Inspector Gadget on Children's ITV (plus one Fox Kids ad)

The online TV museum TVARK has among its videos some British television spots with Inspector Gadget. Especially charming are three clips aired on Children's ITV on November 14, 1986, serving as links between the channel's programs. In them, presenter Matthew Kelly is showing off drawings of Inspector Gadget sent in by Gadget's many young fans, all the while the clock is ticking nearer towards the actual show. I can't embed the videos, but read on to get direct links to all of them.



The first clip features an introduction by Matthew Kelly as well as a full-figure drawing of Gadget by an 11-year old fan named Louise. Of course, Kelly takes the occasion to remind Louise and other viewers that today is the day of Gadget's return to the channel, at 4:25 pm!

The second clip features a large drawing of Gadget's face by a fan named Georgina (you'll have to click on the video link to see that one). By this point, there's only a few minutes until 4:25 - and the presenter makes sure to point this out to Georgina with a firm message to not go away! I have to say, Matthew Kelly does know how to build up the excitement and expectations. (As well as how to make the kids sit through a commercial break - who would dare change their channel after hearing that?)

By the third clip, children glued to the TV screens could draw a sigh of relief: Kelly, after presenting two more fan drawings, finally lets them watch Inspector Gadget. I was a bit surpriced to hear him call Gadget a "brand-new series", but I'm guessing the series was brand-new to Children's ITV in 1986. (By the way,  if you're disappointed that the video cuts off just as the intro starts, here's a longer version of the clip which includes the entire intro.)



The last spot I found is completely unrelated to Children's ITV, but I might as well include it for the sake of completion. It's a 1996 ad aired on the then-new, UK Fox Kids channel, about its upcoming Comedy Club program block, where Inspector Gadget is one of the players. The presenter in this one is no match for Matthew Kelly, but you can't blame him for not being energetic.

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Pre-listen to Télé 80's New Gadget CD Now

Télé 80's partner GénériKids has launched exclusive online previews - or pre-listens - of the upcoming batch of Télé 80 CDs, including the extremely-long-awaited "Inspecteur Gadget - Edition Speciale: 30e Anniversaire 1983-2013"! GénériKids also specifies that this and the other new Télé 80 CDs are limited to 500 copies only. For various reasons, I didn't get around to write about this before now... but I discovered the previews on Sunday night (or Monday morning, if you will) and listened through all 30 track extracts from the Gadget CD. Overall verdict: I think they sound great! The majority of the music comes across as clear, flawless and vibrant. Admittedly, some slight hissing can be heard on a few tracks (I suspect these are among the tracks that were remastered directly from vinyls, rather than sourced from master tapes), but this does not feel like a big distraction.



As you might notice from my comment on GénériKids' site, I had a different kind of problem with the extract of track 30, the American "Inspector Gadget Theme" (02:50, originally released on ABC's Australian soundtrack edition). Listening to the GénériKids extract on Monday morning, it actually sounded like the track was both sped up and in mono - whereas the original version is in stereo! However, GénériKids seems to have updated this track sometimes after I posted my comment: the stereo is now more noticeable, and the tempo sounds more or less correct. Even so -- comparing with the Australian album version, I do get the feeling that the GénériKids extract still plays just a little bit too fast... and the music feels emptier, somehow, than it does in the Australian release. Maybe it's just me being too nit-picky... but here, check out a YouTube upload of "Inspector Gadget Theme" and compare for yourself. If there really is some problem with the track, it might hopefully just be some technical error with the extract on the web site (GénériKids changing this specific extract after the initial publication might be an indicator of that), so I'll reserve final judgment until I hear it on the CD.

 

I noticed another odd detail in the extract of track 28, "Inspector Gadget (Ending TV)" ("Gadget Closing" on the original Australian edition). I'm not even sure if this is a mistake, but I'll try explaining it to you anyway: Right in the start of GénériKids' track extract, the stereo effect sounds different from the Australian-released version of the song (the Australian soundtrack is presumably where Télé 80 got this track from). In the online GénériKids extract, the second and third notes of the composition are heard in the left and right speaker, respectively - i. e. in the left and right ear if you listen to the song through a headset. However, on the Australian edition of the same song, the second and third notes were both heard more or less in the middle, as you can hear in this extract from my own copy:







So why, then, are the notes in question heard in the left and right speakers in the Générikids extract - when this extract otherwise sounds exactly like the Australian soundtrack version? Did the CD producers remix the stereo? Or is Télé 80's version from a different, original source? I will have to guess/hope the latter, just because - after all - why would the CD producers have any reason to alter the original stereo effects? For that matter, the difference doesn't make the song any less enjoyable. I'm just curious about where the difference came from.



Regardless of the above-mentioned details, I still think we're in for a very good CD edition. Almost all of the tracks sound good and many of them sound fantastic. Not to mention that - unless I'm completely mistaken when listening to track 27 - it sounds like we'll be getting the rare STEREO VERSION of "Inspector Gadget (Opening TV)", the original, American opening theme (which to my knowledge has only been released in mono on earlier CD compilations)!



In other news: Physical production of the CD was finished more than a week ago, according to an August 20 Facebook post by Télé 80. The first (very positive) review has popped up on the French site Animeland. In fact, French fans can actually order the disc right now from GénériKids' partner Génération Souvenirs, while the rest of the world will have to wait until September 30. At least we can already pre-order the CD from Amazon.fr...



UPDATE (September 17, 2013): The CD is actually not yet available from Génération Souvenirs. There has apparently been a delivery delay with all 4 new Télé 80 CDs. Télé 80 has been assuring people on Facebook that the CDs will be in stock "in a few days"... but by this point, they've been saying that for the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Priceminister claims to have the disc in stock for the French fans who want to try their luck there.



UPDATE #2 (September 22, 2013): Génération Souvenirs finally has the CD in stock, after some very unexpected delivery problems: the package originally sent to them from the production factory got lost in the mail according to a recent explanation by Télé 80. Télé 80 also mentioned that they in fact ended up printing only 300 copies of each new CD. Génération Souvenirs will ship orders from Monday onwards.

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Ancient DiC: Watch a "Cro et Bronto" Episode Online!

Remember Cro and Bronto? The caveman and dinosaur starring in one of DiC's first series, which I wrote about back in February of 2012? Back then, I had just found out that DiC's mini-series Cro et Bronto (1980) was one of the very first series that Gadget co-creator Bruno Bianchi directed. Co-directed, that is, as Bianchi shared the director's credit with Edouard David, later one of the principal character designers (alongside Bianchi) on Inspector Gadget. My curiosity was instantly piqued when hearing about this pre-Gadget work by Bianchi and David, but there was one problem... it was simply impossible to see. I couldn't track down any episodes online, not even a clip. Nor could I find a trace of information about VHSes or any other commercial releases of the series (probably because there are none). "Cro et Bronto" became one of the most unfindable cartoons I've ever tried to find on the World Wide Web.



Until a few months ago. This May, one episode of the series finally made it online. The French animation site Osibo News did a lenghty report on the history-of-DiC book "Les séries de notre enfance", and in the process posted several bonus videos featuring early DiC shows. Among these videos: the below "Cro et Bronto" installment! The video is terribly interlaced and the audio slightly out of sync, but no matter. Press the play button below to see this (literally) ancient DiC cartoon for yourself:







As great as it feels to finally get to see the series, though, I have to admit I'm not very impressed with it. It's so clearly inspired by Hollywood's classic chase cartoons of the 40s and 50s, and it so clearly pales in comparison to those great cartoons. The most obvious link is of course to Chuck Jones' Roadrunner cartoons: Like Wile E. Coyote, the small cro-magnon Cro lives to catch an animal; like the Roadrunner, Bronto the brontosaurus is the animal that never gets caught. And of course, this 1-minute-and-20-seconds-long cartoon manages to be more predictable than any entry in the Roadrunner series. Still, there were touches and details that I liked. The design is my favorite element, as it feels so distinctly French - very much in the vein of classic, French-Belgian comic strips. Cro in particular feels like he could have stepped right out of a series like Asterix or Iznogoud. And the absent-minded, naive personality of Bronto has a certain charm. Bronto's slow-paced, bumbling walk cycle is perhaps the best piece of animation seen in the episode.



One note about Bronto's personality: In my previous post about this series, I actually wrote that Bronto "...has a crush on Cro... and never realizes that Cro is out to hurt him". I've come to realize later on that the part about "crush" is not correct. I originally came to that conclusion because of French-written information from Planète Jeunesse - information that I translated through Google Translate and then interpreted on my own where the grammar and wording made things confusing. Couple that confusion with the below screenshot that I also found on Planète Jeunesse...

...and, well, you can hopefully see where I got things mixed up. The thing is, Bronto does love Cro - but he loves him like a dog loves his master, like an ever-loyal friend. I realized this when re-reading a post about the series on the blog Le Grenier de la télé, where it's mentioned specifically that "...Bronto, naïf à faire peur, adore Cro comme un chien aime son maître...". Or in English:"...Bronto, too naive to be afraid [of Cro], adores Cro like a dog loves his master..." So there you go. Makes about 100% more sense than my "crush", right? I'm still not sure why I found it logical in any way that the dinosaur Bronto would have a romantic crush on the caveman Cro... but as I recall, that February 2012 post was written very late at night...

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Jean Chalopin Talks Gadget - Old and New

Old news by now, but: A July 1 article from The Globe and Mail reveals some more info on Gadget's upcoming TV series. Among other things, it talks about Teletoon Canada's hopes for reviving the inspector on their channel:

When the bumbling detective last graced the screen, cartoons were exclusively aired on Saturday mornings and remote controls were still considered optional components for most televisions. Now he’ll compete against on-demand services that serve up thousands of cartoons at any time, as well as dozens of other distractions that have viewers turning away from traditional television in favour of online alternatives. 

It’s hoped that by tapping an existing franchise that has endured decades of syndication, the show will win viewers quickly and encourage them to put down their devices and sit down in front of the television. 

“In 1981, the pace of television was very slow,” says Jean Chalopin, the show’s co-creator and a consultant on the new series. “If you did the same thing exactly now, it would be very difficult to get an audience. Kids today are used to seeing different forms of animation and moods.”

Gadget’s return, scheduled for some time within the next year, is being orchestrated by Teletoon Canada, which needs to draw more adult viewers to its subscription-based channel to attract the kind of advertiser it needs to drive profits higher. The media world is so crowded –YouTube alone has more than a billion users a month looking for fresh content – that it’s almost impossible for a conventional television station to create a new cartoon series that will deliver the ratings needed to drive up advertising revenue. 

“The challenge is drawing adults to their television in the hours before 9 p.m.,” says Alan Gregg, the director of original content at Teletoon Canada. “One idea we had was to bring back franchises that already have an adult appeal.”

I like the fact that Teletoon wants the new series to attract adults as well as kids. But in my eyes, the most interesting piece of information appears right in the middle of the above quote: Jean Chalopin, DiC's founder and Gadget's co-creator, is a consultant on the new series! The Globe and Mail piece features only snippets from the interview with Chalopin, but article writer Steve Ladurantaye has posted the complete interview transcript on his personal site! This is pretty much the only interview I've ever seen with Jean Chalopin talking at length about Gadget:

How did the original series start?
We started in Paris and ended up in Toronto. We started in Paris looking for a character to finance an animation series, we wanted it to be a toy so we could get a toy company to finance the show. But we never produced anything more than a plush toy with Gadget, it was never a success as a toy. But the idea we liked, so we took it to others. He became a mixture of other characters, the Six Million Dollar Man and Insp. Clouseau. We felt a toy was no longer essential and we found a way to finance with French television, Canadian television and some financing from the U.S. We produced 65 episodes up front, all in Canada. 

How is this different than failed reboots such as Gadget and the Gadgetinis?
We are keeping the same structure. There were a number of other things produced that more or less tried to do the same thing with additional characters. They didn’t address the continuity in a way that I would have liked to have seen. Nothing really tried to capitalize on the franchise of the character. Now we’ve taken something that is very much the same visually, but with a team of people that have the love of the original character who was born in 1981. 

How was it different to write a show back then? Do kids expect something different now?
In 1981, the pace was very slow. If you did the same thing exactly now, it would be very difficult to get an audience. Kids today are used to seeing different forms of animation and moods. So it’s the same story, with a new pace. Kids are now exposed to more things – in the 1980s you had the Flintstones and maybe some classic Tom and Jerry. Now we need to write gags for adults too – kids and adults work at different levels. If you’re 37, you’ll know the show but you also want the nine-year-old to like, so you need different jokes. We won’t be King of the Hill or Family Guy, it’s not under the belt like that, but there needs to be more gags. 

How involved will you be with the new show?
Michael Hirsh (CEO of DHX Media) is a long-time friend. He showed me some visuals he was doing in Halifax and I reacted so well. One of the greatest days of my year was flying to Halifax, everyone there is funny and really understands what they are doing. They understand what this is – at the end of the day I laughed so much that my stomach was hurting. 

Was it like that with the original series?
It was like that we when created Gadget, we were having fun. Because we were having fun it became what it is, but little by little it became like a job. 

What do you think it retained some of its popularity? It wasn’t on TV for all that long.
We were getting very good ratings. But Gadget has been a very good No. 2, it was never No. 1. For eight years, it was on Nickelodeon every day. But still, it has never achieved top ratings – always the second best. But Gadget has been on air for so long everywhere around the world because it gets decent ratings. It’s very simple because you have a character that is completely predictable. He is always nice. He’s completely idiotic, but he’s a good human being and his niece loves him. He may mistake his dog for a bad guy, but his niece loves him. The mission was always given by Chief Quimby, Gadget would take the mission and the note would explode in the face of Quimby and then Gadget would go on an adventure and in the wrong way. The mystery of whatever crime had to be resolved was solved by Penny with the assistance of Brain. He will resolve, but he’ll have no clue how he did it. 

Penny is a strong female character – that’s not all that common.
There’s a family relationship that works, he’s likeable character and behind him you have the real hero who is the young girl. In every family kids feel they know they answer but they are not listened to so perhaps there is something to that. When we created we liked the triangle. We may change that a little today, but we have not changed the relationships in this triangle. We need more gags, yes, much more gags because the pace before was very slow and we didn’t have much money when we first produced the show. It was the 1980s, kids of today and adults have a very high demand for fun and pace.

The interview is a bit short, but still very interesting. I love the part about how DiC originally wanted Gadget to be a toy franchise, but then went in the opposite direction and produced the series because they liked the idea and wanted to have fun with it. Of course toys were produced when the show first came out, but the toys were never the driving force (which I'm glad for), and never caught on the way the TV series did.

   To that end, Chalopin's comment abot Gadget being "a very good No. 2" on Nickelodeon serves as a sober reminder of the kind of popularity the show has enjoyed over the years. Inspector Gadget was a hit when it first came out, and continues to get good ratings in reruns, but it never reached the commercial heights of, say, the Scooby-Doo franchise.



I was a bit surpriced by Chalopin's descriptions of earlier (relatively unsuccessful) reboots, where the one example mentioned by the interviewer is Gadget and the Gadgetinis. As Jean says, "There were a number of other things produced that more or less tried to do the same thing with additional characters. They didn’t address the continuity in a way that I would have liked to have seen. Nothing really tried to capitalize on the franchise of the character."

   Personally, I very much agree with this. Later reboots and spinoffs like Gadget Boy and Gadget and the Gadgetinis never lived up to the original series, and many of them were impressively bad. But the strange thing here is that Chalopin himself was very much involved with Gadgetinis. He wrote or co-wrote every episode, and is even credited on-screen as having created the Gadgetinis series. So, is he a) talking about every reboot attempt besides Gadgetinis, or is he b) unhappy with the Gadgetinis series in retrospect? Was he perhaps not allowed to do some of the things he wanted on that project? I believe the Gadgetinis series was in development for some time before Chalopin got into it (it was called G.I. Gadget at one point), so maybe Chalopin's wishes for the series had to be compromised to fit with concepts already created.



In a few cases, it feels like Chalopin isn't really answering the interviewer's questions, but he still gives us interesting information. For instance, we only get vague details about exactly how involved he is with the new show (he apparently visits the crew in Halifax from time to time), but at the same time we learn that Michael Hirsh is one of the people in charge, and that Chalopin has great confidence in the crew. Later on, the interviewer points out that Penny is a "strong female character". I suspect that he was looking for a comment about female heroes in cartoons, and about how this was somewhat unique at the time. Instead, Chalopin talks about Penny's role in the family triangle, and likens the appeal of her character to how "...in every family kids feel they know the answer but they are not listened to". There is definitely something there. Personally, though, I think Penny being a young girl - rather than a young boy - made a big difference to the show. To me, it makes both her battle with M.A.D and her relationship with Gadget more interesting and endearing. Penny gives the show more heart, more charm. Plus, portraying a little girl as a brilliant computer whiz is refreshing in itself, and makes the contrast between her and Gadget even stronger. (And who cares how unlikely it is? It's cool!)



At any rate, I'm glad to hear Chalopin say that they "...have not changed the relationships in this triangle [between Gadget, Penny and Brain]" in the new series - and I'm curious how Penny's new role as an inspector-in-training will be integrated into that structure. It sounds more and more like this new show will indeed try to work in the same continuity as the 1983 series.



P.S.: Admittedly, the fact that Chalopin is involved with the reboot was known before this article. I have been following the developments of the new season of Chalopin's famous series "The Mysterious Cities of Gold" for a long time now... and back in November of last year, a new biography appeared on Tfou.fr where it was mentioned that Chalopin "...still devotes time and a large part of his life to series such as The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Inspector Gadget and other new creative projects." (Via Google Translate from the French sentence, "Malgré tout il garde toujours du temps et une large place dans sa vie pour des séries telles que les Mystérieuses Cités d'Or, Inspecteur Gadget et autres nouveaux projets créatifs.")

   While the biography didn't specify exactly which Inspector Gadget project Jean was devoting time to, I felt pretty certain even back in November that it had to be the new TV series. Also, a French TV interview with Jean, which originally appeared on Youtube back in December of 2012, suggested the same thing. I don't understand French, but I noticed that, at about 5:25 in the video, the narrator actually mentions "Reboot du Gadget". So Chalopin has been involved with the reboot for some time now. Makes sense, of course, considering that the series has been in pre-production at least since the start of 2012.

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Gadget To The Rescue!

I've come to realize that, for the past year or more, pretty much all the posts here have been news updates of some kind - about the new TV series currently in production, the French book about DiC's history, the upcoming soundtrack CD etc. Of course it's great that so much is happening with Gadget right now, but I've always wanted this blog to be more than just news-related, especially considering that the history of the Inspector Gadget franchise dates back 30 years. So to break with the recent mold, I thought I'd finally get around to sharing one of the curiosities from my personal collection: A Spanish picture book from 1987 titled "¡Gadget al rescate!" ('Gadget to the rescue'), written by Eduard José and illustrated by Ángel Segura.

This 12-page book is the 4th volume (of 6) in a series released by Multilibro, which published quite a lot of licenced Inspector Gadget books in Spain back in the 80s. It's a simple little story, but charmingly drawn. Not to mention on-model: Gadget looks far better in this picture book for small children than he does in many other licenced adaptations I've seen... including Viper Comics' 2011 comic book. The only detail differing slightly from the original design is perhaps Ángel Segura's version of Gadget's legs, which seem a bit thinner and more rubbery than in the cartoon series. This sort of reminds me of one of the few Spanish comic strips I've read, Francisco Ibáñez' Mort & Phil (Mortadelo y Filemón), where many of the characters have the same kind of thin, bendy legs. Is this a common way of drawing cartoon legs in Spain? I have no idea, but I thought the detail noteworhty enough to at least mention.



Anyhow, let's start reading the book, shall we? First, the credits/copyright page...

...and now for the story! I'm including English-language translations of the Spanish captions underneath each page. (Note, though, that I don't speak Spanish - I simply typed the Spanish text into Google Translate and then rewrote parts of the English translation to make the grammar sound better. If Spanish-language readers spot any mistakes in the translation, please let me know.)

Someone calls:

the chief needs help.

It's time for Gadget

to come to the rescue!

The mission promises to be dangerous.

But every effort should be made

to save the chief.

'

This is nothing.

The chief must have it worse.

Surely, MAD

must have captured him.

Gadget finally reaches 

Quimby's home.

Don't worry, chief!

I'm here!

Fantastic! Can you help me 

uncork this bottle?

The fearless Inspector Gadget 

presents his adventures in the form of 

fantastic stories, packed with intrigue, 

action and humor.

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EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: The Track List For Télé 80's Upgraded Gadget CD

Yep, you read that right. Télé 80's Christophe Renuad has graciously allowed me to share with you - for the first time anywhere - the planned track list for their upcoming "Inspecteur Gadget" CD, scheduled for release on September 30! Télé 80 announced in March that the new CD would have 30 tracks, but up until now, the actual track list has been kept a secret. We'll get to that list in a moment - but first, I'll just give a brief update on what's been happening with this CD since I last reported on it. (Have patience, you'll be seeing the tracks in no time. ;) Just to be clear, while Télé 80 provided the images seen here, all viewpoints and theories reflected in this post are entirely my own.



As you might have noticed in my news column to the right, this promised, upgraded soundtrack CD has been going through quite a few changes and delays since Télé 80 first announced it back in July  of 2012. At the time, it was scheduled for November of that year, then pushed back slightly to January 2013. Long before we reached January, however, Télé 80's distributon company XIII Bis suddenly went bankrupt, postponing all scheduled CDs indefinitely. Surpricingly, though, these problems led to some happy, unexpected changes. Télé 80 found a new production company (Balthazar Music) and a new production team, and at the same time became an independent label - all of this resulting in increased budgets and production values for their CDs, now targeted more towards collectors. Money is being spent on remastering the music, and cover art and labels look much better than on the old XIII Bis releases. Case in point: The revised cover for the upcoming "Inspecteur Gadget" CD, revealed on Facebook back in March, is in my eyes a vast improvement over the first cover draft. (Notice the tagline "Versions originales remasterisées", which is used on all the new Télé 80 CDs to separate them from the earlier XIII Bis products.)

The new and improved Gadget cover is utilizing illustrations from IDP Home Video's French DVD edition of the series (three box sets released in 2004-2005). I think this is a smart choice: The IDP DVD covers are very well drawn (much better than any of the old LP covers), with faithful, on-model renditions of the characters. Plus, using these illustration elements means that Télé 80 can compose their designs with a lot of freedom, moving around characters and backgrounds to get suitable motives for the CD format.



But enough technical stuff - let's move on to what everybody wants to see. Here it is... the exclusive sneak peek of the track list, as well as the inside part of the CD booklet!

Close-up of the track list (click to enlarge)

The full inside part of the CD booklet (click to enlarge!)

As promised, 30 tracks - and they're all original Levy/Saban pieces as far as I can tell. Everything from the French and Australian LPs is combined at last, and we also get some additional theme song versions. For those who might be more familiar with the English-language titles for these tracks, below is the track list with English titles and explanations added by me. (Note: I decided to use the Australian record as reference for some of the English titles here, as they sounded better than the English titles seen on the French LP.)

1. Inspecteur Gadget / Inspector Gadget [French vocals]. 2:38

2. La chanson de Finot / Brain the dog - The song [French vocals]. 2:02

3. Le thème de Sophie / Penny's Theme [French vocals]. 2:31

4. Gadget sur Mars / Gadget on Mars. 1:30

5. Le fantôme / Ghosts. 1:55

6. Musée de l’art fou / Mad Art Museum. 2:09

7. Gadget au Japon / Gadget in Japan. 2:07

8.  L’usine de chocolats / Chocolate Factory. 2:02

9. Rodéo / Rodeo. 1:38

10. Thème du Docteur Gang / Mad's Theme. 2:14

11. Héros dans la jungle africaine / Heroes in African Jungle. 1:52

12. Gadget chez les Incas / Gadget with the Incas. 0:58

13. Fais gaffe / Look Out. 1:36

14. Gadget en difficulté / Gadget in Trouble. 1:14

15. Désert d’Arabie / Arabian Desert. 1:17

16. Gadget le sophistiqué / Sophisticated Gadget. 1:37

17. Thème du train / Train Machine. 1:57

18. Le royaume / Kingdom. 2:03

19. La course de voitures / Car Race. 1:15

20. Les pharaons / Pharaohs. 1:33

21. Le thème de Finot* / Brain The Dog. 1:10

22. Gadget en Italie* / Italian Gadget. 1:05

23. Thème du Docteur Gang (reprise)* / Mad's Theme [alternate version]. 2:12

24. Thème d’ouverture (Instrumental) / Opening theme [instrumental U.S. opening]. 1:15

25. Le thème de Sophie (Instrumental) / Penny's Theme. 2:29

26. Inspecteur Gadget (Version TV) / Inspector Gadget [French opening theme]. 1:13

27. Inspector Gadget (Opening TV) [U.S. opening theme]. 1:15

28. Inspector Gadget (Ending TV)* / Gadget Closing [U.S. end credits theme]. 0:42

29. Inspecteur Gadget (Générique du film) [?]. 2:27

30. Inspector Gadget Theme* [extended U.S. theme song]. 2:50

22 of the tracks (1-20, 24 and 25) represent the content of Saban Records' original French LP edition: Three theme songs with French vocals, 16 pieces of background music and three instrumental themes. However... fans already familiar with the French LP should probably be particularly interested in the additional music from ABC Records' Australian edition: Tracks 21, 22, 23, 28 and 30, which I've marked with *. "Le théme de Finot" (Brain The Dog) is an instrumental background music theme for Brain, while "Gadget en Italie" (Italian Gadget) is another piece of background music used towards the end of season 2. Both of these are great and especially "Brain The Dog" makes the soundtrack feel more complete, as the French LP didn't include any instrumental themes for Brain. (Note, by the way, that these two tracks have been given new French titles for this CD based on the English-language titles, as they were never released in French by Saban.)



Then we have "Thème du Docteur Gang" (Mad's Theme), which is an interesting chapter in itself. You'll notice that this composition is included twice on the CD, first as track 10, then as track 23 as a "reprise". This is because the French and Australian LPs actually included two different arrangements of this theme. It's the same composition, but orchestrated slightly differently throughout (in addition to the most obvious difference: M.A.D. Cat is meowing in the French soundtrack version, but not in the Australian soundtrack version). It's a curious question why Shuki Levy chose to re-arrange this theme for the 1986 Australian LP, considering it had already been released on the 1983 French LP... but I'm guessing he just did it for his own enjoyment. Whatever the reasons, I love the fact that two versions of this theme exist, and that both versions will soon be available on one CD. (I don't know for certain if track 23 on the CD is the Australian version, but I'm guessing it is since the chronology during the first 20 tracks sticks relatively closely to the French LP).



Tracks 28 and 30 are two of Shuki Levy's original American theme song variants - the latter an extended version of the U.S. theme song, and the former a soundtrack version (in stereo!) of the U.S. end credits theme. These tracks have their natural place on a collector's edition of the soundtrack.



Even better, though, this CD also gives us one English-language theme that was not included on any of the earlier soundtrack albums: Track 27, "Inspector Gadget (Opening TV)". This is the original, American opening theme, to many the most iconic version of Shuki Levy's famous theme song; definitely iconic to anyone who grew up with the English-language version of the series. It's wonderful to see it included. I don't know any technical details, but my hope is that Télé 80 has gotten hold of the stereo version of this theme song, i. e. the version Shuki Levy has up on his official web site. The thing is, there have been a few American CD compilations featuring this song in the past - for instance Television's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 - 70's & 80's and Toon Tunes - Funny Bone Favorites - but as far as I know, those CDs have always used a mono version of the theme. The version on Levy's site, though, is in stereo, and I assume that's how the theme song was originally recorded. (The stereo/mono difference is easy to notice if you listen to the song through a headset.)



In addition to all that, we get two French bonus tracks which I hadn't seen coming; tracks 26 and 29 to be precise. "Inspecteur Gadget (Version TV)" is the TV version of the French theme song, sourced from (I believe) the storybook record "La Malédiction Du Roi Toutankharton". (Arguably, the end credits theme "Inspecteur Gadget (Fin)" could also have been included from this record -- but having listened to both themes, I will say that the "Fin" theme admittedly sounds almost completely similar to the middle part of "Inspecteur Gadget (Version TV)". Still, as a diehard fan I wouldn't mind getting the "Fin" theme on the CD as well.)



Track 29, "Inspecteur Gadget (Générique du film)", is actually a bit of a mystery to me. At first, I was wondering if it was a French-dubbed version of the Disney movie theme song, but I'm currently speculating that it might be the A-side of this Saban single: "Inspecteur Gadget - Bande originale du film et de la série télévisée". This was a single released in France in 1987, concurrently with a theatrical cartoon feature titled "Les dossiers secrets de l'inspecteur Gadget", which consisted of several season 2 episodes edited together. I had thought that the "Bande originale du film..." single included the same version of the "Inspecteur Gadget" song as earlier French vinyls, but the Discogs listing notes that 'a different (unknown) singer' performs the theme song here, describing the voice as "...closer of "Daffy Duck" (nasal voice)". So, provided that this information is true, it sounds like the French 1987 theatrical feature had an alternative version of the French theme song, which was also released on the 1987 Saban single. Most interesting!... I'm very curious if the "Générique du film" track on the CD turns out to be this theme song. :)



Anything else? Visually speaking, I think the interior booklet is nicely designed, just like the cover. The one gripe I have with the interior motive is seeing Capeman in there. I realize it's a matter of personal taste, of course... Capeman WAS part of the original series (the second season, anyway)... and he's even in one of the episodes where the track "Gadget en Italie" (Italian Gadget) is played. (Still, he's such an awful character! At least I'm glad he doesn't get to stand next to Gadget, Penny and Brain.)

   Otherwise, there are a few (very minor) track title inconsistencies when compared to the French LP: "La course de voitures" was originally titled "La course de voiture", "La chanson de Finot" was originally titled "La chanson de Fino", and "Thème du Docteur Gang" was originally titled "Thème du Dr Gang". As I said, very minor, and it's the kind stuff that only the most nit-picky fans will notice. Still, this is a collector's edition, so maybe those titles could be revised for 100% accuracy with the original LP.



In any case, I'm looking forward to this CD. If the sound quality lives up to the track list, this will be the best and most complete edition of Shuki Levy's Inspector Gadget soundtrack to date! It will of course not contain the 100% complete soundtrack - Saban's master tapes remain officially lost for all the background music that was never released on vinyl - but for the first time, all the score music that survives from various releases over the years will be gathered on one attractive CD. If you're still considering whether or not to buy this, have a look at the classily designed disc label as well. The vinyl design is a great touch.

Oh, that's right: Now that Télé 80 has gone independent, their new Balthazar Music releases are limited to smaller pressings of about 500 copies per CD. So if you plan to get this soundtrack, it might be a good idea to mark your calendar right away for September 30... which, I might add, will be perfect timing for Gadget's 30th anniversary this fall.



Big thanks to Télé 80 for letting me present these news!

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Teletoon Officially Announces Inspector Gadget's New CGI Series

Well, that was a quick turnaround. We've had a year and a half with only the vaguest of information about this in-the-making show, and in one day, it's all over the internet. Why? Because Teletoon Canada has issued an official announcement and press release about the upcoming Inspector Gadget TV series, as well as two press pictures which have been circulating online along with that announcement. (Click on the pictures to see Gadget in super-large size!)

The second picture is, of course, the full version of the low-res image that I found on DHX Media's site on May 9, confirming that it was indeed from the new series (in fact, the low-res version is still viewable through DHX's image url). But let's get on to the new information - first of all, Teletoon's announcement and full press release! It can be found on a ton of news sites online, but I thought I might as well link to Teletoon Media's official site, which is probably where it originated. First, the formal announcement...

Inspector Gadget Reboot Tops Off TELETOON Canada’s Latest Original Production Slate 

TELETOON Canada announces two new original series, Inspector Gadget and Pirate Express, as well as the renewal of four others

June 09, 2013 - (...) 

TELETOON Canada Inc. today announced its latest original production slate, featuring a brand new CGI version of the beloved Canadian animated series Inspector Gadget and swashbuckling new series Pirate Express, as well as the renewals of Rocket Monkeys (Season 2), Endangered Species (Season 2), Total Drama (Season 6) and Johnny Test (Season 7). This announcement was made from the Banff World Media Festival, where TELETOON is a proud sponsor of the Kids and Animation program for the fourth consecutive year. (...)

...and then - the most interesting part - the actual info about the new series:

Inspector Gadget 

DHX Media • 26 x 11 minutes 

Premiere Date TBC on TELETOON 

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. With MAD more powerful than ever and with the arrival of Dr. Claw's evil-genius (and totally crush-worthy) nephew, Penny and Brain will need to use every ounce of their training to keep the world safe from Dr. Claw … and Gadget.

So, the new show's episodes will be 11 minutes in lenght rather than 22, Dr Claw has an evil-genius (and totally crush-worthy?!?) nephew, Penny is Inspector Gadget's official partner... There are a lot of changes to the original concept here which I honestly hadn't been expecting. In fact, pretty much the only thing from the press releases that I had been expecting was that the new series would be CGI-animated. At least that prediction turned out to be correct.



The following article from The Canadian Press (here via Yahoo! Canada) goes a bit in-depth about the development of the new show, as described by Alan Gregg, Teletoon's director of original content:

Teletoon Canada plans to air 'Inspector Gadget' reboot 

By: Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 

Tuesday, Jun. 11, 2013 at 5:56 PM 

BANFF, Alta. - Go-Go-Gadget reboot. 

The clueless cyborg police inspector along with his catchy theme song, niece Penny and dog Brain are being dusted off and brought back to TV by Teletoon Canada and DHX Media (TSX:DHX). 

The original "Inspector Gadget" was introduced to audiences from 1983-86 and used the vocal talents of Don Adams, who is best-known as secret agent Maxwell Smart on the '60s sitcom "Get Smart." 

The series also spawned a 1999 movie of the same name starring Matthew Broderick. 

The network said the longstanding popularity of the franchise, which has run for years in reruns, serves a dual purpose. 

"We had been speaking with the programming department about finding brands that already resonated well ... particularly with adults," said Alan Gregg, Teletoon's director of original content, at the Banff World Media Festival on Tuesday. 

"It's a challenge because parents tend to not watch so much animation but we thought there's an opportunity with Inspector Gadget to sort of trade on the nostalgia factor — all the people who loved Inspector Gadget 30 years ago now have kids of the age who are watching our network." 

The reboot will stay true to its roots, said Gregg, but the latest version will be in CGI and the storyline and the characters will be updated just a bit. 

"The theme song is a huge part of Gadget and everyone loves the theme. I was just searching the other day and realized it is actually based on a classical piece by a Norwegian composer (Edvard Grieg) in 'In the Hall of the Mountain King,'" he chuckled. 

"We would like to get a major Canadian composer or songwriter to do a reboot of that theme song which would be true to the original but contemporarize it a little bit." 

The character of Penny will be a few years older and the bad guy will be the nephew of Gadget's original nemesis, Dr. Claw. 

It's too early to say who will do the voice but it won't be Adams, who died in 2005. 

Gregg said the show will be weekly and divided into two mini 11-minute segments. It could be ready to hit the airwaves in late 2014. 

Although Teletoon Canada is primarily thought of as a children's channel, Gregg said there are plenty of adult viewers — especially later in the evening. The new Gadget will likely run later in the family viewing timeframe as a lead-in to the more adult programming. 

"We're an animation channel first and foremost and a great deal of our programming is for kids but post 9 o'clock, we go to adult content like 'Robot Chicken,' 'Futurama,' 'Archer,' and 'American Dad,'" Gregg said. 

"All the key components are there. Anyone who looks at the new Gadget will be happy that we didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The show will be more contemporary and the stories more compelling."

For a moment, while reading the part with "...the bad guy will be the nephew of Gadget's original nemesis, Dr. Claw", I was wondering if Dr Claw himself would not be in this new series at all - he is, after all, only described as Gadget's original nemesis. However, a shorter write-up from The Canadian Press (via News1130) seems to confirm Dr Claw as a character in the new show:

‘Inspector Gadget’ making a return 

No premiere date yet for new CGI version

The Canadian Press June 11, 2013 9:29 am 

TORONTO (NEWS1130) – Go-Go-Gadget reboot! 

Teletoon Canada says it plans to air a new CGI version of the 1980s Canadian children’s animated series “Inspector Gadget” from DHX Media. 

The show features a bumbling cyborg detective who launches bionic gadgets in his body with the command “Go-Go-Gadget.” 

The cartoon sleuth originally debuted in 1983. 

Teletoon Canada says the new incarnation, which doesn’t have a premiere date yet, will also include original characters Dr. Claw, Brain the dog, and sidekick Penny.

As you've probably noticed, Teletoon Canada is the one who's making pretty much all the announcements at the moment. On DHX Media's side, there's only been a short news article so far. It doesn't tell us anything that we didn't already know from the Teletoon quotes, but it's nice to hear the news from DHX as well, so here it is:

DHX to produce new Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test 

2013-06-11 10:41 ET - News Release 

Mr. David Regan reports 

DHX MEDIA COMMISSIONED TO PRODUCE NEW INSPECTOR GADGET SERIES AND 7TH SEASON OF JOHNNY TEST SERIES 

DHX Media Ltd. has received an order from Teletoon Canada Inc. for a new CGI (computer-generated imagery) series of the classic kids cartoon, Inspector Gadget, and a seventh season of the hit children's series, Johnny Test. In addition, Teletoon Canada will be premiering Johnny Test, season 6, fall 2013.

I'll be posting my own thoughts about all of this shortly (hopefully later today or tomorrow)... but for now, what do you think about all the new announcements?

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