Men in Black: The Series

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 Kids' WB from October 11, 1997, to June 30, 2001.[1]

Men in Black: The Series
Genre
Based onMen in Black
Developed by
Voices of
Theme music composerJim Latham
ComposerJim Latham
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes53 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Laurie MacDonald
  • Walter F. Parkes
  • Richard Raynis
  • Rafael Rosado
  • Jeff Kline
Producers
  • Kim Bass
  • Duane Capizzi
  • Frank Paur
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkKids' WB
Original releaseOctober 11, 1997 (1997-10-11) –
June 30, 2001 (2001-06-30)
Related
Men in Black

The show features characters from the 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, a division of Columbia TriStar Television, and Amblin Entertainment as a half-hour series originally airing on Saturday mornings, and later moving to weekdays during its final run.[4]

Plot

The show is set in an alternate timeline to the Men in Black film universe. The most significant differences in the series are that Agent K did not retire, and Agent J is still regarded as a rookie. Agent L on the other hand is depicted as a senior staff of the organization, a radical change from the first film. Some episodes do incorporate aspects of the film franchise. While the series offers internal continuity and extended plot arcs, it is primarily presented in standalone episodes. Some recurring themes include the exploration of K's origins, as well as J encountering individuals from his life prior to joining MIB. Unlike the film series, the MIB headquarters is located at what looks like a disused area under LaGuardia airport instead of 504 Battery Drive in New York City.

Episodes
Main article: List of Men in Black: The Series episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113October 11, 1997 (1997-10-11)May 16, 1998 (1998-05-16)
213September 19, 1998 (1998-09-19)February 6, 1999 (1999-02-06)
314October 2, 1999 (1999-10-02)May 20, 2000 (2000-05-20)
413September 16, 2000 (2000-09-16)June 30, 2001 (2001-06-30)

Characters
CharacterVoice ActorNotes
Agent JKeith DiamondAgent 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. He is referred as "Slick" by Agent K. Throughout the series, most of the other agents treat J like a total screw-up who never should have been allowed in the MIB.
Agent KEd O'Ross in Season 1, Gregg Berger in Seasons 2–4Agent 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 LJennifer Lien in Seasons 1–3, Jennifer Martin in Season 4Agent L (originally Dr. Laurel Weaver) is a morgue worker who joins the MiB after she helps Agent K and J stop Edgar 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 ZedCharles NapierThe 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 DJohn MarianoAgent D (originally Derrick Cunningham) is Agent K's former partner who is now retired after getting too old in the fight against the evil aliens. He was a founding member of the organization. Derrick 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 JeebsTony Shalhoub in Season 1, Billy West in Seasons 2–4Jack Jeebs is a humanoid alien who runs a pawn shop, carrying both alien and human merchandise. Jeebs' head is frequently blasted off, but it grows back within seconds, due to the fact that his race regenerates in oxygen rich environments (and it is rumored his race may be immortal from that same talent).
Edgar BugN/A; originally portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio in the filmThe main antagonist of the feature film who was killed by Agent L. His only appearance in the series was in a flashback to his death in "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome". Edgar is revealed to have a twin brother named Edwin as well as being the Queen Bug's favorite. His death causes The Queen to put a bounty on L’s head.
Edwin BugVincent D'OnofrioThe twin brother of Edgar the Bug who is sent by the Bug Queen to get revenge on Agent L for killing Edgar, and killed by the Worm Guys.
GeenVincent D'OnofrioA Bug with a perpetually voracious appetite which landed him M.I.B intergalactic prison. Geen and several other inmates were temporarily released by Doctor Lupo and proceeded to wreak havoc upon the MIB HQ until they were rounded up by K and J.
Queen BugMary Kay BergmanThe 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 brings her Elle. She later attempted to colonize Manhattan with a new generation of offspring but was foiled by the MIB. The Queen Bug subsequently attempted to conquer Earth once more but was foiled by Agent K and Agent J who flooded the tunnel which the Bugs were using as a base. She was ultimately vanquished by the combined efforts of K and a temporarily amnesiac J.
Frank the PugEddie BarthFrank 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 GuysPatrick Pinney and Pat FraleyFour aliens that love to drink coffee and relax in the organization's break room. They are renowned for knowing many figures of speech and the organization 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.
ArquilliansN/AThe Arquillians are 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 possessors 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.
BaltiansN/AThe 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 BobPatrick Pinney and Pat FraleyA 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 "It's a Fmall Fmall World".
AlphaDavid WarnerAlpha is Agent K's former mentor, and now the sworn enemy of the M.I.B. and Agent K. Stealing a Verulian Cosmic Integrator, he used it to graft stolen alien body parts onto himself until he was defeated and captured. Escaping and allying himself with Vangus and the Ixions, 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.
BuzzardSherman HowardA Zombarian bounty hunter who is an occasional adversary of Agents J and K. Howard and D'Onofrio both previously were guests on Miami Vice and were enemies of Crockett and Tubbs like they were Agent J and K.
Dak JeebsBilly WestJack Jeebs' twin brother.
DrekkRon PerlmanDrekk 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 WormVincent D'OnofrioThe 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 HKurtwood SmithOne of the founding members of the Men-In Black. He was responsible for most of the MIB's medical equipment.
Agent QN/AOne 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.
AileenBeth BroderickA 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.
EidiN/AAileen'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 UN/AAn average agent. His name before joining the organization 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 EN/AAn 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 XAdam BaldwinA 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 ZeeltorSteve KehelaA 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 SymbioteRino RomanoA 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".
Klah'MikkN/AA paperwork filing alien who works for the organisation.
The FmeksN/AThe 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 IxionsN/AA 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.
VangusBilly WestThe leader of the Ixions.

Characters design

The aesthetics of the characters were designed by comic book artist Miguelanxo Prado.

Voice cast

Main

Additional voices

Home media

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".[5] 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.[6]

On July 12, 2004, the first three episodes of the first season were issued on DVD in the United Kingdom by joint-venture business UCA. Further releases were planned, but sales were not strong enough to warrant any other DVD releases from UCA.[7]

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.[8][9]

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.[10] Thus far, no plans have been announced to issue any further seasons of the show on DVD as of 2021.

The series is available on the streaming service Crackle, alternating between the first two seasons and the last two.

Awards

Daytime Emmy Awards

  • 2002 – Outstanding Sound Editing – Special Class – Roshaun Hawley, Paca Thomas, Dan Cubert and Marc S. Perlman (won)

Video games

A video game based on the series, titled Men in Black: The Series, was released for the Game Boy Color in 1999.[11] A sequel, titled Men in Black 2: The Series and also based on the show, was released for the Game Boy Color in 2000.[12] A different version of Men in Black: The Series was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001.[13] Another game based on the series, titled Men in Black: The Series – Crashdown, was released for the PlayStation later in 2001.[14]

References
  1. Fritz, Steve (September 18, 2000). "MEN IN BLACK and JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES". Mania. USA. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  2. Raiti, Gerard (January 9, 1998). "Mania: Animated Men in Black". Mania. Archived from the original on January 10, 1998. Retrieved May 7, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. Allstetter, Rob (1998). "Mania: Men In Black Animated Series". Mania. USA. Archived from the original on January 16, 1999. Retrieved May 7, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 539–540. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  5. "Men In Black – The Animated Series: Volume 1 [VHS]: Men in Black [Volume 1]: Amazon.co.uk: Video". Amazon.co.uk. August 19, 2002. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  6. "Men in Black – the animated series vol 2: Amazon.co.uk: Video". Amazon.co.uk. September 9, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  7. "Men In Black – The Animated Series: Volume 1 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Men in Black: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. July 12, 2004. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  8. "Men In Black – The Animated Series: Season 1 – Volume 1 DVD 2007: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. July 16, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  9. "Men In Black – The Animated Series: Season 1 – Volume 2 DVD 2007: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. July 16, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  10. "Men in Black TV Series – OAT". Target. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  11. Schneider, Peer (July 12, 1999). "Men In Black: The Series". IGN. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  12. Woods, Nick. "Men in Black 2: The Series – Overview". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  13. Harris, Craig (September 27, 2001). "Men In Black: The Series (GBA)". IGN. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  14. Bradley, Tina (December 12, 2001). "Men In Black The Series: Crashdown". Gamezilla. Archived from the original on February 12, 2002.
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