Ben 10 is an American animated television series and media franchise created by Man of Action Studios and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The series centers on a boy named Ben Tennyson who acquires the Omnitrix, an alien device resembling a wristwatch, which contains DNA of different alien species. Using the Omnitrix, Ben is able to transform into powerful aliens with various abilities. The Omnitrix initially contains ten aliens, although later on Ben obtains more species by adding their DNA. The Ben 10 franchise has received widespread critical acclaim, winning three Emmy Awards. It consists primarily of five television series and four films, the latter of which aired between August 2007 and March 2012. Spanning fourteen years, it is Cartoon Network's longest-running franchise to date. There is also a Ben 10 toy line manufactured by Bandai for the first four shows and Playmates Toys for the reboot. Worldwide, the franchise has grossed over $6 billion in retail sales.[2] On February 17, 2021, it was announced that three 44-minute specials based on the series would premiere in April 2021: Ben 10,010, Ben Gen 10 and Alien X-Tinction.[3]