science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation Inc. is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., a flagship of Warner Bros. Discovery. As the successor to Warner Bros. Cartoons, which was active from 19 ...
. It first aired on
Kids' WB
Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming service and brand of The WB that aired on the network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. The block moved to The CW (a result of the merger of Time Warner's The W ...
in January 2001. It is a spin-off series based on the character Zeta from the ''
Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
'' episode of the same name and the sixth series of the
DC Animated Universe
The DC Animated Universe (DCAU; also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans referring to the creators and producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini respectively) is a shared universe consisting primarily of superhero-based animated televis ...
. The show was created by Robert Goodman and
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation Inc. is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., a flagship of Warner Bros. Discovery. As the successor to Warner Bros. Cartoons, which was active from 19 ...
.
The story's main character, Infiltration Unit Zeta, is a humanoid robot (synthoid) designed to carry out covert assassinations on the behalf of the
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collect ...
. When Zeta discovers that one of his targets is innocent, he experiences an existential crisis about goodness and the value of life; following this epiphany, Zeta finds that he can no longer kill. The newly enlightened Zeta refuses to continue on as an infiltration unit and abandons his mission, going rogue. Zeta is pursued by a team of
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
agents, led by the obsessed Agent Bennett, and is aided by a 15-year-old runaway, Rosalie "Ro" Rowan.
The series was cancelled after two seasons.
Overview
Inspired by ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...
'',Bob Goodman, "The Making of Zeta - How the Character and the Series Evolved", ''The Zeta Project'', Warner Bros, Season One DVD. ''
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
'', and '' The Fugitive'', ''The Zeta Project'' follows the exploits of Zeta and Ro as they attempt to prove that he is genuinely non-violent, whereas the NSA agents pursuing him believe that the terrorists he was investigating before going rogue have reprogrammed him for some unknown purpose. To prove his innocence, Zeta and Ro search for his creator, the elusive Dr. Selig.
A spin-off of
Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
, Bob Goodman initially pitched the show with plans to be darker than its point of origin, but when the pitch went to the Network,
Kid's WB
Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming service and brand of The WB that aired on the network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. The block moved to The CW (a result of the merger of Time Warner's The WB ...
was looking for shows that would skew to a younger demographic, and ''The Zeta Project'' was ultimately picked up with the thought process "It's a Robot, and it's a teenage girl. How much fun can that be?" Promises were made by the show staff that most of the locations Zeta would encounter would not be as dark, gothic, and oppressive feeling as Batman Beyond's
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
. Among this, and other constraints, Bob's original vision for the show's messages on dark government, misuse of technology, and a wide range of social and political issues became more difficult to execute.
Despite the lighter tone adopted by the final product, Kid's WB still felt ''The Zeta Project'' was too dark all throughout its run, and almost canceled the show entirely following the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
due to its plot lines involving terrorism and critical commentary on the
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
. Ultimately, the show went on for one more season before Goodman walked away, believing the networks demands were pushing the show too far away from his creative vision.
Characters
Infiltration Unit Zeta
Created in a lab just over a year ago, Zeta is like a child in a grown-up's body. He has a high-endurance metal frame, that was built to carry an array of weapons and tools. He can project a hologram around himself and alter his voice, allowing him to become anyone. He was created to fight The United States' enemies, but learned the value of human life and refused to harm a man he believed was innocent, threw away his weapons, and ran from his programmed destiny. Ever since, the government agents that controlled Zeta have been after him, convinced that he's been reprogrammed by terrorists. Zeta hopes that his creator, Selig, will believe that his change of heart is real, and convince the agents to drop their pursuit. But Selig himself is a man on the move, and Zeta hasn't found him yet. Though Zeta no longer possesses the vast array of weapons that he originally came equipped with, his arms are equipped with saw blades and cutting lasers. He also possesses a wide array of other non-lethal tools, such as handheld welding lasers, a computer interface, and an unlimited cred card. He's faster than a human. His "eyes" and "ears" pick up wavelengths outside human perception. And to a limited degree, he's self-repairing.
Rosalie "Ro" Rowan
Ro grew up in foster care, and was then assigned to a state-run girls' home. The only thing she even knows about her family is a vague memory of an older brother; the pair was separated by the foster care system years ago. She ran away from the state system at fifteen-years-old and hooked up with a gang just to have a roof over her head. But when she refused to do a hold-up to prove herself to the leader, she burned the last bridge she had. As she and Zeta search for his creator Ro embarks on a parallel journey on her own search for a "family" to belong to. Ro is the source of humor for the series. She's also Zeta's guide to "passing" among humans, and teaches him all those endless lessons we all take for granted about being human. She is visually inspired by Priss from
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
.
Special Agent James Bennet
Agent Bennet is the leader of the NSA team sent to capture Zeta. He vehemently believes that, regardless of Zeta's behavior, there is some sinister motive behind Zeta's sudden change in attitude and believes that he is working with the terrorist organization Brother's Day. Despite his supposed professionalism, he is seen to disobey orders himself, when it suits him, as well as abuse his authority. Although he overhears Dr. Selig's confession about giving Zeta a conscience, there is no sure sign that he will cease to be Zeta's enemy. Bennet is inspired by Lt. Philip Gerard from '' The Fugitive''
Dr. Eli Selig
Once the head of the government's Infiltration Unit Program, Doctor Eli Selig is the man who created Zeta. Selig knows Zeta's abilities and limitations better than anyone else on Earth. Since building Zeta, he's moved on to another government project—one far more confidential than his past work. At his current level of secrecy, Selig has become a phantom—appearing where and when his work demands, but always keeping his itinerary close to the vest. He will on occasion surface, to aid other scientists or lecture at conferences, but because his security is so sensitive, his appearances are never announced until the last minute.
Agent Orin West and Marcia Lee
Formerly Scout Unit Four, partner NSA Agent ORIN WEST and MARCIA LEE botch a chance to capture Zeta at the Wood Valley Maryland hoverbus station - and get assigned to Agent Bennet's personal detail as their punishment. Now West and Lee work right at Bennet's side (where he can keep an eye on them), dedicated to the single mission of capturing Zeta.
West is a clumsy, overeager bumbler, constantly firing weapons too soon, tripping over his own feet and blowing chances to catch Zeta. Lucky for him, Lee's there to keep him in check. She's more controlled, and by-the-book—but Lee has her doubts about Zeta's guilt. She's willing to believe Zeta might really be peaceful - and that open-mindedness sometimes puts her at odds with Agent Bennet. Lee eventually leaves Bennet's team and is replaced by Agent Rush
While West shares a last name and is similar in appearance to
Wally West
Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics as the original Kid Flash and the third Flash (DC Comics character), Flash. His power consists mainly of speedster (fiction), superhuman speed. ...
(the Flash), who is also voiced by Rosenbaum, showrunner Bob Goodman has stated this was coincidental.
Bucky Buenaventura
12 year old Bucky is a bona fide genius. Emancipated by his parents, he lives in an academic think tank. He's a hacker who loves to invade high security corporate computers and expose sensitive government secrets, just to show that he can and will give Big Brother the occasional goose. Unchecked by grown-ups, Bucky travels around freely, orchestrating his pranks—and keeping an interested eye on Zeta and Ro.
Infiltration Unit 7
IU7 is the next generation of Infiltration Unit to come after Zeta, which Agent Bennet unleashes with the sole assignment of capturing its robotic predecessor. This synthoid has the same mimicking skills as Zeta, but the metal frame beneath its hologram is larger, more powerful, and more heavily armed. IU7 still carries a dangerous arsenal of weapons—and has none of Zeta's compunctions about using it. Because of the extreme single-mindedness of IU7's programming, Zeta and Ro usually find ways to misdirect and outsmart the synthoid monster.
Cast
Protagonists
Supporting protagonists
Antagonists
Supporting antagonists
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2001)
Season 2 (2002)
Broadcast history
;United States
*
Kids' WB
Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming service and brand of The WB that aired on the network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. The block moved to The CW (a result of the merger of Time Warner's The W ...
Teletoon
Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and "cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts an ...
Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...
SBT
sbt is an open-source build tool for Scala (programming language), Scala and Java (programming language), Java projects, similar to Apache Software Foundation, Apache's Apache Maven, Maven and Gradle.
Its main features are:
*Native support fo ...
(2003–2015; 2021–present)
*
Tooncast
Tooncast is a Latin American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its International division. It was launched on 1 December 2008; its programming consists of classical animation, both from Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Netw ...
Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...
Venevisión
Venevisión () is a Venezuelan free-to-air television channel and one of Venezuela's largest television networks, owned by the Cisneros Media division of Grupo Cisneros.
History
The company's roots date back to June 1, 1953, with the establis ...
(2005–2008)
*
Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...
(2007–2009)
;Latin America
*
Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...
Tooncast
Tooncast is a Latin American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its International division. It was launched on 1 December 2008; its programming consists of classical animation, both from Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Netw ...
(2021–present)
;Middle East
*
MBC 3
MBC 3 is a free-to-air children's channel launched on 8 December 2004, and appeals to children under the age of 15. All foreign television animated programs have been dubbed into Arabic. The channel also produces its own original programmes. It ...
(2007–2010)
;New Zealand
*
TVNZ 2
TVNZ 2 ( mi, Te Reo Tātaki Rua) is the second New Zealand television channel owned and operated by the state-owned broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ). It targets a younger audience than its sister channel, TVNZ 1. TVNZ 2's line up consi ...
(2003–2009)
;Russia
*
STS
STS, or sts, may refer to:
Medicine
* Secondary traumatic stress, a condition which leads to a diminished ability to empathize
* Sequence-tagged site, a gene-reference in genomics
* Soft-tissue sarcoma
* Staurosporine, an antibiotic
* STS (gen ...
(2002–2003)
;Mexico
* Canal 5 (2008–2010)
* Las Estrellas (2004–2006)
;Republic of Ireland
*
RTÉ Two
(RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while ...
(2001–2002)
Cancelation and Future
Following the September 11 attacks, Kid's WB considered canceling ''The Zeta Project'', but Bob Goodman convinced them he could keep the show running without even mentioning terrorists. However, Kid's WB demanded that if the show were to be picked up for a third season, this season needed to end on a cliffhanger that appeared to kill Zee's creator, Dr. Selig. Eventually, Kid's WB! told Bob that the finale would be the end of Zeta's search for Selig, and that a third season would reveal that Ro was also a robot, and follow the "Scooby-Doo", adventure of the week, formula. Tired of network demands getting in the way of his vision, Bob ultimately quit the show. Interviews were held to replace him as show runner, but enthusiasm for the show lowered following his exit.
In December 2004, John Schneider revealed he was working on a filmed version of the show with series creator Bob Goodman. Bob later expanded, saying
Warner Bros. Television Studios
Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
was interested in adapting the show in an hour long format. As producers, John and Bob developed a live action series that took liberties with the Zeta concept to fit the sensibilities of the network at the time, which included lessening the similarities to The Fugitive, since the recent reboot underperformed expectations. The show would have featured Ro working in the FBI's cyber crimes unit, with Zee having replaced her partner in the pilot. The show would have had them solving cases week to week while hunting down Zeta's creator and Ro's family.
Over the years, Bob Goodman stated he would love to have a chance to finish the story, and has expressed willingness to do so in comic form or long-form straight-to-DVD format. Over the years, he has hinted at many plot points for the unproduced seasons, including:
* The hand seen in the cliffhanger being revealed to belong to Andrea Donoso, Selig's assistant/synthoid, who was charged with the solitary job of protecting him.
* Selig having a new plan with important work for Zeta.
* Ro's search for family focusing on her mother.
* plans for an Infiltration Unit 8
* an episode referencing the fan-theory that Agent West was a descendant of Wally West by giving him super speed for one episode.
Legacy
Influence
Despite the show's relative obscurity, ''The Zeta Project'' has made its way into many other DC projects. Early synthoid models bearing the resemblance of Zeta from his appearance in ''Batman Beyond'' and named Z-8s were seen in ''
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...
'' and ''
Justice League Unlimited
''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe ...
'' as a means of showing the evolution of government robots in the
DCAU
The DC Animated Universe (DCAU; also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans referring to the creators and producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini respectively) is a shared universe consisting primarily of superhero-based animated televi ...
. In 2013, Zeta appeared in Batman Beyond Unlimited #16 as part of the new Terrific Trio, alongside
Plastic Man
Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero first appearing in ''Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole (artist), Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the fi ...
and ''
Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
'' villain, Earth Mover. In 2019, '' Arrow'' Season 7 saw the cast take a time travel trip to the 2040s set future where a company named Galaxy One unleashed robot soldiers named Zeta. In 2021, ''
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes.
The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' mentioned The Zeta Project in the Episode ''Needful''. The AI in 2022's Batman Unburied was named Zeta, after The Zeta Project.
Accolades
Music
As with other
DCAU
The DC Animated Universe (DCAU; also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans referring to the creators and producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini respectively) is a shared universe consisting primarily of superhero-based animated televi ...
shows before it, ''The Zeta Project'' was scored by Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion,
Kristopher Carter
Kristopher Lee Carter (born February 5, 1972) is an American composer. He grew up in San Angelo, Texas and lives in Los Angeles, California.''Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television, A biographical guide featuring performers, directors, writer ...
and supervising composer
Shirley Walker
Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was an American film and television composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood. Walker was one of the first female ...
. Working concurrently with the final season of ''Batman Beyond'', for Zeta's first season, the Walker team worked to compose original music for each episode that blended the sound of a live orchestra composed of musicians hired from American Federation of Musicians Local 47, with more contemporary electronic elements the team recorded in their own studio.
According to McCuistion, "Each episode was a different take, musically, and there were some threads of course, but I remember several of them having different musical environments, and that was really interesting creatively. ..it certainly didn’t share any of the flavor of Batman Beyond in terms of music, I don’t think. It was very futuristic and very fun, but yeah, it didn’t have that sort of gritty, underworld cultural thing going on."
The Zeta Project was the final show the Dynamic Music Partners (Ritmanis, McCuistion, Carter) had a live orchestra on, and played a hand in the Dynamic Music Partner's being hired to score Treyarch'sSpider-Man
Emmy For Your Consideration CD Track Listing
*Main Title 1:01
*Making Contact 2:36
*His Maker's Name 1:05
*Ro & Zee Meet Again 1:09
*Desperate Escape 1:31
*Bucky's Parent Woes 1:26
*Zeta Escapes 1:35
*Sorben Institute 0:51
*Hide and Seek 1:09
*West Gets Closer 1:42
*Perryville 0:24
*System Down 1:18
*Kid Genius? 0:49
*Nice Guy 0:57
*Sweet Revenge 0:56
Home video
First announced at Warner Home Video's annual Home Theater Forum chat in September 2008, WHV (via
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
and
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Warner can refer to:
People
* Warner (writer)
* Warner (given name)
* Warner (surname)
Fictional characters
* Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs''
* Aaron Warner, a character in '' Shatter Me ...
) released the first season of ''The Zeta Project'' as a 2-DVD set for Region 1 on March 17, 2009. The bonus material for the set was handled by
Retrofit Films
Retrofit Films is a production company located in Los Angeles, California, that develops and produces digital media and entertainment.
History
Retrofit Films was founded by Chris Hanada and Tanner Kling in 2004. and later expanded that the season was slated to release in mid-2009 with a panel discussion featurette with Julie Nathanson, Liz Holzman, Joe Kuhr and himself that covered behind-the-scenes anecdotes. However, sales for season one did not meet Warner Home Video's expectations, resulting in the cancelation of the Season 2 release.
Alongside a re-printing of Season 1, Season 2 was finally announced for release by
Warner Archive
The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...
in February 2017 and arrived March 14, 2017. Attempts to locate the originally planned bonus features were unsuccessful, and they remain lost. To promote the release, Warner Archive held the "Warner Archive Collection's Kids' WB Flashback" panel at WonderCon Anaheim, featuring Diedrich Bader, Julie Nathanson, and Bob Goodman, as well as
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include J ...
, who was representing WAC's recent
Static Shock
''Static Shock'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero List of animated television series, animated television series based on the Milestone Media/DC Comics superhero Static (DC Comics), Static. It premiered on September 23, 2000, on the W ...
DVD releases.
Video game
Zeta Quest 3D was launched May 24, 2001. Advertised as a unique multi-environment, multi-level “walk-through” online video game, “Zeta Quest 3D,” let players assume the identity of Zeta, staying one step ahead of the NSA, while trying to clear his name. The game was built for the short lived CyberWorld QBORGs Browser System. According to Bob Goodman, he and Joe Kuhr contributed to vetting the writing process of the game. Not much is known about the plot, but many of the games original files are archived online and include a room named "IU8 Lab", suggesting the existence of an Infiltration Unit 8, as well as sprites of doctors seen in the episode "Absolute Zero".
See also
*
Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...