Inspector Gadget Inspector Gadget is a 90’s Children’s TV cartoon, which was inspired by a live action show from the 1960's called 'Get Smart'. It starred Don Adams as Maxwell Smart and seems to have a similar storyline - spies, gadgets that don't work and things working out in the end. It was so inspired, that they used Don Adams to voice Inspector Gadget! It seems that this was the thing to do in those days, as a similar thing happened with Sergeant Bilko / Top Cat (but for this series, they used Private Doberman to voice Benny the Ball).   This wasn't the only thing that they borrowed, does the Dr Claw remind you of anyone? Think Spy Film and only seeing the baddie from the back and stroking a cat. Sound too much like Ernst Blofeld, who starred in a number of James Bond Films. Would they get away with this inspiration/borrowing now days? Who knows? I have read that the second season of Inspector Gadget wasn't a patch on the first and that the quality of the shows plummeted, plus the format of the show was changed. I have never seen these shows, but if what I read is true, then I'm glad that I've never witnessed them. My heart and mind stay true to the original Inspector Gadget Series.   Over the years Inspector Gadget has been wheeled out in a number of other forms, but I have yet to see them in full to give an informed opinion. - Inspector Gadgets Field Trip - Gadget and the Gadgetinis - Gadget Boy and Heather Inspector Gadget has proved so popular that 2 live action movies have been made about him by Disney. So keep an eye out, you never know when another new series might start.     Story  Inspector Gadget works for the US Government. He injured himself by slipping on a banana skin, but luckily the Government put him back together. They surgically enhanced him, with special gadgets, which gave him super abilities. But one thing it didn't give him was the ability to stop being accident prone. Poor Inspector Gadget is not a natural crime fighter and instead bumbles his way through life accidentally avoiding danger.   Luckily his niece Penny keeps an eye on her Uncle by looking after him. She is the real hero of the group. If Uncle Gadget is in trouble, she uses her electronic book and her brains to get him out of it. But you would think that Inspector Gadget would notice that she is helping him, but No, he is so wrapped up in his own self importance, that he thinks that it is his own skill that is getting him out of dangerous situation.   That's exactly how Penny likes it, as she loves her uncle dearly and would never dream of telling him that she is the one solving the crimes and getting him out of danger. If Inspector Gadget knew, he would be gutted, but I don't think he would believe her anyway. Luckily Penny is helped by their extremely smart dog called Brains, who can even communicate with Penny in a strange dog like way. This was another cartoon that came up with some general advice to kids, to keep safe (don't swim out to far etc). Most of these things were well known to most kids out there, but they rammed it down your neck for good measure. But it seemed that cartoon explosions and violence was ok? Go figure!   Inspector Gadget Characters   Inspector Gadget     (voiced by Don Adams) Inspector Gadget could be classed as a menace, he's so accident prone, he's dangerous. Just when he is about to use one of his gadget, he shouts "Go! Go! Gadget <insert gadget name>", but I think that the Government didn't wire him correctly, as they don't work like he wanted or he'll get a different gadget, that doesn't help him initially. But again luck seems to be on his side and normally the wrong/broken gadget ends up being the best thing to deal with the MAD Agents.   He has a car that can transform from a People Carrier (MPV or whatever you want to call a 6 seater car) to a Police Car when needed. It's imaginatively named the Gadget Mobile and is virtually indestructible, not to mention that it can go underwater, plus do other things which I forget.     Penny     (voiced by Mona Marshal (Pilot)                 Cree Summer-Francks (Series 1)                 Holly Berger (Series 2)) Penny is the niece of Inspector Gadget and she also likes to use gadgets. She has a host of them to help her battle against Dr Claw and his MAD Agency. These include such cool devices as a watch and a book! I kid you not, but they aren't any old watch and book, but are instead computer devices that have access to an enormous amount of reference data and they can be used to communicate/control other electrical devices and can talk to Brains via his electronic dog collar.     Brains     (voiced by Frank Welker) This super pooch has a communications collar, which allows him to hear and speak with Penny. Most of the time he is trying to divert the MAD agents away from Inspector Gadget, using one of his many disguises. But whilst doing this, Inspector Gadget gets a few glimpses of him and thinks he is a MAD Agent, so poor Brains is then chased by a determined Inspector Gadget. It's strange, but Inspector Gadget never works out who the real MAD Agents are and normally thinks that they are normal law abiding citizens!     Dr Claw     (voiced by Frank Welker) He is the head of the MAD Agency, whose main aim is to take over the world (their emblem is a demons face). You never see Dr Claw, but instead you only get glimpses of the gauntlet he wears. It is amazing how much resource Dr Claw can call on, weaponry, personnel etc. But there is one thorn in his side - Inspector Gadget. He has tried every trick in the book to get rid of him, but luck (+ Penny and Brains) is on his side. He also has the MAD Jet, that can convert to a number of things, such as a submarine, a car etc.   Each time Inspector Gadget foils another of Dr Claw's evil scheme, he says his catchphrase - "I'll get you next time Gadget!, Next Time!" Also he has a cat as a companion (Mad Cat), who likes to make smart-aleck gestures, but he doesn't always time these right and ends up on the wrong side of Dr Claw (watch that gauntlet pussy cat!).     Chief Quimby     (voiced by John Stephenson (Pilot)                            Hadley Kay (Series 1)                            Maurice LaMarche (Series 2)) He is Inspector Gadget's direct (and long suffering) Boss. He is a master of disguise and uses this to help him deliver the written instructions for his next assignment. But the trouble with this is that once read they self destruct. It doesn't spell trouble for Inspector Gadget, but for Chief Quimby it does. Inspector Gadget reads them, crumples them up and tosses them away, which is normally in Quimby's direction, which blows him up! You would have thought by now that Quimby would get out of the way ASAP, but no, Boom!! each time! Quimby is also oblivious to Inspector Gadget's incompetence and just congratulates him at the end of each successfully completed mission (sucker!).   Inspector Gadget T-Shirts T-Shirts (Europe) - Inspector Gadget T-Shirts Inspector Gadget DVDs Region 2 (Europe) - Inspector Gadget DVDs  Region 1 (USA) - Inspector Gadget DVDs Inspector Gadget Video Intro Inspector Gadget Episodes Series 1 (1983)  1. Gadget in Winterland (pilot)  2. Monster Lake  3. Down at the Farm  4. Gadget at the Circus  5. The Amazon  6. Health Spa  7. The Boat  8. Haunted Castle  9. Race to the Finish  10. The Ruby  11. A Star is Lost  12. All That Glitters  13. Movie Set  14. Amusement Park  15. Art Heist  16. Volcano Island  17. The Invasion  18. The Infiltration  19. The Curse of the Pharaoh  20. M.A.D Trap  21. Basic Training  22. Sleeping Gas  23. Gadget's Replacement  24. Greenfinger  25. Gadget Goes West  26. Launch Time  27. Photo Safari  28. The Coo Coo Clock Caper  29. Bermuda Triangle  30. The Japanese Connection  31. Arabian Nights  32. A Clear Case  33. Dutch Treat  34. The Great Divide  35. Eye of the Dragon  36. Doubled Agent  37. Plantform of the Opera  38. Don't Hold Your Breath  39. Gone Went the Wind  40. King Wrong  41. Pirate Island  42. M.A.D Academy  43. No Flies on Us  44. Luck of the Irish  45. Prince of the Gypsies  46. Old Man of the Mountain  47. The Emerald Duck  48. Do Unto Udders  49. Did You Myth Me?  50. A Bad Altitude  51. Funny Money  52. Follow That Jet  53. Dry Spell  54. Smeldorado  55. Quimby Exchange  56. Weather In Tibet  57. Unhenged  58. Snakin' All Over  59. In Seine  60. Tree Guesses  61. Birds of a Feather  62. So it is Written  63. Fang the Wonder Dog  64. School for Pickpockets  65. Quizz Master    Series 2 (1985)   1. Magic Gadget  2. The Great Wambini's Séance  3. Wambini Predicts  4. The Capeman Cometh  5. Crashcourse in Crime  6. Gadget's Gadgets  7. Gadget in Minimadness  8. The Incredible Shrinking Gadget  9. Gadget Meets the Grappler  10. Ghost Catchers  11. Busy Signal  12. Bad Dreams are Made of This  13. Focus on Gadget  14. Mad in the Moon  15. N.S.F. Gadget  16. Tyrannosaurus Gadget  17. Gadget's Roma  18. Gadget's Clean Sweep  19. Gadget Meets the Clan  20. Gadget and Old Lace  21. Gadget and the Red Rose   TV Movies   1. Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas         (1992)  2. Inspector Gadget's Last Case -         Claw's Revenge (2002)   Movies   1. Inspector Gadget (1999)  2. Inspector Gadget II: IG-2 (2003)   Inspector Gadget Images (click to enlarge) © JedisParadise.com Toys & Gifts T-Shirts Bargain DVDs