J.D. Roth Movies

In this exercise video for youngsters, Jane Fonda, J.D. Roth, and a team of fitness experts help kids get fit by dancing. The dance -- the Fun House Funk -- is loaded with exercises kids will be able to do, while having fun at the same time. The routines are designed for ages seven and older. ~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide

The old Hanna Barbera cartoon adventure series Jonny Quest was given a new coat of paint -- and infinitely better animation -- in this daily, half-hour cable-TV offering, co-produced by Japan's Pacific Animation and several Korean cartoon firms. The basic characters -- spunky teenager Jonny Quest, his scientist dad Benton Quest, his muscular teacher-guardian Race Bannon, his mystical best pal (and now adoptive brother) Hadji, and his little dog Bandit -- remained intact, as did the original series' globetrotting-adventurer premise. This time around, however, there was whole new cast of voiceover actors, including (during the first season, at least) J.D. Roth as Jonny and George Segal as his dad. Also, there was a typically '90s emphasis on computer technology; in fact, Dr. Quest was now described as a "computer genius," ready and willing to use the vast resources of his Quest Foundation, and the limitless opportunities afforded him by his new virtual-reality domain Questworld, to battle the forces of evil. The scripters also broadened the appeal of the series by adding a strong, positive female character, Jessie Bannon, the teenaged daughter of Race Bannon (whose estranged spouse Estella Velasquez also showed up on occasion). Premiering August 26, 1996 and running until April 16, 1997, the 52 episodes of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest were first-run simulatenously on three different Ted Turner-controlled cable services: TBS, TNT, and The Cartoon Network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Estella Scheele asks the Quest team (minus Jessie) to locate her missing grandfather, a famed ornithologist. The heroes are unaware that Estella actually hopes to locate the legendary "city of gold" El Dorado, and she doesn't care who perishes in the attempt. A startling finale caps this beautifully rendered episode. Bandit, Jonny Quest's faithful bulldog, makes his first Real Adventures of Jonny Quest appearance in "In the Realm of the Condor," which made its American TV debut on August 28, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Tanzania, Quest team members Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji receive a summons from "beyond" to protect a pachyderm named Ndovu as it makes its final journey to the elephant's graveyard. En route, our heroes run afoul of poachers who intend to rob the sacred burial site of its rich ivory deposits. Parent alert: There are several deaths in this episode, though the actual violence is held to a minimum. "Ndovu's Last Journey" was first telecast on August 30, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Several ships have vanished without a trace in the Indian ocean, near Christie Island in the Republic of Seychelles. The Quest team investigates the phenomenon, hoping to disprove rumors of a huge sea monster in the region. Inevitably, however, both Jonny and Hadji find themselves in the grip of an enormous squid -- and at the mercy of the squid's human "masters." "East of Zanzibar" made its first cable-TV appearance on September 3, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although the villainous Ezekial Rage first appeared in "Rage's Burning Wheel," episode four of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, the character was introduced in the episode that ended up as the series' ninth telecast, the appropriately titled "Ezekial Rage." A horribly disfigured former government agent, Rage has been driven insane by the deaths of his family during a botched covert operation. Swearing vengeance against the entire "evil" world, Rage happens to be cooking up his latest scheme in the same location where the Quest team has arrived in search of a missing naturalist -- and a giant bat. "Ezekial Rage" originally aired on September 5, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dr. Quest receives a strange package from his old friend, Native American mystic Alice Starseer, containing a curious quartz statue. In turn, the statue contains a rod that acts as a beacon to summon extraterrestrials. Transporting the statue to New Mexico (conveniently close to "Area 51" near Roswell), the Quest team is targetted for scrutiny -- and possible elimination -- by the ubiquitious Men in Black who seem to always be around in sci-fi stories. "Return of the Anasazi" was first telecast on September 9, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having returned from her journey through space with the Anasazi, Dr. Quest's mystical friend Alice Starseer arrives on earth armed with the Secrets of the Universe. Intending to lay her grandfather to rest, Alice is targetted for abduction by the Quest team's perennial adversary, Jeremiah Surd, who intends to use her secrets for his own evil purposes. "Trouble on the Colorado" originally aired in the United States on September 11, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Borneo on an archaeological expedition, the Quest team confront the legendary Amok creatures, so named for their ability to attack from several directions at the same time. But there's even more danger at hand in the form of a band of mercenaries, who, hired to destroy a native tribe, add the Quest team members to their list of potential victims. Somewhat reminiscent of the "classic" Jonny Quest episode "Monster of the Monastery," "Amok" originally aired on September 13, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Three members of the Quest team go to the Pine Barrens region of New Jersey in search of the legendary Jersey Devil. The heroes find themselves in the middle of a feud between descendants of the Redcoats and Minutemen of the Revolutionary War, with the orginal Declaration of Independence as the bone of contention. While the script veers toward Scooby-Doo territory with a human villain posing as a supernatural monster, there's a neat and satisfying twist at the end of "The Spectre of Pine Barrens," which originally aired on September 17, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dr. Quest utilizes Questworld computer technology to reassemble a shattered statue of the God Apollo. His efforts are interfered with by Quest's perennial foe Jeremiah Surd, who, hacking into the computer system, lures Jonny into a surreal chamber of horrors in which the statue's supernatural powers are summoned to their full, frightening height. The 25th filmed episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, "Heroes" was the 18th episode to be telecast, on September 18, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Quest team heads to Northern Canada to investigate a series of attacks, allegedly perpetrated by a werewolf. They discover that the elusive lycanthrope is an attactive outback physician named Marie Metier, whom Dr. Quest hopes to cure of her family curse. A new spin on an old story, "In the Darkness of the Moon" was initially telecast on September 23, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide