Codename: Kids Next Door - Wikipedia

Synopsis

The series revolves around a diverse group of five 10-year-old children (later retconned to be varying ages), using codenames Numbuhs 1 through 5, who are the main home operatives of what is known as Sector V, which is part of a worldwide global espionage-style organization called the Kids Next Door. Their mission is to fight crimes against children (such as homework, flossing, doctor, baths, bedtime, teeth brushing, babysitters, sharing, doing chores, etc.), many of which are willingly committed by "evil" adults, senior citizens, teenagers, and occasionally other children. Numbuh 1 is a level-headed, no-nonsense British boy named Nigel Uno, leader of Sector V. Numbuh 2 is an overweight, nerdy American boy named Hogarth "Hoagie" Pennywhistle Gilligan, Jr. Numbuh 3 is a friendly, happy-go-lucky Japanese girl named Kuki Sanban. Numbuh 4 is a short-tempered, irrational Australian boy named Wallabee "Wally" Beetles. Numbuh 5 is a quiet, laid-back, black French girl who speaks in illeism named Abigail "Abby" Lincoln.

Following a period of training, every member of the Kids Next Door chooses a number or alphanumeric code (deliberately pronounced and spelled as "Numbuh") and is sent to a "sector" that acts as their home base. The sector headquarters, like some of the organization's bases and facilities, are high-tech tree houses, with both treehouse and the tree it is in being of ludicrous proportions, and often suited to their environment. This includes a base constructed beneath the Arctic ice shelf, and a base built into a large pine tree. The main headquarters of the Kids Next Door is a treehouse Moon Base. The Kids Next Door follow their oath of protecting other kids as well as battling adulthood until the age of 13 when they are "decommissioned", a process of wiping their memories of any past KND activity and warping their minds. Such a practice has inevitably led to the creation of many KND villains who escaped decommissioning, including Numbuh 5's older sister Cree, formerly known as Numbuh 11 and former leader of Sector V; and Chad, formerly known as Numbuh 274 and supreme commander of the Kids Next Door.

The practice of strict decommissioning at age 13 was later on revealed to be subject to exceptions: kids who are deemed exceptional agents are offered the chance to carry on in KND as spies infiltrating the teen organization in the Teens Next Door until the age of 20 when they are decommissioned.[6] Decommissioning has also proved reversible via a "re-commissioning" module used four times in the series (once in "Operation: E.N.D." and three times in "Operation: Z.E.R.O.").[7][8]

KND agents utilize a vast array of mechanical, electronic gadgets, weapons, and machinery, collectively referred to as 2×4 (two-by-four) technology. The KND's 2×4 technology was originally conceived as being constructed from an assortment of objects, mostly common household ones. However, as the series progressed, the kind of objects their technology would be constructed from became bigger, consisting of things such as large vehicles and small buildings. Not only that, but the complexity of their technology, such as their defensive weaponry and means of transportation, advanced to such absurd levels as to be considered science fiction, despite all of it still being constructed from nothing but an assortment of objects.

Storylines

The episodes are titularly presented as the missions of the members of Sector V in the Kids Next Door, denoted as "Operation:" followed by an acronym that can give viewers clues as to what each mission is about. Most episodes are divided into two parts, each with a different mission, while some episodes consist of two directly linked parts with one mission. Usually, the episodes have very little continuity with each other, although occasionally an episode will have a reference to at least one earlier episode and/or lead to consequences in later ones. Season Five's "Operation: O.U.T.B.R.E.A.K." is a direct continuation of the episode "Operation: V.I.R.U.S.", and Season Six's "Operation: R.E.C.E.S.S." and "Operation: H.A.M.S.T.E.R.", occur simultaneously, the latter showing what sort of thing transpires while the team is away; while another pair of Season Six episodes "Operation: S.C.I.E.N.C.E." leads into "Operation: A.M.I.S.H.".

Stories in the earlier episodes were often about typical childhood problems, but magnified and exaggerated. As the series progressed, a more complex and continuous storyline developed. The final season revolved around the mysterious Splinter Cell within the KND itself observing Numbuh One for an unknown assignment, which was concluded in the series finale "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.".