Danger Mouse (1981 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Danger Mouse |
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| Genre | |
| Created by |
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| Voices of |
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| Narrated by | David Jason |
| Opening theme | "Danger Mouse" by Mike Harding |
| Ending theme | "Danger Mouse" by Mike Harding |
| Composer(s) | Mike Harding |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 89 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 5-22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Cosgrove Hall Films Thames Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 576i |
| Original release | 28 September 1981 – 19 March 1992 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
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Danger Mouse is a popular British cartoon show. It was made by Cosgrove Hall Films for Thames Television. The show is about a super secret agent named Danger Mouse. He works as a spy and the show makes fun of British spy fiction, like the Danger Man series and James Bond movies. It first aired from September 28, 1981, to March 19, 1992, on the ITV network.
The series was so popular that it led to a spin-off show called Count Duckula. This show aired between 1988 and 1993. A new version of Danger Mouse started in September 2015 on CBBC.
Contents
Characters
Main Characters
- Danger Mouse (voiced by David Jason) is known as the world's greatest secret agent. He is so secret that even his codename has a secret codename! He can speak 34 languages, including some alien ones. Danger Mouse has many amazing skills. He can even break metal with his voice. His famous sayings include "Good grief" when he is surprised, and "Penfold, shush" when his assistant says something silly.
- Ernest Penfold (voiced by Terry Scott) is a shy, glasses-wearing hamster. He is Danger Mouse's assistant and sidekick, but he often feels scared. People sometimes think he is a mole, but he is actually a hamster. Penfold is shorter than Danger Mouse. He always wears thick round glasses and a blue suit. In the first episode, his codename was Jigsaw. This is because he "goes to pieces" when he faces a problem.
- Colonel K (voiced by Edward Kelsey) is Danger Mouse's boss. He is often mistaken for a walrus, but he is a chinchilla. Colonel K has many interesting hobbies. He is a champion piano-thrower and a decorated judo expert. He was the first person to climb Mount Everest on a pogo stick. In later seasons, he became more forgetful.
- Baron Silas Greenback (voiced by Edward Kelsey) is the main villain and Danger Mouse's biggest enemy. He is a toad with a raspy voice. He is sometimes called the "Terrible Toad." In America, "greenback" is slang for a dollar bill. This adds to the idea that he is very greedy.
- Stiletto (voiced by Brian Trueman) is Greenback's helper. He is a crow. He always calls Greenback "Barone," which is Italian for "Baron." In the British version, he speaks with an Italian accent.
- Nero (sounds by David Jason) is Greenback's pet. He is a fluffy white caterpillar. He is like the white cat that bad guys often have. Nero does not speak, but his noises and laugh are David Jason's voice sped up. Greenback can easily understand Nero. Some say Nero is actually the real planner behind Greenback's evil ideas.
- The Narrator (voiced by David Jason) is the voice you hear telling the story. He is unseen, but sometimes he talks to the characters. He might even stop the story for a moment. He often complains about the show and his job at the end of episodes. His name is Isambard Sinclair.
Other Characters
- Professor Heinrich Von Squawkencluck is an inventor mole. He created Danger Mouse's flying car, the Mark III. He also invented the Space Hopper, which is his personal spacecraft. He speaks with a German accent. Penfold is often nervous around the professor. This is because he sometimes gets caught up in his experiments.
- Count Duckula (voiced by David Jason) is a vampire duck who loves fame. He wants to be on television. However, he is not very talented, so his attempts to "entertain" are often scary. This character got his own spin-off series called Count Duckula. The Count in Danger Mouse is different from the one in his own show. He is not a vegetarian and uses more of his vampire magic.
- Doctor Augustus P. Crumhorn III is a mad scientist wolf. He was another enemy of Danger Mouse, though less often than Baron Greenback.
Awards and Recognition
Danger Mouse was a very popular show and received many awards. It was nominated several times for the British Academy Film Awards and the British Academy Television Awards. These nominations were for categories like "Best Short Animation" and "Children's Programme - Entertainment / Drama."
In 2012, Brian Cosgrove, one of the show's creators, received a special award from the British Academy Children's Awards. This showed how much his work on Danger Mouse was appreciated.
In Other Media
Comics
A long-running comic strip version of Danger Mouse was published in Look-in magazine. The stories were written by Angus P. Allan and drawn by Arthur Ranson. Some of Allan's comic stories were even turned into episodes for the TV show.
Video Games
Several video games were made based on the show. The first ones were Danger Mouse in Double Trouble and Danger Mouse in the Black Forest Chateau in 1984. Another game, Danger Mouse in Making Whoopee!, came out in 1985. Later, two mobile games were released in 2010 and 2011.
Audiobooks
Some Danger Mouse stories were also available as audiobooks. The original voice actors from the show read these stories.
Merchandise
During its time, the show had a lot of merchandise. This included storybooks, annuals, jigsaw puzzles, and Panini sticker albums. Even after the show ended, products like T-shirts, mugs, and key rings continued to sell. These items were often aimed at adults who grew up watching the show.
Other Appearances
- The American musician and producer Danger Mouse chose his stage name because of the show. He even used to perform in a mouse costume.
- In the 1989 film The BFG, a Danger Mouse poster can be seen above a boy's bed.
- Danger Mouse appeared as himself in an episode of Victor and Hugo in 1991.
- In a 2008 episode of South Park, Danger Mouse was shown in Imaginationland.
Episodes
Revival
In 2013, there were talks about bringing Danger Mouse back. In June 2014, it was announced that a new series would be made for CBBC in 2015. This new show is produced by Boulder Media for FremantleMedia Kids. Robert Cullen directs it, and Brian Cosgrove, one of the original creators, helps as a creative consultant.
Alexander Armstrong voices Danger Mouse in the new series. Kevin Eldon voices Penfold. Dave Lamb is the narrator, and Stephen Fry plays Colonel K. Ed Gaughan takes over as Baron Greenback. Other famous voices include Richard Osman as Professor Strontium Jellyfishowitz and John Oliver as Dr Augustus P Crumhorn III. Lena Headey voices a new character called Jeopardy Mouse. This new series also aired on Netflix in the US. The first episode of the new series aired on September 28, 2015.
New toys, books, and a monthly magazine were also released for the revived series.
Spin-off
- Count Duckula (spin-off, 1988–1993)
Images for kids
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The original Danger Mouse TV series title.
See also
In Spanish: Danger Mouse (serie animada de 1981) para niños
