that the organization use. When Q was erased from history, all the weapons and vehicles he developed were erased (and restored) with him.
Aileen Beth Broderick A female alien and agent of the Men in Black: a blue-skinned humanoid, with malleable hands. She lost her former partner to an alien shapeshifter called an Inanimate. She is later assigned another partner named Eidi, whom she treats similarly to K's treatment of J. Like K, she is a legendary agent on her home planet.
Eidi N/A Aileen's rookie partner, assigned to her after the capture of the Inanimate. She is the same species as Aileen, but taller and slightly bulkier. Eidi and J bond while working the case due to their shared status as novices partnered with the planet's best agents.
Agent U N/A An average agent. His name before joining the organisation was Upton, which J easily deduces. There is a running gag where U's agent codename and the word "you" are often confused. Agent U is shown to be a major suck up and simply teaches alien children how to disguise themselves as humans though in "The Buzzard Syndrome" Agent U is seen catching a Micrelian criminal.
Agent E N/A An average agent who also worked in Hollywood, getting work for aliens in movies and television shows. Most of her clients resemble aliens like the Xenomorph and Alf.
Agent X Adam Baldwin A big-eared, green-skinned alien originating from the G-Dan galaxy; recruited into the organization as Elle's partner, to smooth over human-alien relations. Though he has an impeccable record, X was suspended six times in his home galaxy.
Dr. Zan'dozz Zeeltor Steve Kehela A blue-skinned humanoid alien who replaces Elle as chief scientific officer of the organization. He is very eccentric about the simple items around Earth. Most of his inventions usually cause more harm around J, such as a sticky note pad that started to constrict him. Zeeltor has a pet named Lucy: a Futavian colony bacterium that makes a roaring sound.
Troy The Symbiote Rino Romano A young adventurous symbiote who has a playful relationship with J. His dream is to work for the organization, much to his mother's distress. Troy becomes an MIB intern in "The Heads You Lose Syndrome".
Edwin The Bug Vincent D'Onofrio The twin brother of Edgar the Bug; sent by the Bug Queen to get revenge on Agent L, and killed by the Worms.
Queen Bug Mary Kay Bergman The queen of Edwin and Edgar's planet and mother of all bugs. The Queen Bug put a bounty on Agent L's head, offering royal jelly to the Bug that Faber her Elle. She later attempted to colonize Earth with a new generation of offspring, but was foiled by MIB. The Queen Bug also tried to conquer Earth but was foiled by Agent K and Agent J who flood the tunnel the Bugs were using as a base.
Klah'Mikk N/A A paperwork filing alien who works for the organisation.
The Fmeks N/A The warmongering counterparts of the Arquillians. The Fmeks are the Arquillian's sworn enemy because the Arquillian's planet is bigger than their home world Fmoo.
The Ixions N/A A race of oil-loving creatures, who with the help of their leader, Vangus, attempt to plunder the Earth's oil to sell it on the intergalactic market. They were ultimately defeated by MiB, along with Alpha.
Vangus Billy West The leader of the Ixions.

Home video releases

In the United States, six episodes from the first half of the first season were issued on three two-episode VHS volumes, all made available on March 16, 1999. The United Kingdom received a similar release on August 19, 2002, however, all six episodes were released on one bumper VHS instead of three two-episode volumes. The release also included a bonus seventh episode, which was actually episode one, billed as the "pilot episode".[4] It was then announced that the remainder of the show's first season, episodes 8-13, would be exclusively released in the region, being made available on VHS on January 24, 2003.[5] On July 12, 2004, the first three episodes of the first season were issued on DVD for the first time by UCA Pictures. Further releases were planned, but sales were not strong enough to warrant any other DVD releases from UCA.[6] The entire first season was issued on DVD for the first time on July 4, 2007 in Australia, via Sony Pictures Entertainment. The set contained two discs, one containing seven episodes and the other containing the remaining six. On July 16, 2007, the set was made available in the United Kingdom, however, was this time split up into two separate volumes instead of a whole box set.[7][8] On May 11, 2012, the entire first season was released on DVD for the first time in the United States, being made available as an exclusive product for Target stores in the country.[9] Thus far, no plans have been announced to issue any further seasons of the show on DVD as of 2016.

Awards

Daytime Emmy Awards

References

  1. ↑ Fritz, Steve (September 18, 2000). "MEN IN BLACK and JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES". Mania. USA. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  2. ↑ Raiti, Gerard (January 9, 1998). "Mania: Animated Men in Black". Mania. Archived from the original on January 10, 1998. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Allstetter, Rob (1998). "Mania: Men In Black Animated Series". Mania. USA. Archived from the original on January 16, 1999. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "Men In Black - The Animated Series: Volume 1 [VHS]: Men in Black [Volume 1]: Amazon.co.uk: Video". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  5. ↑ "Men in Black - the animated series vol 2: Amazon.co.uk: Video". Amazon.co.uk. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  6. ↑ "Men In Black - The Animated Series: Volume 1 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Men in Black: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  7. ↑ "Men In Black - The Animated Series: Season 1 - Volume 1 DVD 2007: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  8. ↑ "Men In Black - The Animated Series: Season 1 - Volume 2 DVD 2007: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  9. ↑ "Men in Black TV Series - OAT". Target. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
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