''Inspector Gadget'' is a

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...

that began in 1983 with the DIC Entertainment animated television series '' Inspector Gadget''. Since the original series, there have been many spin-offs based on the show, including additional animated series, video games, and films. The franchise follows the adventures of a sympathetic but dimwitted

cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.Dr. Claw and his organization, M.A.D., and fruitlessly attempts to stop him. However, neither side is aware that it is Gadget's niece, Penny, and her dog, Brain, who are truly responsible for thwarting M.A.D.

Main characters

Inspector Gadget

The protagonist and eponymous character of the franchise and the mascot of DIC, initially voiced by Don Adams. Gadget is a

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the Spy fiction, secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Bu ...

'' TV show, using similar catchphrases and manners of speech. However, his attire and absent-minded personality are much closer to

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. Sellers featured on a number of hit comi ...

' portrayal of Inspector Clouseau from the classic ''

The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Clouseau, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the fil ...

'' series of movies. In fact, in the original ''Inspector Gadget'' pilot, he has a mustache just like Inspector Clouseau's, which was removed in subsequent episodes possibly to satisfy a copyright claim by MGM. Gadget has a knack of inadvertently saving the day, usually without realizing he is doing so. Gadget loves his family more than anything and would do anything to keep them from harm, especially Penny. He was voiced by Don Adams in the original series and ''Inspector Gadget's Field Trip'' until Adams' retirement from voicing Gadget in 1999, Gary Owens and later Jesse White in the original series' pilot episode, Keith Scott in the KFC commercials in Australia and Maurice LaMarche in the ''Super Mario Bros. Super Show'', ''Gadget and the Gadgetinis'', the direct-to-video animated films, and various DIC Kids Network bumpers. For the 2015 series, the voice of Gadget is provided by Ivan Sherry. The first live-action film gave Gadget's real name as Jonathan "John" Brown, though later French promotional materials gave his real name as Augustin Tamare. He was portrayed by Matthew Broderick in the first film, and by French Stewart in the sequel.

Dr. Claw

Dr. Claw is the main antagonist of the franchise. He is the leader of an evil crime syndicate called M.A.D. Only his arms are shown, wearing silver gauntlets with golden spiked wrist bands and a gold M.A.D. signet ring on one of the right middle fingers. He has a pet cat named MAD Cat, who is often napping but is startled awake when Dr. Claw slams his fist on his console if Gadget foils his evil plans. A parody of Ernst Stavro Blofeld from the James Bond franchise, his face is never seen at all (except in the first live action film, the second film had his face obscured by his hat and coat) with only his hands and pet cat visible. On a Dr. Claw action figure, the face was covered by a sticker on the box, which meant the toy had to be bought for his face to be seen. He is ruthless, murderous, sinister, dark, sadistic, and greedy, and will do anything to rule the world and destroy Gadget. In '' Gadget and the Gadgetinis'', he reveals that he thinks Gadget's idiocy is an act to taunt him. In the 2015 series, he is noticeably less competent and malicious and the crimes he commits are a lot more petty, he is also accompanied by his nephew Talon, who acts as his second in command and a rival to Penny. He has been voiced by Frank Welker, Don Francks, Brian Drummond, Doug Rand, and Martin Roach. In the first live action film his name is revealed to be Sanford Scolex and he is portrayed by Rupert Everett. Tony Martin subsequently took over the role of Dr. Claw in the sequel.

Penny

Penny is Gadget's intelligent niece and the one who really stops Dr. Claw's evil schemes. She uses many high-tech devices to help her secretly solve the cases and stop the bad guys such as a computer book, a video watch, a laptop, and a holographic tablet. However, her meddling often leads to her getting kidnapped by the villains, which leaves Brain to rescue her. She is 10 in the original series, 12 in ''Gadget and the Gadgetinis'', 16 in ''Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever'', and 14 (later turning 15) in the 2015 series. Penny loves her uncle more than anything, which is why she is always ready to help him behind his back, but on a few occasions she gets annoyed by his stupidity. In ''Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever'', she is notably more selfish, and unlike any other version, she doesn't try to help her uncle at all. In the 2015 series, she has become an agent in training, is more physically active than in previous versions, and has a rivalry (and crush) with Dr. Claw's nephew, Talon. For the original series, her voice was portrayed by Mona Marshall in the pilot episode, Cree Summer in the first season, and Holly Berger in the second season. In the commercials for KFC in Australia, she was voiced by Robyn Moore. Erica Horn provided her voice in '' Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas''. From 2001 to 2005, she was voiced by Tegan Moss.

Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...

voices her in the 2015 series. In the first live action film she is portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. Caitlin Wachs portrays her in the sequel.

Brain

Brain is Gadget and Penny's shy but intelligent, sweet, lovable and curious 4-(later 5)-year-old dog. He is the only one who knows that Penny is the one who really saves the world. Brain usually has the job of keeping Gadget safe on his missions while Penny investigates M.A.D's crimes. He usually disguises himself when following Gadget, which often causes Gadget to think he's a M.A.D Agent. He is absent in '' Gadget and the Gadgetinis'' and only shows up in pictures. The reason given for why he is absent is because after all the years of secretly helping Gadget, he has become phobic of gadgets, Gadget, and the word itself. He ran away to a riverside shack to get away from Gadget. He returned in the episode, ''No Brainer'', where Penny made him a translation collar in order to help find Gadget. However, he does return in later spinoffs. His voice was played in the original series by Frank Welker, Maurice LaMarche in '' Gadget and the Gadgetinis'', and Scott McCord in the 2015 series. Lee Tockar voiced him in ''Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever''. In the first live action film he is voiced by Don Adams. In the sequel he is voiced by Jeff Bennett. In the Australian KFC commercials he was voiced by Keith Scott.

Chief Frank Quimby

Chief Quimby is Gadget's moody boss and the chief of the Metro City police (Riverton Police Department in the live-action Disney films). He usually pops up near the beginning of each episode to give Gadget a sheet of paper describing his mission. Once Gadget finishes reading them, the paper self-destructs and blows up in Quimby's face in a parody of '' Mission: Impossible''. He appears at the end to congratulate Gadget and give him full credit for stopping Dr. Claw. He is unaware that Penny did all the work, even though she always calls him. In '' Gadget and the Gadgetinis'', he has become an agent for the CIA. In the 2015 series, he is given glasses, and his hair is blonde instead of brown. He was mentioned by Gadget in some episodes of '' Inspector Gadget's Field Trip''. His voice in the original series was provided by John Stephenson in the pilot, Dan Hennessey in the first season, and Maurice LaMarche for the second season and the 1992 Christmas Special. Jim Byrnes voiced him in ''Inspector Gadget's Last Case''. He is voiced by Derek McGrath in the 2015 series. In the first live action film he is portrayed by Dabney Coleman. Mark Mitchell portrays him in the sequel.

Recurring characters

Series and television specials

''Inspector Gadget'' (1983)

The original

animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

in the franchise, ''Inspector Gadget'', debuted in 1983 and introduced audiences to the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted bionic

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

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." ''Inspector Gadget'' was the first TV series from DiC Entertainment to be produced directly for syndication. Its two seasons originally ran from 1983 to 1985 and remained in syndication into the late 1990s.

''Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas''

In 1992, DiC produced an animated Christmas special based on the series, '' Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas.'' In the special, Dr. Claw has locked up

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

at the North Pole and hypnotized his elves, forcing them to break all toys that are being produced. 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 The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

. Don Adams, Frank Welker, Erica Horn and Maurice LaMarche provide the voices for the characters.

''Gadget Boy & Heather''

The 1995 ''Gadget Boy and Heather'' series was a spinoff from the original show. The series is about a younger version of Gadget, "Gadget Boy" (also voiced by Don Adams). Instead of Penny and Brain the Dog, Gadget Boy was assisted by the resourceful Heather (voiced by

). Just as maladroit as his 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 of high-tech gadgets and extendable arms and legs. In this series, traditional nemesis Dr. Claw was replaced by the villainess Spydra. In addition, the chief, Strombolli had a "fax tie" that exploded after the mission was read, continuing the running gag from the original series in which Chief Quimby would get blown up by an exploding message.

''Gadget Boy's Adventures in History''

Two years later, in 1997, ''Gadget Boy & Heather'' spawned an educational spinoff, '' Gadget Boy's Adventures in History'', which aired on The History Channel. This series marked the last time Don Adams would perform a voice role for an animated Gadget series two years before his retirement from voicing an animated Gadget in 1999 and eight years before his death in 2005.

''Inspector Gadget's Field Trip''

In 1996, Gadget took students around the world in this series of 50 field trips, mainly created to market to stations to fulfill the FCC E/I requirements. The show put an animated Inspector Gadget on top of live-action filming of the locations that Gadget guided viewers through. Don Adams returned as Gadget's voice while Penny, Brain, Chief Quimby (although mentioned by Gadget in some episodes), Capeman and Dr. Claw are entirely absent.

''Gadget & the Gadgetinis''

In 2002, the French studio SIP Animation (Saban International Paris), in cooperation with DiC, produced 52 episodes of the then-new TV series ''Gadget and the Gadgetinis.'' The series debuted on Channel 5 in the UK in August 2002, followed by French channel M6 in September 2002 and then on

Fox Kids Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized in all caps) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a j ...

channels across Europe from 2003. It was planned to air in the United States on Fox Family, but after the Channel was acquired by Disney in 2001 it never did and so it has never aired in the United States. Inspector Gadget (again voiced by Maurice LaMarche) is now a member of an organization called "WOMP" (World Organization of Mega Powers) and is now, Lieutenant Gadget. He is still 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, due to Brain running away. It follows the same plot as the original series, with the dim-witted Gadget attempting to fight crime on his own, while Penny and her helpers secretly do all the work. Dr. Claw, now with the first name George, returns as the main villain, with his relatives introduced in some episodes. In some stories, he is replaced by other villains. The production values of this series were higher than any of the previous revivals and spinoff series. Also, the original creators of '' Inspector Gadget'' were all involved: Andy Heyward was one of the executive producers; Jean Chalopin wrote or co-wrote all the episodes, in addition to being credited as the new show's creator; whereas Bruno Bianchi directed and produced the series.

''Inspector Gadget'' (2015)

A new computer-animated '' Inspector Gadget'' TV series had been in development since at least the start of 2012, possibly earlier. It was commissioned by Teletoon Canada, which aired the show, and put into preproduction by The Cookie Jar Company. In January 2012, the then-in-development show was mentioned by Ray Sharma, the CEO of XMG Studio, which produced the hit mobile game "Inspector Gadget: M.A.D. Dash". Sharma described how the success of the game had resulted in a new TV series having been in the making: "We did 1 million downloads in a week, and it's reinvigorated the TV brand with a new TV series in production." In September 2012, Cookie Jar issued a short press release about the then-upcoming series, as part of the advertising for it during the MIPCOM market that October, stating: "Cookie Jar Entertainment is celebrating Inspector Gadget’s 30th anniversary with the launch of a brand-new series with its Canadian broadcast partner TELETOON. The series will again revolve around the iconic bionic bumbling detective." On June 9, 2013, Teletoon officially announced the reboot show with two press pictures of Gadget's new look as well as a press release: "MAD Agents, look out! Criminals, beware! Bystanders … take cover! Inspector Gadget is back to battle Dr. Claw with all-new gadgets – and all-new gadget-related chaos. But the loveable, bumbling, accidentally-destructive Inspector is not alone in the fight to take down MAD. His ever trusty police-dog, Brain, is still by his side and he's getting extra crime-fighting help from his new partner, Inspector-in-training Penny (voiced by

). With MAD more powerful than ever and with the arrival of Dr. Claw's evil-genius (and totally crush-worthy) nephew Talon, Penny and Brain will need to use every ounce of their training to keep the world safe from Dr. Claw … and Gadget." Unlike the other shows, Penny is more of the protagonist and Dr. Claw is as incompetent and useless as Gadget (if not more so). The series was produced by DHX Media, which purchased Cookie Jar in 2012. According to a DHX Media distribution catalogue released as a PDF on January 15, 2014, the show premiered in 2015 on Netflix. On December 4, 2014, it was announced that the series has 26 episodes and that it would air on

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

's international channels in 2015. The series premiered on

in Australia on January 5, 2015.

Films

Live-action

''Inspector Gadget'' was adapted into a 1999 live action film by

Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...

, starring Matthew Broderick as the title character and Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw. As opposed to the animated series, where Gadget is bumbling and clueless and Dr. Claw's face is never shown, Gadget appears to be more reliable and competent in detective work and Dr. Claw's face appears many times in the film. In addition, Gadget and Dr. Claw were also given civilian names; Jonathan "John" Brown and Sanford Scolex, respectively. A second film, '' Inspector Gadget 2'' featured many changes from the first one, such as Doctor Bradford no longer assisting Gadget or being his romantic interest, instead being replaced by a well-meaning and upbeat scientist named Baxter and a new romantic interest named G2 and Gadget and Claw's civilian names are no longer mentioned. Being a year later in the movie's timeline, Gadget had begun displaying his cartoon namesake's glitches by receiving the wrong gadget when he calls out a specific device. He falls in love with his intended replacement: the fully robotic G2. Furthermore, none of the cast from the first film returned to their roles except D. L. Hughley.

Reboot

In May 2015, it was announced that a new film with a rebooted version of the character is in the works. Like the live-action films, it will be done by

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

, with Dan Lin producing it. In October 2019, Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell were hired to write the film.

Animated

''Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets''

Released on VHS by Buena Vista Home Video in March 2000 to coincide with Disney's live action theatrical film, '' Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets'' takes the format of a

clip show A clip show is an episode of a Television program, television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows include a frame story in which cast members recall events from past installments of the show, depicte ...

in which Gadget has a flashback to his past adventures in the original TV series, using footage from the episodes "The Capeman Cometh", "Prince of the Gypsies", and "Gadget's Gadgets"; as well as some stock footage from ''Inspector Gadget's Field Trip'' for the present-day segments. Maurice LaMarche did Inspector Gadget's voice in the modern segments, marking his first cartoon voice appearance as Gadget, who had previously been voiced by Don Adams. Original series actors Cree Summer and Frank Welker reprised their roles as Penny, Brain and Dr. Claw in the modern segments.

''Inspector Gadget's Last Case''

In 2002, as part of the '' DIC Movie Toons'' series of movies, DIC released a full-length animated

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

called ''Inspector Gadget's Last Case'', directed by Michael Maliani. It premiered on television on October 6, 2002, on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

and was released on DVD and VHS shortly afterward by

MGM Home Entertainment MGM Home Entertainment LLC (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, d/b/a MGM Home Entertainment and formerly known as MGM Home Video, MGM/CBS Home Video and MGM/UA Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of the American med ...

. The film is about Inspector Gadget giving up his beloved but aging Gadgetmobile, while his archenemy Dr. Claw uses a competing crime fighter to discredit Gadget and cost him his badge. Penny and Brain make appearances as minor supporting characters. In this, Gadget is more competent, yet he is still bumbling, similar to his persona in the pilot episode and his Matthew Broderick counterpart. Even though the film uses the same character designs as the concurrent ''Gadget & The Gadgetinis'' TV series, SIP Animation was not involved with the production of this movie. Maurice LaMarche reprised the role of Gadget in this film and Jaleel White voiced the Gadgetmobile. In most European regions, the movie aired on

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

or Toon Disney. In Germany, the film aired on

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

''Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever''

''Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever'' was released on September 6, 2005, by Lions Gate Home Entertainment. It is the first ''Inspector Gadget'' animated production to be completely rendered using 3D computer animation. Its voice cast includes Maurice LaMarche as Inspector Gadget, Tegan Moss as Penny, Brian Drummond as Dr. Claw, and Bernie Mac as Gadgetmobile. In the film, Dr. Claw escapes from jail and seeks a prehistoric dragon-like creature that will help him get revenge on his captors and conquer the world. Production on the film was announced in May 2004, under the working title ''Inspector Gadget Saves the Day... Maybe''.

Cancelled projects

''Gadget Girl''

In November 1992, DIC announced they would be developing a spin-off titled ''Gadget Girl'', featuring a female protagonist. In 1994,

Bohbot Entertainment Bohbot Entertainment was an American advertising and marketing company specializing in the children's market founded in 1985, and had traded under various different names over the years. The company produced and distributed programming under thei ...

acquired US-syndication rights for airing on their Amazin' Adventures block. However, the series would never see the light of day. During the development of fellow Gadget spin-off '' Gadget Boy'', it was confirmed by staff that ''Gadget Girl'' was one of the many ideas in what would become ''Gadget Boy''.

''GI Gadget''

In 1999, DIC announced they would be co-producing a new ''Inspector Gadget'' series to cash-in on the success of the live-action movie tentatively titled ''GI Gadget'', which would be co-produced with French-animation studio Arles Animation. ''GI Gadget'' have featured the titular character joining an elite army commando unit. The series was planned to start with a TV Movie in 2000 and the full series in 2001, but nothing else was mentioned of the series and was silently canceled not long after. Arles Animation would later be purchased by

BKN International BKN International AG (BKNI) was a German kids TV production and distribution company that formerly operated as the international division of Bohbot Entertainment, BKN, Inc. History BKN International was originally founded as Bohbot Entertainmen ...

in June of that year.

Unnamed 2009 series

In April 2008, a new ''Inspector Gadget'' series was announced to premiere in Spring 2009 to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary. The series would have taken a darker tone than the other ''Inspector Gadget'' series, featuring a 2D/3D animesque art style with cinematic camera angles and dramatic musical cues, as well as new villains alongside Dr. Claw. The series was never produced, and was canceled likely due to DIC's purchase by Cookie Jar Entertainment in July 2008.

Video games

The first game developed based on the series was '' Inspector Gadget and the Circus of Fear'' developed by Beam Software and scheduled for release by Melbourne House in the UK in 1987 for the

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

and

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...

. It resembled the arcade title Metro-Cross 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. The game featured a cameo by the titular character from the Horace series of games. An adventure game based on the series, '' Inspector Gadget: Mission 1 – Global Terror!'' was eventually released on the PC in 1990 by a company called Azeroth. An LCD Electronic ''Inspector Gadget'' developed by Bandai was released in 1984. An NES game was planned for release by Hudson Soft, but was quietly cancelled. Instead, Hudson released an SNES game in 1993 simply called '' Inspector Gadget''. The game features a rare glimpse of Dr. Claw's face. In March 2000, it was announced that

Ubi Soft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include ''Anno (video game series), Anno'', ' ...

had teamed with Light & Shadow Production to release an ''Inspector Gadget'' game for the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...

. That game was revealed as '' Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Crazy Maze'', with a

Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...

title '' Inspector Gadget: Operation Madkactus'', following as well. After this partnership, Light and Shadow Production released three ''Inspector Gadget'' titles on their own - '' Inspector Gadget: Advance Mission'' for

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

(Published by DreamCatcher Interactive in the United States) and two European-exclusive titles - '' Inspector Gadget: Mad Robots Invasion'' for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...

and '' Inspector Gadget Racing'' for the Game Boy Advance. After Light & Shadow Production was purchased by Hip Games, the latter company released '' Gadget & Gadgetinis'' for the PlayStation 2 and PC in Europe. An iOS game based on the series was first released by Namco in 2009. The Namco Inspector Gadget game was removed from the

App Store An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not i ...

in 2011. Another game titled ''Inspector Gadget's MAD Dash'' was released for iOS devices,

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

and

iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and formerly marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a po ...

, by XMG Studio in 2010. It features Shuki Levy's original theme music and also includes original voices from the show. In the same game, Doctor Claw reveals his face and is once again given the first name George. On April 27, 2023, publisher Microids announced a party game, ''Inspector Gadget – Mad Time Party'', which was released on September 14, 2023 for

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...

, Xbox Series X/S and

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

. In this game, MAD has taken over Metro City, to which Professor Von Slickstein creates a time machine to prevent this from happening, however Gadget accidentally destroyed it and inadvertently summoned his ancestors from different eras in time. In order to fix this, Inspector Gadget and his ancestors compete in challenges to collect parts to repair the time machine, capture disguised MAD agents, and save Metro City from the rule of Dr. Claw.

Music

The original ''Inspector Gadget'' theme song was composed by American composer Shuki Levy (who also wrote the themes for ''Power Rangers'' and ''Digimon''), and was based on

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic music, Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwid ...

's " In the Hall of the Mountain King". Several early rap records sampling the ''Inspector Gadget'' theme song were released in 1985. The Kartoon Krew also released "Inspector Gadget" on ZYX Music, which contains vocal samples and quotes from the popular cartoon series, reenacted by the rap group for the song. East New York rap group Bad Boys & K-Love released a record on Starlite Records, "Bad Boys", featured on the UK hip hop compilation '' Street Sounds Electro 9''. Following the trend, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh used samples from the ''Inspector Gadget'' theme song on their single " The Show". The theme song has been heavily sampled in the years since then.

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

-based punk band

Lagwagon Lagwagon is an American punk rock band originally from Goleta, California, just outside Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara. They formed in 1989, went on hiatus in 2000, and reunited several times over the years. Their name comes from the ba ...

recorded a short instrumental cover of the theme song on their 1992 album '' Duh''. The new (2015) theme was composed by Canadian film and TV composers Stephen Skratt and Asher Lenz, "once again using ''In the Hall of the Mountain King'' as inspiration". In 2023, co-creator Jean Chalopin's daughter, Tanis Chalopin, composed an original soundtrack for the video game "Inspector Gadget: MAD Time Party" as well as a new arrangement on the original theme.

Books

A new ''Inspector Gadget'' comic book, based on the original 1983 TV series, was launched in the U.S. by Viper Comics in 2011. A preview issue was published as part of Free Comic Book Day on May 7, 2011; the entire story was then released officially in August as a 48-page comic book titled "Inspector Gadget: Gadget on the Orient Express". The comic book was written by Dale Mettam and illustrated by José Cobá. No follow-up issues have been released to date.

Other appearances

On a 1989 episode of '' The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', another DiC production, 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. This was his first live-action appearance predating the 1999 live action film that was released ten years later. 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. The ''

Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...

'' 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 Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

; 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 voiced by Cree Summer and Brain & Dr. Claw by Frank Welker, who were the original voice actors for the characters.) The 2019 video game '' Tales of the Neon Sea'' features a reference to Inspector Gadget in the form of a character called "Detective Gadget of Starlight City", who joined the police force on the 6th of September 2117 and was killed in action on August 5, 2126, protecting civilians. In 2022, Gadget and Brain made a brief cameo appearance in a Renault Clio commercial made for

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, featuring " Video Killed the Radio Star" by

The Buggles The Buggles are an English New wave music, new wave band formed in London in 1977 by singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. They are best known for their 1979 debut single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which topped the UK ...

References

External links

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