Johnny Test

TV review by Joly Herman, Common Sense Media
Johnny Test Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Kid-friendly 'toon is more imaginative than most.

Cartoon Network, WB Kids' Animation 2005
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 48 reviews

Kids say

age 7+

Based on 123 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Johnny's sisters experiment on their younger brother without their parents' knowledge, which might give some older siblings mischievous ideas. There's also some potty language and cartoony physical humor.

Community Reviews

Ashley R.
Ashley R. Adult
September 18, 2020
age 3+
This show is so cringy i cant believe i used to like this when i was little i hope kids will never know what it was the dog is a ripoff of scooby doo and the sisters are a ripoff of dexter
3 people found this helpful.
gumballfanse
gumballfanse Adult
February 26, 2022
age 14+

This is for teens

I know this is aimed at kids, but I think it is more aimed at a teenage audience. It mentions gross stuff like "Power poots" and the main character, Johnny Test and the dog, are equally annoying and lazy. It is unoriginal, a shameless ripoff of CN's "Johnny Quest" and the intro is a plain knockoff of "Green Day - American Idiot".

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
See all 48 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Johnny Test (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) is an 11-year-old kid who likes to play air guitar and wants to impress his friends. Everything seems pretty normal ... until his sisters begin to experiment on him with the vengeance of amateur mad scientists. With Mary and Susan's help, Johnny gets powers such as the ability to travel through time or gain supernatural intelligence when he dons a pair of pants. Other experiments have silly side-effects like hairstyles that change in the blink of an eye.

Is It Any Good?

Surprisingly inventive and not as violent as other cartoons in this genre, JOHNNY TEST is an age-appropriate choice for kids. The only thing worth mentioning: All the experiments Johnny undergoes are unattended by adults, which allows all types of zany plots to unfold. But as long as he's in one piece by dinner time, Johnny is free to be experimented upon every day.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Johnny's parents' role reversal. Hugh is a stay-at-home dad, while Lila is an extremely busy working mom. How do real families cope with sharing roles? How have these roles changed over the years?

  • Which of Johnny's powers would you most want to have? Would you be willing to go through a dangerous experiment to get a special ability?

TV Details

Our Editors Recommend

Themes & Topics

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