Producer David Lane praises the series for its humour, contrasting this with the darker tone of "Captain Scarlet". He believes "Joe 90" to be considerably more family-friendly, summing it up as "a great little programme". Anthony Clark of the British Film Institute commends "Joe 90" for including more effective characterisation than "Captain Scarlet", also praising the writing and Barry Gray's musical score. La Rivière highlights the connection between the boy protagonist and the theme of espionage, writing that the series' premise "taps into the fantasy indulged by most boys that they, even at nine years old, can be James Bond." Writer John R. Cook agrees with La Rivière's points on viewer self-identification, describing the series as "wish-fulfilment fantasy" and Joe as a reflection of the young target audience. Comparisons have been made to other media featuring child spies, such as the "Spy Kids" films and the "Alex Rider" novels.