Inspector Gadget | |
---|---|
Genre |
Action Adventure Comedy science fiction Suspense |
Created by |
Bruno Bianchi Andy Heyward Jean Chalopin |
Developed by | Jean Chalopin |
Directed by | Toshiuki Hiruma Ray Jafelice Dave Cox Ken Stephenson Edouard David |
Voices of |
Don Adams 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 | United States France Canada |
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 Entertainment Lexington Broadcast Services Company First Season only: FR3 Nelvana Field Communications TMS Entertainment Cuckoo's Nest Studios |
Distributor | DHX Media |
Release | |
Original network |
First-run syndication FR3 |
Audio format | Mono (Season 1) Stereo (Season 2) |
Original release | December 4, 1982 (Pilot episode; Special sneak preview on five stations) September 12, 1983 – February 1, 1986 |
Chronology | |
Followed by | Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas |
Inspector Gadget is a French-Canadian-American animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, dim-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget—a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's nemesis is Dr. Claw, the leader of an evil organization known as "M.A.D." The series launched the Inspector Gadget franchise.
This is the first syndicated cartoon show from DIC Entertainment, as well as the first from the company to be created specifically for US viewers, along with The Littles. It originally ran from 1983 to 1986 and remained in syndication into the late 1990s. It was shown on ABC in Australia from 26 July 1984 to 8 February 1991.
Created by Andy Heyward, Bruno Bianchi, and DiC's founder Jean Chalopin, the series was a co-production between DIC Entertainment in France (the main headquarters did not move to the US until 1987) and Nelvana in Canada; the animation work was outsourced to foreign studios such as Tokyo Movie Shinsha in Japan and Cuckoo's Nest Studio in Taiwan. It was the first animated television series to be presented in stereo sound.
Inspector Gadget is a famous cyborg police inspector 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 Maxwell Smart of "Get Smart" – who was also played by Don Adams – and the Inspector Clouseau character of the Pink Panther series), and overcomes obstacles and survives perilous situations and malfunctioning gadgets often by sheer good luck. His niece, Penny, and intelligent dog, Brain, secretly help him solve each case. His nemesis is Dr. Claw, the head of the criminal organization M.A.D.