Inspector Gadget spinoff incarnations
Encyclopedia
Since the cancellation of the original DiC
animated television series, Inspector Gadget
, in 1986, there have been many spin-offs based on the show.
at the North Pole and hypnotized his elves. Christmas will be finished unless Dr. Claw is stopped. Inspector Gadget, Penny, and Brain travel to the North Pole in an attempt to stop Dr. Claw and save Christmas. This special was nominated for an Emmy
.
Don Adams
, Frank Welker
, Erica Horn and Maurice LaMarche
provide the voices for the characters.
, this series is about the bumbling inspector as a kid, Gadget Boy. Also voiced by Don Adams
. Instead of Penny, Gadget Boy was assisted by none other than the resourceful Heather. Just as maladroit as his future adult self is, Gadget Boy was usually bailed out of situations by the more practical Heather, though he was also helped greatly by his myriad high-tech gadgets and extendable arms and legs. In this series, traditional nemesis Dr. Claw was replaced by the villainous villainess Spydra (most likely a parody of the Marvel comics terrorist organization, Hydra). In addition, the chief, Strombolli who was much like Chief Quimby (only Italian) had a "fax tie" that exploded after the mission was read.
The series debuted in 1995 and only a single season was produced, besides the historical spinoff, Gadget Boy's Adventures in History, which aired on The History Channel
. The main title song was written and performed by Mike Piccirillo. The musical underscore composers were Mike Piccirillo and Jean-Michel Guirao.
requirements. Adams returns as the voice of Gadget. The main title song was written and performed by Mike Piccirillo. The musical underscore composer was Mike Piccirillo.
The series debuted in 1998 on The History Channel
. This also marks the last time Don Adams would perform a voice role for an animated Gadget series.
, it is a direct-to-video story in which Gadget has a flashback to his past adventures in the original TV series, using footage from episodes 'The Capeman Cometh', 'Prince of the Gypsies', and 'Gadget's Gadgets'. Maurice LaMarche
did Inspector Gadget's voice in the modern segment, marking his first cartoon voice appearance as Gadget, who had previously been voiced by Don Adams
. Cree Summer
voiced Penny in the modern segment, just as she did in the first season of the original series.
feature film
called Inspector Gadget's Last Case, directed by Michael Maliani. It premiered on television on Nickelodeon Sunday Movie Toons
and was released on DVD and VHS shortly afterward by MGM Home Entertainment
.
When Inspector Gadget gives up his beloved but aging Gadgetmobile, his archenemy Dr. Claw uses a competing crime fighter to discredit Gadget and cost him his badge.
It should be noted that in this film, Gadget's relationship with his now-talking Gadget-mobile (completey different from the one used in the original series) is the centre of the story. Penny and Brain are both reduced to minor supporting characters.
This film has the same character designs as the Gadget & The Gadgetinis series, paving the way for the look to follow in Gadget and the Gadgetinis. Concept-wise, though, the Gadgetinis series would be far closer to the original series than the "Last Case" movie. Ironically, while this movie was released to video both in the US and internationally, the Gadget & The Gadgetinis series still hasn't been aired on any US TV stations; though it has been successful in Europe.
For the first time in a new cartoon, Gadget's voice was provided by veteran voice actor Maurice LaMarche
rather than Don Adams
.
In it, Gadget is a lieutenant
, and a member of an organization called "WOMP" (World Organization of Mega Powers). He is aided in his work by Penny (who is now twelve years old), as well as the new robot characters Digit and Fidget, the titular Gadgetinis invented by Penny.
The production values of this series was clearly higher than many other spinoffs (such as Gadget Boy and Inspector Gadget's Field Trip) Also, it was made by all three of the original creators: Andy Heyward
was one of the executive producers, Jean Chalopin
co-created the show and wrote 49 of the episodes, whereas Bruno Bianchi directed. Moreover, it followed the same plot as the original series, with the clumsy Gadget attempting to fight crime on his own, while Penny and her helpers did all the work. However, the music was not as distinctive and the animation style somewhat edgier than in the original series. Doctor Claw, who in some stories was replaced by other villains - in a few cases aliens - had relatives in a few of the episodes, a move which strongly distracted from the mysterious villain he was portrayed as in the original series.
Brain and Chief Quimby are no longer regular cast members in the show, but they do appear in pictures in Gadget's house. Also each appears in a single episode of the series, Quimby as head of WOMP's intelligence bureau the Cryptic Intelligence Agency in "Super Boss Gadget" and Brain in "No Brainer".
Maurice Lamarche continued as Gadget's voice. The main title song was written and performed by Mike Piccirillo
. The musical underscore composers were Mike Piccirillo and Jean-Michel Guirao.
The series is perhaps better known to US fans as the show that inspired a popular and notorious Inspector Gadget "hoax", a second season called "Go Go Gadgetinis", a supposedly much darker comedy series than the previous incarnations with emphasis on nods to the original series and a romantic spouse for Gadget in the form of fan creation "Inspector Prince". The series cemented articles on Wikipedia and IMDB before being exposed, leading to it being taken down at both sites. It has achieved a cult following within the IG fandom in the same regard as Dragonball AF and is still promoted as real and legitimate.
, and returned Gadget to his position as a police inspector in Metro City. Brain and Chief Quimby also return, although Penny is 16 years old rather than 10–11 as in the original series, or 14 as in "Inspector Gadget's Last Case" and the following series Gadget and the Gadgetinis. Penny's age creates a confusion in the continuity made between the Last Case movie and the Gadgetinis series: "Gadget and the Gadgetinis" used the same animation designs for the characters as "Last Case" and utilized Gadget's new position as a WOMP Lieutenant after having had his last assignment as an Inspector in the previous movie. Thus, it would have been more logical to let "Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever" take place a few years before the "Last Case" movie instead of afterwards, as Penny's age signalizes.
Dr. Claw, having finally been captured by Gadget, breaks out of jail with the help of a specially hired Scottish agent named Bombaboy. He and Bombaboy seek out a giant flying lizard to get revenge on his captors and launch yet another scheme to conquer the world. Dr. Claw's face is never seen in this film, but Inspector Gadget is briefly shown for the first time without his hat. Also, his body and head can survive without being attached to each other, making him more robot-like and less vulnerable than the original version of the character. Several other rules from the original series are broken as well: Whereas Doctor Claw's face was hidden both from TV viewers and the crime-fighting characters in the original series (only MAD agents were allowed to see their mysterious leader's face), Doctor Claw clearly lets Gadget see his face in the "Biggest Caper Ever" movie. Also, Penny appears much less smart, resourceful and helpful than her usual self – in the 1980s cartoon show, she would usually be the leading force in solving the crimes and making Brain protect her uncle. In the CGI movie, she spends most of the time mourning over a concert she hasn't managed to get a ticket for.
The main title song was written and performed by Stephen Marston. Inspector Gadget is voiced by Maurice LaMarche
, who had voiced Chief Quimby in the original television series. Bernie Mac
voiced the Gadgetmobile. The musical underscore composers were Mike Piccirillo
, Jean-Michel Guirao, and Stephen Marston.
The working title for this movie was Inspector Gadget Saves The Day... Maybe. It was originally intended to be the first in a series of several CGI animated "Inspector Gadget" movies, though no other films have been announced so far, presumably due to low sales.
in 2011. A 32-page preview issue is set to be published as part of the Free Comic Book Day
on May 7, 2011; and the series will then continue as a regular, 48-page comic book from June onwards. The comic book is written by Dale Mettam and illustrated by José Cobá.
by Disney, starring Matthew Broderick
as the title character and Rupert Everett
as Doctor Claw. As opposed to the animated series, where Gadget is bumbling and clueless and Claw's face is never shown, Gadget appears to be more reliable and competent in detective work and Claw's face appears many times in the film.
(2003)
in the UK in 1987 for the Commodore 64
and ZX Spectrum
. It resembled the arcade title Metrocross and was a left-to-right scrolling racing/jumping game with a quasi-isometric forced 3d perspective. Although the game was completed, and preview copies were reviewed (unfavourably) in the computing press, it was scrapped on the verge of release. See also Horace series
.
released on the PC in 1990 by a company called Azeroth.
Inspector Gadget
Released for the SNES in 1993 by Hudson Soft
. Notable due to the fact that Dr. Claw's face could be seen.
An NES game was also planned for release by Hudson Soft, but was soon cancelled.
in Europe.
by DreamCatcher Interactive. It was released in Europe by Magic Pockets.
and PC
in Europe.
and iPod Touch
, by XMG Studio
in 2010. This side-scroller adventure is the first Gadget video game since the unreleased "Inspector Gadget and the Circus of Fear" to feature Shuki Levy's original theme music. It also includes original voices from the show.
, a live action bumper segment titled "Defective Gadgetry" had a guest appearance by Inspector Gadget
, in which he came to the Mario Bros. for help in repairing him. Maurice LaMarche
(who would assume the voice role in "Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets" ten years later) plays Gadget in this segment. A second live-action segment, "Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn" had Gadget returning to help the Mario Bros. find a lost treasure.
, which actually had vocal samples and quotes from the popular cartoon series, which were reinacted by the Rap Group for the song. Following the trend, Slick Rick
and Doug E. Fresh
used samples of Inspector Gadget on their single The Show. The cartoon series since then has been heavily sampled, dozens of times.
Robot Chicken
The episode "Adoption's an Option" featured a sketch featuring the Inspector Gadget characters in a parody of The Terminator
. In this sketch, Gadget replaces a faulty part with a Cyberdyne part, only to be turned into an unstoppable killing machine when Skynet
goes online. The sketch goes on to revolve around Penny and Brain trying to avoid being killed by the now-evil Gadget, eventually killing him in a factory. Meanwhile, Mad Cat dies of leukemia
; at the end of the show, Dr. Claw blames Gadget for Mad Cat's death. Ironically, Dr. Claw claims that he somehow found out it was Penny and Brain who were behind all of Gadget's successful missions, and planned to gain control of Inspector Gadget via Skynet, and use him to kill them using the Cyberdyne technology that gained control of him. (Penny is played by Cree Summer
and Brain, Dr. Claw and Mad Cat by Frank Welker
, who were the original voice actors for the characters).
In a short sketch in "Easter Basket", Gadget is seen in bed with a (deceased) hooker. Gadget says "Go Go Gadget Hooker Clean", but then notices nothing happening. He then goes "Wowsers".
DiC Entertainment
DIC 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...
animated television series, Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
, in 1986, there have been many spin-offs based on the show.
Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas
Dr. Claw has locked up Santa ClausSanta Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
at the North Pole and hypnotized his elves. Christmas will be finished unless Dr. Claw is stopped. Inspector Gadget, Penny, and Brain travel to the North Pole in an attempt to stop Dr. Claw and save Christmas. This special was nominated for an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
.
Don Adams
Don Adams
Don 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...
, Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
, Erica Horn and Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
provide the voices for the characters.
Gadget Boy & Heather
One of the many series to involve younger versions of famous cartoon franchisesYounger versions of cartoon characters
Since the 1980s, there have been many animated characters which are either junior versions or younger versions of other well-established characters...
, this series is about the bumbling inspector as a kid, Gadget Boy. Also voiced by Don Adams
Don Adams
Don 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...
. Instead of Penny, Gadget Boy was assisted by none other than the resourceful Heather. Just as maladroit as his future adult self is, Gadget Boy was usually bailed out of situations by the more practical Heather, though he was also helped greatly by his myriad high-tech gadgets and extendable arms and legs. In this series, traditional nemesis Dr. Claw was replaced by the villainous villainess Spydra (most likely a parody of the Marvel comics terrorist organization, Hydra). In addition, the chief, Strombolli who was much like Chief Quimby (only Italian) had a "fax tie" that exploded after the mission was read.
The series debuted in 1995 and only a single season was produced, besides the historical spinoff, Gadget Boy's Adventures in History, which aired on The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
. The main title song was written and performed by Mike Piccirillo. The musical underscore composers were Mike Piccirillo and Jean-Michel Guirao.
Inspector Gadget's Field Trip
In this 1996 series, Gadget takes students around the world in this series of 50 field trips, mainly created to market to stations to fulfill the then-new FCC E/IE/I
E/I, which stands for "educational and informative," refers to a type of children's television programming shown in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission requires that every full-service Terrestrial television station in the U.S. show at least three hours of these television...
requirements. Adams returns as the voice of Gadget. The main title song was written and performed by Mike Piccirillo. The musical underscore composer was Mike Piccirillo.
Gadget Boy's Adventures in History
Following the adventures of Gadget Boy & Heather, they now have to stop Spydra across time.The series debuted in 1998 on The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
. This also marks the last time Don Adams would perform a voice role for an animated Gadget series.
Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets
Released in 1999 to coincide with the feature filmInspector Gadget (film)
Inspector 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...
, it is a direct-to-video story in which Gadget has a flashback to his past adventures in the original TV series, using footage from episodes 'The Capeman Cometh', 'Prince of the Gypsies', and 'Gadget's Gadgets'. Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
did Inspector Gadget's voice in the modern segment, marking his first cartoon voice appearance as Gadget, who had previously been voiced by Don Adams
Don Adams
Don 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...
. Cree Summer
Cree Summer
Cree 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...
voiced Penny in the modern segment, just as she did in the first season of the original series.
Inspector Gadget's Last Case
In 2002, DiC released an animated direct-to-videoDirect-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
called Inspector Gadget's Last Case, directed by Michael Maliani. It premiered on television on Nickelodeon Sunday Movie Toons
Nickelodeon Sunday Movie Toons
Nickelodeon Sunday Movie Toons was a series of animated made-for-TV movies, which lasted for just one season on Nickelodeon. Produced by DiC Entertainment, the made-for-TV films are either based on various DiC productions such as Inspector Gadget, Sabrina, the Animated Series, and All-New Dennis...
and was released on DVD and VHS shortly afterward by MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
.
When Inspector Gadget gives up his beloved but aging Gadgetmobile, his archenemy Dr. Claw uses a competing crime fighter to discredit Gadget and cost him his badge.
It should be noted that in this film, Gadget's relationship with his now-talking Gadget-mobile (completey different from the one used in the original series) is the centre of the story. Penny and Brain are both reduced to minor supporting characters.
This film has the same character designs as the Gadget & The Gadgetinis series, paving the way for the look to follow in Gadget and the Gadgetinis. Concept-wise, though, the Gadgetinis series would be far closer to the original series than the "Last Case" movie. Ironically, while this movie was released to video both in the US and internationally, the Gadget & The Gadgetinis series still hasn't been aired on any US TV stations; though it has been successful in Europe.
For the first time in a new cartoon, Gadget's voice was provided by veteran voice actor Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
rather than Don Adams
Don Adams
Don 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...
.
Gadget and the Gadgetinis
In 2001-2003, DiC, in cooperation with SIP Animation, also developed and made 52 episodes of the spinoff Gadget and the Gadgetinis, which first aired in 2003 in Europe. The series has never been broadcast or released in the US.In it, Gadget is a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and a member of an organization called "WOMP" (World Organization of Mega Powers). He is aided in his work by Penny (who is now twelve years old), as well as the new robot characters Digit and Fidget, the titular Gadgetinis invented by Penny.
The production values of this series was clearly higher than many other spinoffs (such as Gadget Boy and Inspector Gadget's Field Trip) Also, it was made by all three of the original creators: Andy Heyward
Andy Heyward
Andrew 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...
was one of the executive producers, Jean Chalopin
Jean Chalopin
Jean 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...
co-created the show and wrote 49 of the episodes, whereas Bruno Bianchi directed. Moreover, it followed the same plot as the original series, with the clumsy Gadget attempting to fight crime on his own, while Penny and her helpers did all the work. However, the music was not as distinctive and the animation style somewhat edgier than in the original series. Doctor Claw, who in some stories was replaced by other villains - in a few cases aliens - had relatives in a few of the episodes, a move which strongly distracted from the mysterious villain he was portrayed as in the original series.
Brain and Chief Quimby are no longer regular cast members in the show, but they do appear in pictures in Gadget's house. Also each appears in a single episode of the series, Quimby as head of WOMP's intelligence bureau the Cryptic Intelligence Agency in "Super Boss Gadget" and Brain in "No Brainer".
Maurice Lamarche continued as Gadget's voice. The main title song was written and performed by Mike Piccirillo
Mike Piccirillo
Mike Piccirillo is a music producer, songwriter, and musician who began working professionally in the Los Angeles music business in 1976. In conjunction with production partner George Tobin, and subsequently Gary Goetzman, Piccirillo co-produced 31 albums between 1976 and 1992...
. The musical underscore composers were Mike Piccirillo and Jean-Michel Guirao.
The series is perhaps better known to US fans as the show that inspired a popular and notorious Inspector Gadget "hoax", a second season called "Go Go Gadgetinis", a supposedly much darker comedy series than the previous incarnations with emphasis on nods to the original series and a romantic spouse for Gadget in the form of fan creation "Inspector Prince". The series cemented articles on Wikipedia and IMDB before being exposed, leading to it being taken down at both sites. It has achieved a cult following within the IG fandom in the same regard as Dragonball AF and is still promoted as real and legitimate.
Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever: The Case of the Giant Flying Lizard
Released in 2005, this film had the same theme music as Inspector Gadget's Last Case, but used 3D computer animationComputer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
, and returned Gadget to his position as a police inspector in Metro City. Brain and Chief Quimby also return, although Penny is 16 years old rather than 10–11 as in the original series, or 14 as in "Inspector Gadget's Last Case" and the following series Gadget and the Gadgetinis. Penny's age creates a confusion in the continuity made between the Last Case movie and the Gadgetinis series: "Gadget and the Gadgetinis" used the same animation designs for the characters as "Last Case" and utilized Gadget's new position as a WOMP Lieutenant after having had his last assignment as an Inspector in the previous movie. Thus, it would have been more logical to let "Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever" take place a few years before the "Last Case" movie instead of afterwards, as Penny's age signalizes.
Dr. Claw, having finally been captured by Gadget, breaks out of jail with the help of a specially hired Scottish agent named Bombaboy. He and Bombaboy seek out a giant flying lizard to get revenge on his captors and launch yet another scheme to conquer the world. Dr. Claw's face is never seen in this film, but Inspector Gadget is briefly shown for the first time without his hat. Also, his body and head can survive without being attached to each other, making him more robot-like and less vulnerable than the original version of the character. Several other rules from the original series are broken as well: Whereas Doctor Claw's face was hidden both from TV viewers and the crime-fighting characters in the original series (only MAD agents were allowed to see their mysterious leader's face), Doctor Claw clearly lets Gadget see his face in the "Biggest Caper Ever" movie. Also, Penny appears much less smart, resourceful and helpful than her usual self – in the 1980s cartoon show, she would usually be the leading force in solving the crimes and making Brain protect her uncle. In the CGI movie, she spends most of the time mourning over a concert she hasn't managed to get a ticket for.
The main title song was written and performed by Stephen Marston. Inspector Gadget is voiced by Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
, who had voiced Chief Quimby in the original television series. Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough , better known by his stage name, Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L...
voiced the Gadgetmobile. The musical underscore composers were Mike Piccirillo
Mike Piccirillo
Mike Piccirillo is a music producer, songwriter, and musician who began working professionally in the Los Angeles music business in 1976. In conjunction with production partner George Tobin, and subsequently Gary Goetzman, Piccirillo co-produced 31 albums between 1976 and 1992...
, Jean-Michel Guirao, and Stephen Marston.
The working title for this movie was Inspector Gadget Saves The Day... Maybe. It was originally intended to be the first in a series of several CGI animated "Inspector Gadget" movies, though no other films have been announced so far, presumably due to low sales.
Comic Book
A new Inspector Gadget comic book, based on the original 1983 TV series, will be launched in the U.S. by Viper ComicsViper Comics
Viper 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...
in 2011. A 32-page preview issue is set to be published as part of the Free Comic Book Day
Free Comic Book Day
Free 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...
on May 7, 2011; and the series will then continue as a regular, 48-page comic book from June onwards. The comic book is written by Dale Mettam and illustrated by José Cobá.
Inspector Gadget (1999)
Inspector Gadget was adapted into a 1999 live-action filmInspector Gadget (film)
Inspector 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...
by Disney, starring Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew 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 and Rupert Everett
Rupert Everett
Rupert 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. As opposed to the animated series, where Gadget is bumbling and clueless and Claw's face is never shown, Gadget appears to be more reliable and competent in detective work and Claw's face appears many times in the film.
Inspector Gadget 2 (2003)
Continuing on from he first film with slight changes, such as Doctor Bradford no longer assisting Gadget or being his romantic interest, instead being replaced by a well-meaning and up beat scientist named Baxter. Being a year in the move's time line, Gadget had begun displaying his cartoon name-sake's glitches by getting the wrong gadget when he calls out a device to use. He falls in love with his intended replacement, the robotic G2. See Inspector Gadget 2Inspector Gadget 2
Inspector 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...
(2003)
Inspector Gadget and the Circus of Fear
This game was written by Beam Software and was to have been released by Melbourne HouseMelbourne House
Krome Studios Melbourne, originally Beam Software, was a video game development studio founded in 1980 and based in Melbourne, Australia. The studio operated independently from 1987 until 1999, when it was acquired by Infogrames, who changed the name to Melbourne House...
in the UK in 1987 for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
. It resembled the arcade title Metrocross and was a left-to-right scrolling racing/jumping game with a quasi-isometric forced 3d perspective. Although the game was completed, and preview copies were reviewed (unfavourably) in the computing press, it was scrapped on the verge of release. See also Horace series
Horace series
The Horace video game series was created in the 1980s by William Tang for Beam Software. The series comprised Hungry Horace, Horace Goes Skiing and Horace and the Spiders....
.
Inspector Gadget: Mission Global Terror
An adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
released on the PC in 1990 by a company called Azeroth.
Inspector GadgetInspector Gadget (video game)Inspector Gadget is an action video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and is based on the television show of the same title. The game used a third-person side-scrolling perspective. A clear majority of the staff who made this game also made the video games SWAT Kats: The Radical...
Released for the SNES in 1993 by Hudson SoftHudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
. Notable due to the fact that Dr. Claw's face could be seen.
An NES game was also planned for release by Hudson Soft, but was soon cancelled.
Inspector Gadget Racers
A racing game featuring the Inspector Gadget characters. Released on the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in Europe.
Inspector Gadget: Advance Mission
Also released on the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
by DreamCatcher Interactive. It was released in Europe by Magic Pockets.
Gadget and the Gadgetinis
Released for the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
in Europe.
Inspector Gadget's MAD Dash
Released for iOS devices, iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
, by XMG Studio
XMG Studio
XMG Studio Inc. is based in Toronto, Canada and was founded by Ray Sharma in 2009. XMG is a mobile device gaming company developing video games and interactive content for multiple platforms including Apple iOS and Google Android. XMG Studio currently sells mobile applications in the Apple iTunes...
in 2010. This side-scroller adventure is the first Gadget video game since the unreleased "Inspector Gadget and the Circus of Fear" to feature Shuki Levy's original theme music. It also includes original voices from the show.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
On an 1989 episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! is an American television series based upon Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2 video games. It was originally broadcast via first-run syndication to mostly independent or Fox television stations from September 4, 1989, to December 1, 1989, with...
, a live action bumper segment titled "Defective Gadgetry" had a guest appearance by Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
, in which he came to the Mario Bros. for help in repairing him. Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
(who would assume the voice role in "Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets" ten years later) plays Gadget in this segment. A second live-action segment, "Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn" had Gadget returning to help the Mario Bros. find a lost treasure.
Inspector Gadget Rap
In 1985, two early rap albums were released with The Inspector Gadget Theme heavily sampled. Brownsville, Rap group Bad Boys & K-Love, made a record on Starlite Records called "Bad Boys", which was featured on the UK hip hop compilation "Street Sounds Electro 9." And also earlier that same year The Kartoon Krew released "Inspector Gadget" on ZYX MusicZYX Music
ZYX Music is a German record label which was founded in 1971 by Bernhard Mikulski. Until 1992, the label's name was Pop-Import Bernhard Mikulski. The label specialized in disco and early house music. Founder Bernhard Mikulski is credited with coining the term Italo disco in the 1980s...
, which actually had vocal samples and quotes from the popular cartoon series, which were reinacted by the Rap Group for the song. Following the trend, Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
and Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
used samples of Inspector Gadget on their single The Show. The cartoon series since then has been heavily sampled, dozens of times.
Robot ChickenRobot 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...
The episode "Adoption's an Option" featured a sketch featuring the Inspector Gadget characters in a parody of The TerminatorThe Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
. In this sketch, Gadget replaces a faulty part with a Cyberdyne part, only to be turned into an unstoppable killing machine when Skynet
Skynet (Terminator)
Skynet is the main antagonist in the Terminator franchise—an artificially intelligent system which became self-aware and revolted against its creators...
goes online. The sketch goes on to revolve around Penny and Brain trying to avoid being killed by the now-evil Gadget, eventually killing him in a factory. Meanwhile, Mad Cat dies of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
; at the end of the show, Dr. Claw blames Gadget for Mad Cat's death. Ironically, Dr. Claw claims that he somehow found out it was Penny and Brain who were behind all of Gadget's successful missions, and planned to gain control of Inspector Gadget via Skynet, and use him to kill them using the Cyberdyne technology that gained control of him. (Penny is played by Cree Summer
Cree Summer
Cree 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...
and Brain, Dr. Claw and Mad Cat by Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
, who were the original voice actors for the characters).
In a short sketch in "Easter Basket", Gadget is seen in bed with a (deceased) hooker. Gadget says "Go Go Gadget Hooker Clean", but then notices nothing happening. He then goes "Wowsers".