Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted
cyborgA cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
detectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr. Claw, the leader of an evil organization, known as "M.A.D."
This was the first syndicated cartoon show from
DIC EntertainmentDIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
(as well as the first from the company to be created specifically for US viewers, along with
The LittlesThe Littles is an animated television series based on The Littles characters in a series of children's novels by American author John Peterson, the first of which was published in 1967...
). It originally ran from 1983 to 1986 and remained in
syndicationIn broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
into the late 1990s. It continues to air successfully in reruns around the world as of September 23, 2011.
The series was a produced by companies in France, Canada, the United States, Taiwan, and Japan. It was a co-production between
DIC EntertainmentDIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
in France (the main headquarters did not move to the US until 1987) and
NelvanaNelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
in Canada; the animation work was outsourced to foreign studios such as Tokyo Movie Shinsha in Japan and
Cuckoo's Nest StudioCuckoo's Nest Studio is an animation studio based in Taiwan. The company is famous for their work on the Hanna-Barbera series, movies and specials of the 1980s, as well as overseas production for Nelvana's Care Bears franchise, Film Roman's Garfield and friends, DiC Entertainment's Inspector...
in Taiwan.
Premise
Inspector Gadget is a famous cyborg policeman with a seemingly endless amount of gadgets he can summon by saying "Go-Go-Gadget" then the gadget's name. Although he has all this equipment, Gadget is ultimately incompetent and clueless (in a manner similar to the
Inspector ClouseauChief Inspector Jacques Clouseau is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' The Pink Panther series. In most of the films, he was played by Peter Sellers, with one film in which he was played by Alan Arkin and one in which he was played by an uncredited Roger Moore...
character of the
Pink PantherThe Pink Panther is a series of comedy films featuring the bungling French police detective Jacques Clouseau that began in 1963 with the release of the film of the same name. The role was originated by, and is most closely associated with, Peter Sellers...
series), and overcomes obstacles and survives perilous situations by sheer good luck, with help from his faithful niece Penny, who is a genius, and intelligent dog Brain who both must secretly help him solve each case. Even his gadgets often malfunction, which Gadget often replies that he needs to get them fixed.
Almost every episode of the first season follows a detailed and set formula, with little variation (though many of these elements were tinkered with in season 2). A disguised Chief Quimby interrupts a normal family activity between Gadget, Penny and Brain to give him a mission to stop the latest plot by Dr. Claw and M.A.D. The episode usually takes Gadget to some exotic locale and somehow Penny and Brain find a way to accompany him. Brain keeps Gadget out of trouble from M.A.D. agents (who Gadget usually mistakes for friendly locals; ironically, Gadget often mistakes Brain in disguise as a MAD agent), while Penny solves the case. With the help of Penny and Brain, Gadget inadvertently saves the day, Dr. Claw escapes and Chief Quimby arrives to congratulate Gadget on a job well done.
Each episode ends (as many cartoons did in the 1980s) with Gadget (and usually Penny and Brain also) giving a
public service announcementA public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
- in direct contrast with his dangerous job and risk-taking behavior in the show, with most of the tips having a connection with problems Gadget had experienced during the episode. For example in one episode, Gadget tries to hitchhike saying he hopes the approaching motorist doesn't mind doing so, with the ending PSA making very clear how dangerous hitchhiking can be.
Characters
- Inspector Gadget is the main protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the series and movies. He dresses like Inspector ClouseauChief Inspector Jacques Clouseau is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' The Pink Panther series. In most of the films, he was played by Peter Sellers, with one film in which he was played by Alan Arkin and one in which he was played by an uncredited Roger Moore...
, drives a Matra MurenaThe Matra Murena was a 3-seat sports car produced from 1980 through 1983 by the French engineering group Matra.The Murena replaced the Matra Bagheera, a very similar vehicle resulting from previous Matra-Simca cooperation, and was largely based on its predecessor...
car and acts like Maxwell SmartGet Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
, who was portrayed by Gadget's voice actor Don AdamsDon Adams was an American actor, comedian and director. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart in the television situation comedy Get Smart , which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart...
. The clueless Gadget frequently bungles during his cases and gets into danger, but he always gets out of trouble through either his trusty gadgets, Penny's unseen assistance, or pure luck. His most famous catch phrase in the series is, "Wowsers!"
- Penny is Gadget's precocious niece. Always down for the cause, she is a master of investigation and technology who is the one truly responsible for foiling M.A.D.'s schemes, a fact only Brain knows. Using a computer disguised as a book and a utility wristwatch, she monitors her "Uncle Gadget's" activities, communicates with Brain and foils M.A.D.'s plots. Penny very often gets captured by M.A.D. agents before calling Brain for help or escaping by herself.
- Brain the Dog is Inspector Gadget's and Penny's faithful pet dog and companion. He is bipedal, just as intelligent as a human and assists Penny in keeping Gadget out of danger and solving the crime. Brain uses a variety of disguises, which Gadget never sees through, and is often mistaken for a M.A.D. agent by Gadget. Brain's collar is outfitted with a retractable video communications system linked to a computer wristwatch Penny wears that allows her to relay information on Gadget's activity, or warn Brain as to the whereabouts of M.A.D. agents. Brain can communicate with humans, through a gruff "dog" voice or pantomime and physical gestures to communicate effectively.
- Doctor George Claw is the main antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the series and leader of the evil M.A.D. organization. Throughout the entire series, Dr. Claw is an unseen character, only just his arms and gloved hands are visible, leaving the viewer to guess as to his face and body. He is usually at a computer terminal where he monitors his various schemes, often in a creepy old castle. Although he is aware of Gadget's idiocy, he believes the Inspector to be his greatest enemy, never fully realizing that it is actually Penny and Brain who foil his plots in each episode (although he or his M.A.D. agents have captured Penny and sometimes Brain a number of times). He is always seen with his fat pet cat M.A.D. Cat, who reaps the benefits of his brief victories and bears the brunt of his defeats. Dr. Claw's catch phrase at the end of every episode is, "I'll get you next time, Gadget! Next time!".
- Chief Quimby is Inspector Gadget's short-tempered boss and the chief of Metro City. He has a moustache and is usually seen with a pipe in his mouth. He appears disguised at the beginning of each episode with his own theme music to deliver Gadget his mission only to be blown up by the self-destructing message (a parody of the Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
messages) because of Gadget's obliviousness; he appears again at the end of most episodes to congratulate Gadget on a job well done, but he never realizes that it is Penny who is truly the one responsible for foiling Doctor Claw's plots.
- Corporal Capeman, voiced by Townsend Coleman
Townsend Coleman is an American voice actor who performed in many animated series and TV commercials beginning in the early 1980s...
, is a recurring character introduced in the second season as Inspector Gadget’s sidekick. Capeman is a self-proclaimed superheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who acts in the manner of a stereotypical crime fighter, but he is equally as inept as Inspector Gadget. Capeman is obsessed with learning to fly and often mistakenly believes he has miraculously acquired the power of flight while in the midst of dire circumstances.
Running gags
Like many animated television series, Inspector Gadget contains a few
running gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
s – events that occur in almost every episode. At the start of each episode, Chief Quimby
stealthStealth may refer to:*Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles*Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology*Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology...
ily presents Inspector Gadget with a note containing his next mission, the final line of each stating that, "
This message will self destruct." This process is similar to mission briefings in the Mission Impossible series. As Gadget casually tosses the note away, it explodes near Chief Quimby, leaving him the only one injured. As the series evolves, Quimby, knowing what will be coming next, often attempts to protect himself as he sees the note being tossed, always to no avail.
Another gag involves the inspector's built-in gadgets. While usually faithful in responding to his commands under normal circumstances, often while in desperate need for a specific tool (for instance, something to slow his descent or brace from impact after falling from a building), a different, often useless tool such as a flower from his hat will appear instead. This misfortune is overcome by luck or Brain's quick thinking, saving him from injury.
Conception
The show was created by
Andy HeywardAndrew A. "Andy" Heyward is the former Chairman and CEO of DIC Entertainment, an animation production company.Heyward was born in New York City, New York, the son of Sylvia and Louis M. "Deke" Heyward, who was vice president in charge of development at Barry & Enright Productions...
,
Jean ChalopinJean Chalopin is a French producer and writer. In 1971, Chalopin created the company DIC Audiovisuel, which later evolved into DIC Entertainment, and wrote and produced programs animated by Japanese studios. Jean Chalopin is married to Chinese/Singaporean ex-Model, Ethel Chalopin...
and Bruno Bianchi. The initial idea for
Inspector Gadget came from Heyward, who also wrote the pilot episode with the help of Jean Chalopin in 1982 (
Winter Olympics, often syndicated as episode #65,
Gadget in Winterland). Chalopin, who at the time owned the DIC Audiovisual studio, helped develop the format and concept for the rest of the episodes together with Bruno Bianchi, who also designed the final versions of the main characters and served as supervising director.
According to the DVD bonus film "Wowsers", a retrospective featurette with co-creators Andy Heyward and Mike Maliani on the four-disc DVD set
Inspector Gadget: The Original Series, Gadget went through approximately 150 sketches before reaching his final design.
Writers
Nelvana writer
Peter SauderPeter Sauder is a Canadian film and TV writer, television producer and animator best known for his contributions to Nelvana franchises such as Care Bears , Babar, Strawberry Shortcake and Droids. Peter also wrote the first ever story for another hit Nelvana series, Franklin...
was the head writer for Season One, which was co-produced by DiC and the Canadian Studio Nelvana (exactly which/how many writers the first season had is unknown). In Season Two, as Nelvana was no longer part of the production, the show was written by the D.I.C studio's employees Eleanor Burian-Mohr, Mike O' Mahoney, Glen Egbert and
Jack HanrahanJack Hanrahan was an American Emmy Award-winning comedy writer.- Biography :Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he began writing cartoons for the Cleveland Press. After that, he moved on to Hollywood, California and continued his writing career with work on Get Smart. Then, in 1968, he won an Emmy for his...
(a former
Get SmartGet Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
writer, among much else). Hanrahan and Burian-Mohr would later write the Christmas special
Inspector Gadget Saves ChristmasInspector Gadget Saves Christmas is a Christmas television special, featuring characters from the animated television series Inspector Gadget...
as well as many episodes of the
Gadget Boy spinoff series; and Burian-Mohr additionally wrote dialogue for the educational show
Inspector Gadget's Field TripInspector Gadget's Field Trip is a spin-off incarnation of Inspector Gadget, produced by DiC Entertainment, and aired on The History Channel from 1996 to 1998, with over 26 episodes with live-action sequences produced. Don Adams returned as the voice of Inspector Gadget. It currently airs in reruns...
.
Animation
The first sixty-five 22½-minute episodes were written, designed, storyboarded and voice-recorded in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at
NelvanaNelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
Animation Studio (which co-produced the series under DiC's supervision), while being directed (long distance) by French director Bruno Bianchi. Most of these episodes were animated in
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
,
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by
Tokyo Movie Shinsha, formerly known as , is a Japanese animation studio, founded on October 1946. One of the oldest and most prominent anime studios in Japan, it has also produced numerous animated series airing in other countries such as France, the United States, and Italy. The company currently uses "TMS...
, the studio that animated most DiC cartoons of the 1980s, while a few episodes were animated in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
by
Cuckoo's Nest StudioCuckoo's Nest Studio is an animation studio based in Taiwan. The company is famous for their work on the Hanna-Barbera series, movies and specials of the 1980s, as well as overseas production for Nelvana's Care Bears franchise, Film Roman's Garfield and friends, DiC Entertainment's Inspector...
and
Wang Film ProductionsWang Film Productions is one of the oldest and most prolific Taiwanese animation studios...
, before being finished in post production by DiC and Nelvana. The pilot episode, "Winter Olympics", was animated by Telecom Animation Film and had a slightly higher budget than the rest of the episodes.
In the second season, the animation increasingly began to resemble a typical 1980s Japanese
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
cartoon, most likely because it was animated by DiC's own then-new Japanese-based animation facilities (many first-season episodes that were animated by TMS Entertainment often mimicked typical American animation, akin to their work on
Tiny Toon Adventures). It was not uncommon for Gadget to briefly freeze in an "anime" pose when shocked, or slower frame rates when characters would move.
Voicing
The role of Gadget went through three different voice artists during production of the pilot episode. The first was
Gary OwensGary Owens is an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens is equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is...
, who voiced Inspector Gadget in a deep-toned, British-sounding way.
Jesse WhiteJesse White was an American television, film, and stage character actor. He is best remembered for portraying the Maytag repairman in television commercials, a role he played from 1967 to 1988.-Life and career:...
sounded closer to the voice of Maxwell Smart (
Don AdamsDon Adams was an American actor, comedian and director. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart in the television situation comedy Get Smart , which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart...
) of
Get SmartGet Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
, one of the series' inspirations. Eventually, producers decided to hire Don Adams himself to get the full effect, and found that he fit the role perfectly.
In the first season, Gadget's nemesis Doctor Claw - as well as his pet cat M.A.D. Cat and Gadget's loyal dog Brain - were voiced by Frank Welker. Penny was portrayed by
Cree SummerCree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
in her first voice acting role; and her father Don Francks wound up playing Doctor Claw in a few episodes where Welker was unavailable for recording.
When production of
Inspector Gadget moved from
NelvanaNelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
in Canada to DiC's headquarters in Los Angeles for the second season, several of the voice artists (including Cree Summer and Frank Welker) were replaced. Don Adams was the only cast member from season 1 who still voiced his character. Welker, incidentally, did voice many supporting characters during season 2, but apparently could not continue voicing his main roles due to contractual difficulties.
Music
The theme music was inspired by
Edvard GriegEdvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
's movement "
In the Hall of the Mountain KingIn the Hall of the Mountain King is a piece of orchestral music composed by Edvard Grieg for the sixth scene of Act II in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, which premiered in Christiania on February 24, 1876....
" and was composed by
Shuki LevyShuki Levy is a music composer and television writer, director, and executive producer. Levy's best known work is soundtrack compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s, such as Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K., Dinosaucers, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the...
. For many years, Levy had a partnership with his friend
Haim SabanHaim Saban is an Egyptian born Israeli-American television and media proprietor. With an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion, he is ranked by Forbes as the 104th richest person in America.-Biography:...
, with Levy composing the music and Saban running the business. Their records company, Saban Records, (now
Saban Music GroupSaban Capital Group is a global private investment firm based in Los Angeles, California focused on media, entertainment, and communications investments. Formed in 2001 by Haim Saban, Saban Capital Group owns Saban Brands, part of Univision Communications, and part of Tiger Gate Entertainment...
) has provided music for many DiC cartoons and children’s shows in the 80s and 90s, and is still running today.
Many of the background music cues were some sort of variation of the Gadget melody. Even at festivals or dances in the cartoon, the Gadget theme was often played. Occasionally during an episode, such as in
Launch Time and
Ghost Catchers, Inspector Gadget would hum his theme. Levy also had a range of other musical cues for each character, as well as cues for the various moods of the scenes. Penny and Brain each had several different versions of their respective musical themes.
Season 1
The pilot episode featured a slightly different opening and closing credits and a mustachioed Gadget. In a later version of the pilot, dialogue by Penny and Gadget was re-dubbed explaining Gadget's mustache as a disguise for the holiday.
Since DiC was a French company looking to expand its operations to the US, the show was produced for release in both France and the USA. It was broadcast in the North America in September
1983The year 1983 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1983.For the American TV schedule, see: 1983-84 United States network television schedule.-Events:...
. A month or so later, the series premiered in France, whose version also featured a theme song with French lyrics and the French title
Inspecteur Gadget appearing in front of the episode.
The first season was aired from September to December 1983, comprising sixty-five 22½-minute long episodes. After the first season, the show was a worldwide hit.
In the first season, nearly every episode saw the introduction of some new supervillain who had come to be employed by Dr. Claw to commit a crime suited to their special skills. They are typically arrested at the end of the episode, and do not appear again in the series.
Season 2
The first season episodes were repeated during the
1984This article is a list of television-related events in 1984.-Events:*January 9 – Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" ad first airs, which propels Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase to national prominence....
–
1985The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
season, with 21 new episodes premiering for the second and last season of
Inspector Gadget from September
1985The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
to February
1986The year 1986 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1986.For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:*September 6 –...
making 86 in all. Several changes were made to the established formula.
The format of the show changed significantly. In the second season, the episodes would feature three episodes in a row sharing the same general theme and often the same villains, who usually were not arrested at the end of the 3rd and final episode. Many of the episodes simply revolved around M.A.D. trying to get rid of Gadget, rather than Dr. Claw's spectacular crimes and plots to dominate the world from the first season.
New characters and settings were introduced. Gadget, Penny and Brain moved into a high-tech house filled with many gadgets, where a few of the episodes were actually located. Penny spent much less screen time solving M.A.D.'s crimes. In the season's fourth episode, Corporal Capeman was introduced as Gadget's sidekick. The Catillac Cats from another DiC cartoon,
Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats made a few cameo appearances in the second season, just as Gadget had cameos in their series.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack LP to accompany the series, named "Inspecteur Gadget - Bande Originale de la Serie TV", was released in France in 1983 by Saban Records. The LP is extremely rare.
The soundtrack features the following tracks:
- Inspector Gadget (with French vocals)
- Penny's Theme (with French vocals)
- Brain The Dog — The Song (with French vocals)
- Gadget on Mars
- Ghost
- Mad Art in Museum
- Gadget in Japan
- Chocolate Factory
- Rodeo
- M.A.D's Theme
- Heroes in African Jungle
- Gadget with the Incas
- Look Out
- Gadget in Trouble
- Arabian Desert
- Sophisticated Gadget
- Train Machine
- Kingdom
- Car Race
- Pharaohs
- Penny's Theme
- Inspector Gadget (Instrumental)
With the exception of the first three tracks, and the track "Mad's theme", all the music on this album is background scores for the TV series. The album is far from a complete soundtrack, as there were probably several hours of source music used in the series. Some tracks on the album are more location/episode-specific or for special sequences. There were also at least two other records released by Saban Records (both in French). One of these was the single of the theme music (with French vocals, released both in 1983 and 1985 with different sleeve covers), and another was an audio story named "La Malediction du roi Touthankamon", based on the episode "Curse of the Pharaohs".
An English-language soundtrack album, entitled "Inspector Gadget - The Music", was released in Australia in 1986 through ABC Records. While containing significantly fewer tracks than the French edition, it is otherwise mostly similar. However, two tracks were exclusive to the Australian edition: "Brain's Theme" and "Italian Gadget".
North America
Inspector Gadget: The Original Series — a four disc DVD set collecting the first 22 episodes, released in
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on April 25, 2006 by
Shout! FactoryShout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
. There are errors on the box concerning which episodes are on each disc. The last episode listed on each disc is actually the first episode on the next disc.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
would later acquire the home video rights for the series.
| Cover Art |
DVD Name |
Ep # |
Release Date |
Additional Information |
 |
Volume 1 |
22 |
April 25, 2006 |
- Retrospective look at Inspector Gadget with Andy Heyward (DiC Chairman & CEO) and Mike Maliani (DiC Chief Creative Officer)
- Original Art Gallery
- An original sketch of Inspector Gadget done by a recent contest winner. as seen on Boomerang
|
Inspector Gadget: The Gadget Files — a single disc DVD released by UAV Corporation on July 6, 2004; containing the first five episodes and an interview with Andy Heyward answering 10 questions voted upon by fans.
Inspector Gadget Saves ChristmasInspector Gadget Saves Christmas is a Christmas television special, featuring characters from the animated television series Inspector Gadget...
— a single disc DVD released by UAV Corporation on August 31, 2004; containing the 1992 special
Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas and episode 56, 61 and 62 of the original series: "Weather in Tibet", "Birds of a Feather" and "So It is Written". No special features regarding production were included.
Inspector Gadget: The Go Go Gadget Collection — a single disc DVD released by Fox on September 9, 2009. It features 10 episodes not on the volume 1 release. The series is also available on
AmazonAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
On Demand,
iTunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
(in U.S. and Canada) for purchasing and episodes can also be viewed through streaming video on
NetflixNetflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
,
HuluHulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
and Jaroo.
Australia
The first 64 episodes of season one were released on a trio of 3 disc box sets released by MagnaPacific on November 9, 2006, July 3, 2007, and October 11, 2007. These are named
Inspector Gadget - The Original Series: Box Set 1,
...2 and
...3, respectively. Box Set 1 is the only known DVD release of the original version of the "Winter Olympics" pilot episode, featuring Gary Owens voicing Gadget and a slightly different intro. On Box Set 3, the episodes "Funny Money" and "Fang the Wonderdog" were edited. For instance, in the latter, instances of a M.A.D. agent wielding an axe were edited out.
All three box sets were packaged together as
Inspector Gadget: 25th Anniversary Collection (9 Disc Box Set), released in Australia by MagnaPacific on November 5, 2008.
Europe
Inspektor Gadget: Die komplette Staffel 1 (eng. Inspector Gadget: The complete Season 1) was released in Germany by More Music and Media on March 19, 2010. The 10 disc set includes all 65 episodes from the first Season, but with only German Audio. The complete series has yet to be released in Britain, but some episodes are available on DVD.
Legacy and spin-off incarnations
Inspector Gadget was adapted into a 1999 live-action
DisneyWalt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
filmInspector Gadget is a 1999 American live-action comedy film loosely based on the 1983 animated cartoon series Inspector Gadget. It starred Matthew Broderick as the title character, along with Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw, Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny, and Dabney Coleman as Chief Quimby...
starring
Matthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
as the title character (real name: John Brown), his
Wargames co-star
Dabney ColemanDabney Wharton Coleman is an American actor, best known for his roles in 9 to 5, WarGames, You've Got Mail, Sworn to Silence, The Beverly Hillbillies and as the voice of Principal Peter Prickly in Recess and Recess: School's Out.-Early life:Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Mary...
as Chief Quimby,
Michelle TrachtenbergMichelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
as Penny,
Rupert EverettRupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...
as Doctor Claw (real name: Sanford Scolex) - whose face was totally visible this time - and even Don Adams as the voice of Brain.
A
direct-to-video sequelInspector Gadget 2 is a live-action comedy film, released directly to VHS and DVD in March 2003. It was based upon the cartoon series created by DiC Entertainment and is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1999 Walt Disney Pictures film Inspector Gadget and also released by DIC Entertainment...
was released in 2003. Broderick did not reprise his role as the title character, and was replaced by
French StewartMilton French Stewart , better known by his stage name French Stewart, is an American actor, best known for his role as Harry Solomon on the 1990s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.-Early life:...
from
3rd Rock From the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
.
Elaine HendrixElaine Hendrix is an American actress, producer, singer, dancer, and activist. She is best known for her roles in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, Inspector Gadget 2, and the 2004 documentary What the Bleep Do We Know!?....
was the female lead and D.L. Hughley was the only star from the first movie who reprised his role as the Gadgetmobile.
Cree Summer and Frank Welker reunited to reprise their
Inspector Gadget roles for the animated sketch show
Robot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
in a segment of the episode “Adoption's an Option”. Gadget himself was voiced by Joe Hanna (Don Adams had died in 2005), with a brief appearance of Chief Quimby, voiced by
Seth GreenSeth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
.
In January 2009, IGN named
Inspector Gadget as the 54th best in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows.
In 2011, a new Inspector Gadget comic book was published in the United States by
Viper ComicsViper Comics, based in Dallas, Texas, has been an independent publisher of comic books and graphic novel trade paperbacks since 2003. Viper comic books are distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors and their graphic novels are distributed through Diamond, Ingram Books, Baker & Taylor, Inc., and...
. Written by Dale Mettam and illustrated by José Cobá, the style of the book is based on the original television show. A preview comic was released on May 7, 2011 as part of
Free Comic Book DayFree Comic Book Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores. Retailer Joe Field of in Concord, CA brainstormed the event in his "Big Picture" column in the August 2001 issue of Comics & Games Retailer...
. The series was officially launched as a 48-page book in August.
External links