Everyone who grew up in the 1980s or grew up watching 1980s cartoon repeats would always brag about the cartoons that were broadcast on television at the time. In the 1980s, colorful cartoons such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers had a significant influence, establishing nostalgic brands that are still spawning reboots and sequels today. The majority of 1980s cartoons had heroic main characters who faced armies of enemies like the Foot clan or the Decepticons, teaching their audiences valuable lessons about the nature of good and evil. Today, we have got a terrific cartoon character from the 1980s for you to check out.
Inspector Gadget is an animated science fiction comedic television show created by Andy Heyward, Jean Chalopin, and Bruno Bianchi in the mid-1980s. Don Adams provides the voice of the title character in the series, which premiered on September 12, 1983. It was the very first animated series to air in stereo. Between 1983 and 1986, the show broadcasted 86 episodes over two seasons.
Inspector Gadget is a clumsy, dim-witted cyborg human with various bionic gadgets fitted into his body who is sent on missions to thwart plots by his archenemy Dr. Claw, the leader of an evil organization known as “M.A.D.” and is unwittingly supported by his niece Penny and their dog, Brain. It was a hugely successful cartoon in the 1980s, and it was a refreshing departure from the action and superhero cartoons that were prevalent at the time.
Inspector Gadget has become a popular figure, and in this video, we will look at his origin story, so let us get started!
How exactly was Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is the primary protagonist of the same-named franchise. He is Penny’s uncle, one of Brain’s proprietors, and a prominent employee of Chief Quimby. However, the true reason behind Inspector Gadget being a much-loved character was his personality and the way in which he conducted himself.
Inspector Gadget was a creative, valiant, mild-mannered, determined, brave, and kind-hearted individual, yet he was also foolish, amateurish, naive, awkward, and illiterate. He was also a terrible judge of character, believing that the bad guys were his buddies and his friends were his adversaries, making him quite the frazzled investigator. He adores his niece Penny and would go to great lengths to keep her safe. In fact, whenever he senses that Penny is in danger, he transforms into a capable person who goes out of his way to save her and save the day.
He is generally inept and survives thanks to not just his own good fortune, but also Penny and Brain’s undisclosed assistance. Gadget foils Dr. Claw’s daily plots, frequently with the help of Penny and Brain. The gadget comes the closest to capturing Claw twice, once during the teaser opening when he enters Claw’s lair and binds a dummy glove, only to have an explosive detonate in his face.
And the time he almost snags the M.A.D. Mobile with the Gadget Claw during a high-speed pursuit automobile chase, which takes place in the episode titled “The Amazon”. This, however, is intended to show that Dr. Claw always succeeds to elude punishment and that his face is never seen.
In the early episodes, he comes across as a man who is very competent, and Penny only dabbles in his investigations, but as time passes, he becomes into the goofy fool we all know and fell in love with over time.
When it comes to appearance, Gadget has straight black hair that protrudes from both sides of his head and a huge nose in the original cartoon. He’s dressed in a light grey Mackintosh raincoat and trilby hat with a paler grey stripe down the center, blue slacks, light grey shoes, and dark brown gloves. He doesn’t wear gloves or blue pants in the live-action movie.
His raincoat and hat are dark greys from the Maurice LaMarche era. His gloves are yellow as well. He’s also slimmer than he was in the original cartoon. He further wears the same clothing as in the original show in the 2015 remake, although, unlike Gadget’s prior animated portrayals, he is drawn with eyebrows.
Interestingly, his clothing is similar to that of Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther film trilogy. The gadget also virtually always dresses in the same trench coat, gloves, and hat. However, he has been seen wearing various costumes in his spare time on very rare occasions.
Thus, even though modifications have been made to his appearance over time, plausibly because the cartoon has been redrawn and slight changes have been made, he still embodies the goofy, kind-hearted yet intelligent and witty detective that children grew to love.
Some cool gadgets that he used
Considering the fact that Inspector Gadget was part cyborg, it is expected that he has many cool gadgets that often help him solve crimes and assist him during his investigations. Professor Von Slickstein gives him his devices in the original cartoon. Brenda Bradford plays the role in the live-action film. On a trading card, it is revealed that his accident was caused by tripping on a banana peel. Aside from that, nothing was known about his origin story. However, his most popular gadgets are as follows.
Gadget Binoculars are binoculars that lower down from his cap and cover his eyes. The following one is Gadget ‘Brella, which is a hand holding an umbrella that emerges from his hat. It can function as a parachute. Another notable invention is the Gadget Coat or Gadget Airbag, which is visible when his trench coat inflates as he tugs on one of its buttons, allowing him to float – in water or in the sky. The Gadget ‘Copter or Gadget Chopper are helicopter propeller wings that emerge from his headgear and allow him to fly. He also has Gadget Cuffs, a pair of handcuffs that protrude from his forearm right above his hand.
Gadget Hands is another well-known gadget that consists of many mechanical hands that may emerge from Gadget’s headgear. These hands will occasionally wield a camera, a motorized fan, a spotlight, a can opener, and other handy items. He also has Gadget Arms, Gadget Legs, and a Gadget Neck, which allows him to telescope and extend his neck, arms, and legs to extraordinary lengths. A crank embedded in his left hand can be utilized to retract his arm. His legs are shown to have spring mechanisms that allow him to extend his stride. Another is the Top-Secret Gadget Phone, which is a telephone that he holds in his hand. His thumb holds the earpiece, while his pinky finger holds the mouthpiece.
Gadget Skates, also known as Gadget Blades, are roller skates that protrude from the bottom of his shoes. He is frequently awkward and struggles to maintain his equilibrium on the skates. Later in the series, he tries his hand at making his own modifications, such as rockets that protrude from the sides. Finally, Gadget Springs is a gadget in which a spring emerges from his hat, allowing him to bounce, usually while falling headfirst and smacking his skull against the ground. His legs may also be extended via springs, which he frequently employs for jumping and landing. He also wears shoes with springs.
His Tryst With Dr. claw
The main nemesis of the Inspector Gadget franchise is Dr. Claw. Claw is conceited, selfish, nasty, merciless, heartless, evil, short-tempered, merciless, and a huge threat to Metro City as a whole. He is a deranged criminal genius who will go to any length to eliminate Inspector Gadget and rule the world. The majority of his plots involve terrorism and global strikes. Despite the fact that he is a wicked genius and a very dangerous psychopath, he believes Gadget’s naivety is a performance to tease him and regards him as his deadliest enemy, with no understanding that Penny and Brain do all the actual work.
At the end of each episode, Claw’s catchphrase is, “Gadget, I’ll get you next time! THE NEXT TIME!!! “, emphasizing that they are bitter adversaries and that he will go to any length to bring Gadget down. Dr. Claw is always willing to go to any length to obtain fortune or world dominance, not to mention eliminate his arch-enemy Inspector Gadget. His methods, however, frequently backfire when his men are jailed or when Gadget, Penny, or Brain interfere with them.
Thus, Inspector Gadget shares a terrible relationship with Dr. Claw where Claw is the evil genius to his good detective. He is often targeted by Dr Claw and they are both constantly worrying about how to foil the other plans. In simple words, without the cat and mouse dynamic that these two have, this series would simply not exist because there is no use of a detective if there is no one committing crimes in the first place.
A Brief Review of the show
Inspector Gadget is a timeless masterpiece. The animation has a fantastic aesthetic to it; much loved by audiences who remember it fondly is the designs of the characters and settings, and the colors are also visually appealing. The music alone elevates the show to classic status; the theme song is fantastic. The writing is consistent in a good way, the plots are always fascinating and well-thought-out, and the pacing is just right. The characters make a significant contribution to the show. The gadget is bumbling but charming, Penny is not irritating but rather likable and intelligent, and Dr. Claw is a fantastic adversary. The voice acting is also quite good; Don Adams, Cree Summer, and Frank Welker are all excellent.
It’s a lot of fun watching Inspector Gadget use his various gadgets and tools to get himself into and out of dangerous situations. And, for this cartoon, the fact that Dr. Claw’s face is almost never visible adds to the suspense. It’s a great show with lots of laughs, adventures, and catchy theme music. Overall, this childhood favorite is a classic that is well worth seeking out.
Inspector Gadget would obtain his orders from Police Chief Quimby, who was generally lurking in the oven or a waste bin. The gadget would then set off to tackle crime using a plethora of devices such as an umbrella that came out of his head and sprang on his toes. In reality, Gadgets possessed a plethora of gadgets; how they managed to fit them all into the human body is a wonder. The gadget would go out to fight crime, but he was an inept detective. It was really his niece Penny and his dog Brain who solved the crime, but Gadget took full credit.
With this premise in place and with a friendly, kind main character that was Gadget, it is not a surprise that this show became as popular as it did. It was vastly different from most of the mainstream children’s cartoon that was being aired at the time since the lead was ditzy, clumsy, and not some all-knowing superhero who could fight crime in the blink of an eye. Do you remember watching Inspector Gadget? If yes, let us know your favorite episodes and characters in the comments section below!