Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Inspector Gadget |
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| Genre | Science fiction Comedy Slapstick Mystery Crime Superhero |
| Created by | Bruno Bianchi Andy Heyward Jean Chalopin |
| Developed by | Jean Chalopin |
| Written by | Peter Sauder (season 1) Jean Chalopin (season 2) |
| Directed by | Bruno Bianchi |
| Voices of | Don Adams Gary Owens (pilot) Jesse White (pilot) Frank Welker Cree Summer Francks (Season 1) Holly Berger (Season 2) Dan Hennessey (Season 1) Maurice LaMarche (Season 2) |
| Theme music composer | Saban Records |
| Composer(s) | Shuki Levy Haim Saban |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 86 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Andy Heyward Jean Chalopin Tetsuo Katayama |
| Producer(s) | Jean Chalopin Patrick Loubert |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | DIC Audiovisuel Cuckoo's Nest Studios LBS Season 1 only: Nelvana Field Communications TMS |
| Distributor | Lexington Broadcast Services Company |
| Release | |
| Original network | First-run syndication (United States) FR3 (France) |
| Audio format | Mono Stereo |
| Original release | December 4, 1982 (Pilot episode) September 12, 1983 – February 1, 1986 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas |
| Related shows | Inspector Gadget (2015) |
Inspector Gadget is a fun science fiction comedy cartoon from the 1980s. It was created by Andy Heyward, Jean Chalopin, and Bruno Bianchi. The show first aired on September 12, 1983.
This cartoon was the first one from DIC Entertainment to be shown widely in North America. It was also the first animated series to use stereo sound. The show ran from 1983 to 1986, with 86 episodes over two seasons. It stayed popular through the 1990s.
The story is about a clumsy detective named Inspector Gadget. He is a cyborg, which means he's part human and part machine, with many cool gadgets built into his body. He goes on missions to stop his enemy, Dr. Claw. Dr. Claw leads an evil group called "M.A.D." Inspector Gadget doesn't know it, but his smart niece Penny and their dog Brain secretly help him on every mission.
Inspector Gadget was a big hit! It led to more cartoons and even two live-action movies. A new Inspector Gadget series was made in 2015. Since 2012, the company WildBrain owns the rights to the show.
Contents
What is Inspector Gadget About?
Inspector Gadget is a famous police inspector who works for a secret police group. This group fights crime all over the world. Each of Gadget's missions is about stopping the bad plans of M.A.D. (which stands for "Mean And Dirty"). M.A.D. is led by the evil Dr. Claw.
Gadget's missions often take him to faraway places or to the fictional Metro City. Even though Inspector Gadget has tons of gadgets, like a car that can change from a minivan to a police car, he's not very good at his job. He often uses the wrong gadget or accidentally causes trouble. For example, his boss, Chief Quimby, gives him secret messages that self-destruct. Gadget always accidentally gives the message back to Chief Quimby right before it blows up!
Penny and Brain's Secret Help
In truth, Inspector Gadget's niece, Penny, does most of the detective work. She secretly works behind the scenes to stop M.A.D.'s plans. She also makes sure her uncle stays safe. Dr. Claw often tells his agents to get rid of Inspector Gadget.
Even though Gadget is clumsy, he always escapes danger. This is usually due to luck, a gadget that misfires, or the secret help of the family dog, Brain. Brain often follows Gadget in disguise. Sometimes, Gadget mistakes Brain for a M.A.D. agent and chases him!
Penny stays in touch with Brain during her investigations. She sometimes gets into danger herself. She escapes by calling Brain for help or using her own cool technology. Penny and Brain always make sure Chief Quimby thinks Inspector Gadget solved the case. Dr. Claw always promises to get revenge on Inspector Gadget for ruining his plans.
Like many cartoons from the 1980s, Inspector Gadget episodes ended with a public service announcement. These messages gave advice, like how to be safe around strangers.
Meet the Characters
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is the main character. He is voiced by Don Adams. He has many gadgets in his body, but he's often clueless and messes up his cases. He only escapes trouble and finishes missions by luck. (In the very first episodes, Gadget was a bit smarter and would get mad when Dr. Claw got away!)
Gadget is a caring family man. He often takes risks to protect Penny and Brain. He also doesn't believe in ghosts or magic. He has a few famous sayings:
- "Wowsers!" - when he's shocked or surprised.
- "Go-Go-Gadget" - said before he uses a gadget.
- "Is that you, Chief? You're where?" - when Chief Quimby calls him.
- "I'm always on duty." - said to Chief Quimby before leaving for a mission.
Penny
Penny is Inspector Gadget's super-smart niece. She is the real "brains" behind all of Inspector Gadget's cases. She is the one who stops M.A.D.'s evil plans. Only Brain knows this secret.
Penny does her investigations in secret. She uses two cool pieces of technology:
- A high-tech computer that looks like a book.
- A special wristwatch that she uses to talk to Brain and watch her uncle.
Penny sometimes gets captured by M.A.D. agents when she's spying. But she always escapes using her tech or by calling Brain for help. When a case is almost solved, Penny secretly tells her uncle's boss, Chief Quimby, where the bad guys are. The show never explains who Penny's parents are.
Brain
Brain is the family dog. He helps Penny by secretly keeping Gadget out of danger. He also helps Penny when she needs him. Brain is very smart and clever. He often walks on two legs and uses many disguises to fool Gadget. However, Gadget sometimes accidentally hurts him or thinks he's a M.A.D. agent!
To help Penny, Brain wears a high-tech collar. It has a video screen that connects to Penny's wristwatch. He talks to her using gestures and pantomime.
Chief Quimby
Chief Quimby is Inspector Gadget's boss. He's the chief of police in Metro City and can be a bit short-tempered. At the start of each episode, Quimby uses disguises to give Inspector Gadget his next mission. At the end, he congratulates Gadget on a job well done. He never realizes that Penny is the one who actually stops Dr. Claw's plans!
There's a running joke where Inspector Gadget always gives the self-destructing message back to Chief Quimby right before it explodes. Quimby is often seen with a pipe in his mouth. He also has his own special theme music.
Doctor Claw
Doctor Claw is the leader of the evil M.A.D. organization. He usually plans his crimes from a computer. He is always with his pet cat, M.A.D. Cat. Dr. Claw often works from a secret base, which looks like an old castle. He also has his own vehicle, the M.A.D. Mobile. This black-and-red vehicle can turn into a car, a jet, or a submarine. He always uses it to escape when his plans fail.
Dr. Claw thinks Inspector Gadget is his biggest enemy, even though he knows Gadget is silly. He knows Penny and Brain are involved, but he thinks they are just spying for Gadget. He never realizes they are the real brains behind stopping his plans. At the end of every episode, Dr. Claw always says, "I'll get you next time, Gadget! Next time!" He is never fully seen, only his arms.
Corporal Capeman
Corporal Capeman is Inspector Gadget's sidekick. He was added in the second season and voiced by Townsend Coleman. Capeman thinks he's a superhero and acts like a typical crime fighter. He notices more details than Gadget, but he's just as bad at understanding them.
Capeman doesn't like Brain and is sometimes mean to him, even though Brain often helps him out of trouble. Capeman really wants to fly. He often thinks he can fly when he's in a dangerous situation. Gadget almost always calls him "Capman" instead of "Capeman," and Penny calls him "Capey."
How Inspector Gadget Was Made
The show was created by Andy Heyward, Jean Chalopin, and Bruno Bianchi. They developed the idea for DIC Audiovisuel. Andy Heyward first thought of Inspector Gadget. He also wrote the first pilot episode in 1982, called "Winter Olympics."
Jean Chalopin, who owned the DIC Audiovisuel studio, helped create the show's format. Bruno Bianchi designed the main characters and was the supervising director.
Writers and Animation
Nelvana writer Peter Sauder was the head writer for the first season. Most of the first 64 episodes were written, designed, and voice-recorded in Toronto, Canada, at Nelvana's studios. Most of these episodes were animated in Tokyo, Japan, by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. A few were animated in Taiwan by Cuckoo's Nest Studio.
Nelvana was not involved in the second season (21 episodes). For season two, the work moved to DiC's offices in Los Angeles. The animation was mostly done at K.K. DiC Asia in Japan.
Voice Actors
Before Don Adams was chosen, two other actors voiced Inspector Gadget in the pilot episode. Jesse White was the first, then Gary Owens re-recorded his lines. Finally, producers picked Don Adams, who made Gadget sound like his character Maxwell Smart from another show.
Frank Welker voiced Dr. Claw, M.A.D. Cat, and Brain. Welker and Adams recorded their lines in Los Angeles. The rest of the first season's cast recorded in Toronto. Cree Summer voiced Penny for the first season. For the second season, Holly Berger took over as Penny's voice. Maurice LaMarche replaced Dan Hennessey as Chief Quimby. Sometimes, LaMarche even filled in for Don Adams as Inspector Gadget.
Music
The famous theme music for Inspector Gadget was inspired by a piece of music called "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg. It was composed by Shuki Levy. Levy worked with his friend Haim Saban, with Levy creating the music and Saban handling the business side. Their company, Saban Records, made music for many cartoons in the 1980s and 1990s.
Many of the background songs in the show were different versions of the Gadget theme. Even at parties or dances in the cartoon, the Gadget theme would often play. Sometimes, Inspector Gadget would even hum his own theme music! Each character also had their own special music.
The theme song has been used in other songs, like "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick. It was also the theme song for the live-action movie. The theme music is known all over the world.
See also
In Spanish: Inspector Gadget para niños
