Bannon Custody Battle

"Bannon Custody Battle" is the first episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law season one. It aired on December 30, 2000 on Cartoon Network. It later had a formal airing on September 2, 2001 on the launch of their late-night programming block, Adult Swim. It was written by Michael Ouweleen and Erik Richter, the series creators, along with Pete Johnson and Steve Patrick, and directed by J.J. Sedelmaier. The Hanna-Barbera series ridiculed in this episode is Jonny Quest.

Race Bannon begins to act erratically, wanting custody of Jonny and Hadji from Dr. Quest.

Memorable quotes
Robot Race: I'm taking the boys, Benton, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

Dr. Quest: You see, my longtime partner is challenging me for custody of my boys. Harvey: How long has she--. Dr. Quest: He. He's my traveling companion. We go on adventures together in steamy jungles and the like.

Harvey: I'll take the case! But first I need to speak to the boys. What are their names? Dr. Quest: Of course, their names. Certainly. Well, uh... Yes. Well, there's a blond one... The blond one who's name is... Oh, come on, Benton.

Harvey: Dr. Quest, tell us a little about your relationship with--. Dr. Quest: Well, Race and I met one night. Harvey: With your boys.

Harvey: I want you to know your father loves you both very much. Jonny: But he throws like a girl. Harvey: So did Martina Navratilova, but that doesn't mean she wasn't macho in many other important ways.

Characters

 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Race Bannon robot
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Thom Pinto
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Doctor Benton Quest
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Neil Ross
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Harvey Birdman
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Gary Cole
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Avenger
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Dee Baker
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Debbie (voice only)
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Jonny Quest
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Dee Baker
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Hadji
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Wally Wingert
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Vulturo
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Neil Ross
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Judge Hiriam Mightor
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Gary Cole
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Bill, the Lizardman
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Sea creature
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Anubis
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Baron Heinrich von Fruelich
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Willy
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Yeti
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Monster crab
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Dietrich Sorenson
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Junga
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Heinrich Von Duffel
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Pgymy
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Stan
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Doctor Zin
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Billy West
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Police officer
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Court janitor
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Martina Navratilova
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Race Bannon
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Thom Pinto
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Volleyball player
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Bandit
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Heinrich Von Duffel
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Pgymy
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Stan
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Doctor Zin
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Billy West
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Police officer
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Court janitor
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Martina Navratilova
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Race Bannon
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Thom Pinto
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Volleyball player
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Bandit
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Race Bannon
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Thom Pinto
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Volleyball player
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Bandit
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Bandit
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Unavailable

Organizations

 * Sebben & Sebben

Locations

 * United States
 * Washington, D.C.
 * Sebben & Sebben offices
 * Courthouse
 * The Bird Cage
 * Zurich (mentioned)

Objects

 * Soundolux
 * Visolux
 * Robot spy

Vehicles

 * Dragonfly
 * Vulturecraft

Music
The music was composed by Michael Kohler.

Release
Dates are in order of release:


 * United States: December 30, 2000 preview at 4am on Cartoon Network; September 2, 2001 on Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)

Behind the scenes

 * The hut Race and Dr. Quest talk in at the beginning of the episode has a "Bless This Hut" picture on the wall.
 * Race drinks from a "World's Best 2nd Dad" mug.
 * The episode frequently alludes to a homosexual relationship between Dr. Quest and Race.
 * Dee Baker, better known as Dee Bradley Baker, is uncredited for voicing Avenger.
 * Debbie isn't named in this episode.
 * The Visolux is based on the portable communicators the main characters used in Jonny Quest.
 * The vanity plate on Judge Mightor's Lexus car reads, "HORN GOD".
 * After this episode, the barkeep at the Birdcage is F.E.A.R. leader, Number One, from the Birdman TV series.

Errors

 * Despite the fact the lizard man on the stand says his first and last name is Lizardman, his colleagues call him Bill.
 * Bill and his colleagues (if they had actually appeared), Fruelich, Dietrich, and Duffel should be dead.
 * Despite the fact that Harvey is somewhat irked by the implied homosexuality of Dr. Quest, Harvey is later repeatedly depicted as gay himself.
 * Harvey turns to the right when speaking to the stenographer/Dr. Zin, as if they're next to each other, yet when the scene switches to the latter's response, Harvey is on the other side of the room.

Everlasting influence

 * Dr. Quest and Race get married in "Return of Birdgirl."
 * The case is reopened in "The Death of Harvey."

Home availability

 * In the United States, it was first released onto DVD as part of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: Volume One on April 12, 2005, by Warner Home Video.
 * In the UK, Revolver Entertainment released the same DVD set on November 3, 2008, then re-released the episode as part of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: Seasons 1,2 & 3 on December 7, 2009.
 * In Australia, Madman Entertainment released the same set on April 7, 2007, then re-released the episode as part of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: The Complete Cases on November 28, 2012.
 * This is free to watch on the Adult Swim UK's YouTube upload.