Miller has also noted that he took some mild influence from the anime and manga Chibi Maruko-Chan, specifically through how the characters would react to multiple situations. "I really love the idea of characters turning white when they are overcome with emotion" Miller elaborated in a series of Tweets in 2023. "I always loved the way a dramatic moment or intense emotion was emphasized by a graphic BG change or color shift on the characters."
During production, the series had many notable production quirks. Befitting its inspirations, Robot Jones was primarily animated on animation cels during an era where most animated television programs had upgraded to digital ink and paint. As mentioned before, Robot's voice was originally produced with a text-to-speech program as a stylistic choice. To be specific, it was that of Microsoft Word 97, a clear distant ancestor to many of the AI generated voices that you may have heard in recent YouTube videos.
Although critical reviews for Robot Jones were overall favorable, much like Time Squad, which aired and was cut short around the same time, it was caught up by an unfortunate streak of bad luck ratings wise. Like Time Squad, the series experienced the misfortunate of being aired at during a time when Cartoon Network was airing a large influx of programs, and it would be massively overshadowed by much more popular shows like Codename: Kids Next Door and the later seasons of The Powerpuff Girls. It would also seemingly face competition from rival networks as well, with shows like Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron and The Fairly Oddparents and Disney Channel's Kim Possible coming in to eat its lunch. The fact that Cartoon Network aired Robot Jones in a death slot certainly didn't do it any favors either.
However, I myself have another possible explanation for Robot Jones' premature cancellation; the time period it was made in. As we stated at multiple points in this article, Robot Jones was a series that mainly lived off of 80s nostalgia, and this show was made before that really became a thing.
Although 1980s nostalgia was starting to take shape during the late 90s and early 2000s via movies like The Wedding Singer, Donnie Darko, Freddy Vs. Jason and the 2002 re-release of ET: The Extraterrestrial, much of this nostalgia was still primarily condensed to a niche group of older adults at this time who actually lived through the period. Younger generations (AKA, who this show was supposed to be aimed at) never really got exposed to the culture until the latter half of the 2000s, during which IPs from the decade like Transformers were once again becoming part of the cultural zeitgeist thanks to film adaptations and reboots, while pop artists like Gwen Stefani were sampling musical stylings of the decade in their songs. And then came the 2010s, where the trend practically became inescapable thanks to works like Ready Player One and the aforementioned Stranger Things!
With that in mind, I feel that had Robot Jones debuted several years later than it did, perhaps it would've been met with a much better fate. But as it stands, Robot Jones sadly became the victim of a saturated market and a generation of potential viewers that didn't fully understand it yet. And as a result, the series was forced into an early retirement after only a little over a year in production, with the last episode bringing the show to an unceremonious close on November 14th, 2003.
Unlike Time Squad, however, Robot Jones still experienced a small bit of acknowledgement from the network after its premature cancellation. Reruns continued to air on the network until as late as 2006, though no DVD release has occurred at the moment. It also established a surprising cult following in Latin America, as it aired there in re-runs on the Cartoon Network-affiliated Tooncast during the 2010s. So much so, that the series has been available to air on HBO Max servers in the area since 2023, though the show still has yet to reach the United States.
Showrunner Greg Miller has also managed to keep his career intact despite the cancellation of his passion project, having since done work on various shows for multiple networks since the 2000s, including Johnny Test, The Mighty B, Steven Universe and Penn-Zero: Part-Time Hero to name just a few. He has even had to fortune of being a part of DreamWorks Animation, having had animation credits on Monsters Vs. Aliens and the last two Shrek movies. He also produced a pilot for another series, The Wizard of Krudd, which had a starring credit for Devon Werkheiser of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide fame, though it sadly never picked up as a full series.
Old, But not Quite Obsolete After All!
While Whatever Happened to Robot Jones may not have become one of Cartoon Network's heavy hitters, like a lot of obscure cartoons from the 2000s, it has managed to obtain a second life during the internet age. Many people in the animation community have revisited it years after watching it in their youth and have dedicated multiple video essays towards the series. And many of them have sung great praises about the series and its overall uniqueness. Many members of the community have even made countless fanart in the show's art style, and debate everything from their favorite episode to which of Robot's two voices they like better (I personally feel that both of them have their pro and cons; Bobby Block's voice did add a bit more likeability to Robot's image and made him more distinct from his father, but the text-to-speech voice definitely made several scenes much funnier!)
And it's truly not hard to see why! Robot Jones is a series with a truly unique identity all its own. It utilizes a vintage mise-en-scene in order to establish many zany and quirky plotlines that truly could have only existed back in the 2000s. It's also a show that dared to stand out from the crowd by doing so, offering a fresh style that now bridges multiple nostalgic generations! It can even be considered a show that was arguably ahead of its time, especially during an era where many creators-independent or otherwise-have continuously taken inspiration from the art of past generations in order to establish a unique identity in this increasingly homogenized world; especially the 80s!
But above all else, Robot Jones is a show that has heart. Underneath it's strange exterior, it's ultimately just as heartwarming and funny as any of the classic sitcoms it seems to have taken inspiration from. It shows us all of the strangely fond and nostalgic memories we made during our school days, and the challenges we have been able to overcome since then. It just happens to do so through the lens of an 80s that never was.
And it would seem that Cartoon Network and its parent company, Warner Discovery, have become well aware of the nostalgic effect that Robot Jones has left on us 2000s kids. After having been snubbed for many years from Cartoon Network crossovers such as the now-defunct crossover MMO FushionFall (which even included a reference to Time Squad!), Robot Jones has started to receive retroactive acknowledgement from the company through a growing number of small-but notable-crossover appearances amongst its Cartoon Network peers. Most notably, through a cameo in the OK K.O. episode "Crossover Nexus", a celebration of Cartoon Network's body of work that also included brief appearances from countless other legacy shows. That image above is a still from said appearance!
Highlight Episodes
Now that all the boring stuff is out of the way, now comes the part where we here at Something Niche point out several of our focus's highlight episodes; the ones you should put high on your priority list should you ever come across the show.
Here are some of Robot Jones' greatest mechanical misadventures (in no particular order)!
Vacuum Friend
It seems every show needs to leave a good first impression, and Robot Jones certainly left one in this case!
In the show's first real episode (not counting the aforementioned pilot short), we see Robot attempting to make friends with one of Clancy the Janitor's vacuum cleaners after Gramps Unit convinces him that humans and robots can't get along.
Yes, that's right! Our main character attempts to strike up conversations with a vacuum cleaner! And the hijinks that ensue are certainly as hilariously awkward as they sound!
We even see Robot have a particularly funny overdramatic freakout that's actually one of those moments that gets even funnier with the text-to-speech dub (Though there's also a later scene that I find funnier with Bobby Block's voice), and we even cap things off with a cute little reference to E.T.
All in all, it's the perfect episode to start the show with, and its awkward laughs and sight gags even help it outshine many of the episodes that came after!
P.U. to P.E.
As he starts Phys-Ed, Robot's instructor attempts to coax him into hitting the showers, which Robot refuses to do out of fear of rusting (of course!) We then spend the rest of the episode as Robot continues to avoid the showers as the gym teacher tries to lure him in Tom and Jerry style.
Although this may sound like an unpleasant gross-out episode, we actually get to see a lot of great sight gags that actually utilize the fact that Robot is, well, a robot in a clever way. It's also one of the episodes that really takes advantage of the 80s callbacks, with an extended reference to one of my favorite horror flicks; A Nightmare on Elm Street!
We even cap the episode off with real zinger that-without spoiling much-shows that maybe Robot was justified in not wanting to shower at all!
Sickness
Robot Jones is introduced to Mr. Mitchell's computer class, where he and his schoolmates even get to learn how to program early video games! However, after the Yogmans get up to their old tricks, Robot gets infected with a virus...a computer virus that is!
Not only does this episode provide one of the cleverest sight gags I've ever seen, but we also see the show take advantage of its 80s setting once again through Mr. Mitchell's lessons. Another funny joke in this episode comes during this scene, showing the children reacting in shock to identical video games that were considered cutting edge back then, but look rather primitive against today's technology (and even against the technology of the 2000s!)
As a retro geek myself, this episode really tickles my funny bone while simultaneously giving me insight into the now vintage charm of 80s tech. There's even are surprisingly funny subplot with Principal Madman as he ends up being tricked into thinking he's slowly transforming into a robot! We also get to see the Yogmans get their well-deserved comeuppance after they got off scot-free in "Cube Wars", this episode's sister segment.
The Yogmans Strike Back
The Yogmans are back to being little sh!ts again, and this time, they hatch a scheme that only cartoon villains like them can make genuinely menacing. Using a VHS recording, they (somehow) manage to hypnotize Robot's friends into turning on him, resulting in a hair-raising game of cat and mouse across the school.
While this episode has a lot of nonsensical fun and some exiting retro-futuristic charm, it also tragically serves as a reminder of what could have been had the show not been prematurely canned. We see The Yogmans at the top of their mischievous game here, becoming a surprisingly credible threat that showed that they could have become memorable recurring antagonists had the show continued.
It's also an episode that shows that Robot genuinely does care about his friends, and it feels cathartic when we finally see him free his friends from the Yogmans control. There're also some fun and clever scenes that showcase how resourceful Robot can be when push comes to shove.
While re-visiting this show for the purpose of this article, I was close to giving this episode the tile of my personal favorite. That is, until I re-watched...
Math Challenge
In what has actually taken the spot of my personal choice for the show's best episode, Robot and Cubey team up after being challenged to a race around the school to solve math-related riddles by Mr. McMcMc.
Here, we get to see how well Robot can work in a group with his friends as he and Cubey scramble to solve what is essentially a school-wide escape room. We also get to see some genuinely friendly and heartwarming moments towards the end as Robot helps Cubey in math class.
But what really makes this episode a favorite of mine as an adult is how well it utilizes its concept! Not only was it ahead of its time via promoting escape rooms (which were a foreign concept not only in the show's 1980s setting, but even in the real world when it was produced in the 2000s), it also manages to create a school activity that I feel could work well in real-life as well!
Perhaps if schools help a competition similar to this in real-life nowadays, perhaps Gen Alpha would actually be motivated to learn something useful!
Family Vacation
In a callback to the 80s comedy classic that is National Lampoon's Vacation, we see Robot invite his best friend Socks to his family's cross-country road trip. However, things don't go quite as planned, resulting in a lot of awkward hijinks involving road rage, run-down tourist traps, and an aggressive biker gang whose leader is voiced by 80s pop culture icon "Macho Man" Randy Savage!
Once again, we get to see the show utilize its love and respect for 80s culture with the vocal presence of the late great wrestling icon (right around the same time as his match with Spider-Man, no less!) But the Macho Man's guest spot isn't the only thing that makes this episode another top tier offering from the show in my book!
We also get to see some of the best cringe comedy that the show is known for right here, as we see Socks get involved with a lot of great slapstick shenanigans as he goes from awkward moment to awkward moment with Robot's unusual relatives.
We've all seen a vacation gone wrong story, but this episode takes it to the extreme by combining it with its trademark premise to deliver epic surreal humor!
Work
After running out of quarters to go spend at Nob's Arkaid, Robot gets a job handling product recalls at his dad's robotics factory. However, the usual shenanigans ensue as Robot is taken under the wing of the middle-aged robot worker Nutz.
This episode is yet another that utilizes the show's 80s setting to its advantage with its heavy focus on retro tech and jobs that have since been slowly getting replaced by AI. It's also the episode that features the Hott Runner character I mentioned, as well as some of the best voice acting in the series thanks to Nutz.
It also acts as a surprisingly poignant social commentary piece on child labor, as Robot continues to become fatigued from his workload in his school and social life (something that's sadly still an issue today in some places).
Summer Camp
Robot Jones is coaxed into attending summer camp with Socks and company after learning that Shannon will be in attendance. As you may have predicted at this point, many of the same summer camp mischief all of us may have gotten involved with at some point in our youths ensues, only taken to the extreme thanks to Robot and company.
In another tragically ironic case of one of the last episodes of the show being one of my personal favorites, this episode shows much of the main cast at their funniest, and the summer camp setting even gives way to some of the best uses of shading and color in the entire series. Perfect for establishing that nostalgic atmosphere that the show is remembered for!
Plus, we get to see one of Robot's best moments of the show, as he imitates a re-enacts a favorite arcade game while attempting to rescue Shannon from a bear (even if things don't end entirely favorably for him by the end!)
Lowlight Episodes
Unfortunately, even the greatest shows have episodes that pale in comparison to the rest. And while Robot Jones' highs far outweigh its lows (as you are about to see), there are still a few glitches in its metaphorical system.
Here are the few lower-priority episodes for when you try to actively seek out Whatever Happened to Robot Jones.
Embarrassment
It's time for the Harvest Dance at Polyneux Middle School, and Robot wants to ask Shannon to accompany her. However, his anxiety causes his exhaust to overheat whenever he tries to do so, causing an uncomfortable amount of gas-related humor.
Probably the only episode that I'd generally call bad, this episode relies on the type of humor that stops being funny after you turn 10. And as I said, it takes up an uncomfortable amount of the runtime.
Honestly, if you're curious enough to watch this episode, I'd suggest opening a window before diving in!
Jealousy
A robotic exchange student from Austria, named Finkman, comes to Polyneux, and sets his sights on Shannon. As he is continuously upstaged by Finkman and his arrogance, Robot finds himself filled with unquenchable jealousy as Shannon becomes smitten.
This episode isn't really a bad episode and has its fair share of great moments (most notably Robot's hilarious crashout at the end). Finkman also serves as a memorable antagonistic foil to Robot, and it would've been cool to see him return had the series continued.
However, when compared to a lot of the other episodes, it's not a very original one. Many of the story beats done here have been done already-and since-in many other cartoons and have often been done much better at that.
Basically, if you've seen one episode revolving around these story beats, you've pretty much already seen this episode without even knowing it.
Scantron Love
When his class starts falling behind in grades, Robot decides to coerce with the school's exam-scanning machine in order to boost everyone's grades and morale. However, Robot strangely starts to become smitten with the machine.
Although this episode has a fun premise and brings me back nostalgic memories of scan exams from school, it ends up getting lost in a series of uncomfortable subtext that's only gotten worse in recent years. We never really get a good idea about the scantron machine's actual age, which makes it's relationship with who is supposed to be a minor come off as rather cringe-worthy.
It also doesn't have much of a good message to kids when it comes to studying, which, while still used for humor in a lot of other shows, gives me fears of real-life imitation amongst the impulsive minds of the iPad kid generation (though that might just be me getting paranoid again!)
Domo Arigato, Robot Jones!
So, in the end, despite it's time in the production studio being woefully short, Whatever Happened to Robot Jones is a hidden gem of a cartoon that deserves to be remembered as one of the greats of Cartoon Network. It's a show that combines a nostalgic mise-en-scene with a lovable cast and many inventive situations. It takes all of the tropes of a middle school sitcom and puts a kooky spin on them that'll amuse kids and adults alike. It's also a show that was arguably ahead of its time, using the vintage atmosphere of the 1980s in order to create a unique world before that practice became an inescapable trend!
Like it's networkmate Time Squad, Robot Jones was a show that had the potential to become a pop cultural juggernaut with multiple seasons, only to sadly become the victim of an overly competitive market. In spite of it all, however, the show has managed to achieve a second life in the age of Internet retrospectives, with many members of the animation community bringing awareness of it to a new audience. Many 2000s babies who saw the show during its short-lived heyday have been clamoring for a continuation, and even Greg Miller himself has expressed interest in reviving the series, though he claims it's up for the executive at Cartoon Network to decide.
Looking back at the two rumored endings, maybe we could see the show resolved with a movie that combines the two concepts. Maybe Robot could still assemble his robot army, but instead of enslaving the entirety of humanity, we could see him become a superhero of sorts who stands up for a new generation of social outcasts during the mid to late 90s. He could even get help from his friends to get back at the Yogmans once and for all and, eventually. win Shannon's heart! Sadly, giving Warner Discovery's recent face-palming decisions pertaining to Cartoon Network and it's animation departments in general, I don't have much faith in this project becoming a reality, and even if it does, I don't think that they will make it without screwing up BADLY! But even if this is the ultimate destiny for Robot Jones, it still deserves to be preserved for future generations to appreciate.
But, what about your opinions? Did you see Whatever Happened to Robot Jones when it was still running on Cartoon Network? Did you discover (or re-discover it) through the magic of the internet? What are your ideas for a potential revival? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
And that's what happened to Robot Jones!
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