Since the cancellation of the original DiC animated television series, Inspector Gadget, in 1986, there have been many spin-offs based on the show.
Dr. Claw has locked up 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.
Don Adams, Frank Welker, Erica Horn and Maurice LaMarche provide the voices for the characters.
One of the many series to involve younger versions of famous cartoon franchises, 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.
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/I 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.
Following the adventures of Gadget Boy & Heather, they now have to stop Spydra across time.
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.
Released in 1999 to coincide with the feature film, 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.
In 2002, DiC released an animated direct-to-video 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 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, 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.
Released in 2005, this film had the same theme music as Inspector Gadget's Last Case, but used 3D computer animation, 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 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.
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 32-page preview issue was published as part of the Free Comic Book Day on May 7, 2011; the series then continued as a regular, 48-page comic book from June onwards. The comic book was written by Dale Mettam and illustrated by José Cobá.
Inspector Gadget was adapted into a 1999 live-action film by Walt Disney Pictures, 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.
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.
This game was written by Beam Software and was to have been released by Melbourne House 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
An adventure game released on the PC in 1990 by a company called Azeroth.
Video game. Released on the PlayStation.
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.
Released on the PlayStation 2, only in Europe.
A racing game featuring the Inspector Gadget characters. Released on the Game Boy Advance in Europe.
Also released on the Game Boy Advance by DreamCatcher Interactive. It was released in Europe by Magic Pockets.
Released on the Game Boy Color by UbiSoft.
Released for the PlayStation 2 and PC in Europe.
Released for iOS devices, iPhone 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.
On an 1989 episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super 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.
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 Music , 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.
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".
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