Wednesday, February 25, 2015

BREAKING: The New Inspector Gadget Series Premieres on Netflix in the United States on March 27, 2015


Via DHX's official press room, some VERY interesting news for American Inspector Gadget fans...

DHX MEDIA ANNOUNCES NETFLIX US EXCLUSIVE FOR INSPECTOR GADGET
SERIES SLATED FOR US PREMIER ON MARCH 27 
Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, London. 25 February 2015. DHX Media, a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, has licensed Netflix as the exclusive US home for its new Inspector Gadget series. The new CGI, 26-episode series is expected to premier on Netflix US this March. It will also appear on Netflix at later dates in Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Benelux, France and the Nordics following initial broadcast in each country. 
“Inspector Gadget is one of those classic properties that’s perfect for a contemporary version,” Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution at DHX Media, stated. “We are delighted that, beginning this March in the US, the bumbling bionic detective will reach a whole new generation of fans on Netflix.”

Here's an excerpt of Netflix's announcement as well:

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A secret agent mouse, a cyborg detective, crazy outback animals, and a group of kids who run a toy company, are just a few of the adventurous and funny characters joining the world's leading Internet TV network beginning this year. Working with award-winning global partners, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is adding five new animated and live-action comedy series to its already broad selection of high-quality kids and family entertainment. (...)

Inspector Gadget – March 2015 
Everyone's favorite bumbling bionic detective, Inspector Gadget, is back in an all new CGI animated series. Dr. Claw has reactivated his global crime syndicate MAD and Inspector Gadget must stop him! Backed up by his niece, Penny, her dog Brain, and an arsenal of high-tech gadgetry, the lovable Gadget fights crime as only he can. (...)

This puts a definite "outdated" stamp on the news from last June that the series would air on Cartoon Network in the States. After Cartoon Network recently announced its 2015-16 upfront without a mention of the Inspector Gadget reboot, I was half-way expecting Boomerang to be the show's destination in the U.S. too... so this came completely out of the blue for me. On the plus side, I'm guessing the series will be presented in HD on Netflix, which might perhaps not have been the case had it come to Boomerang in the States.

Interesting, by the way, that Netflix in numerous other countries will also feature the series sometimes after its initial Boomerang airings. This apparently includes my own country, Norway, under the "Nordics" section. (About that: The Boomerang premiere in the Nordics - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland - seems to be happening soon, as indicated by videos like this on the Norwegian Boomerang site, but I've been unable to find premiere dates for Norway and other Scandinavian/Nordic countries yet. If anyone should know, please comment about it.)

UPDATE (February 26): Here's a very short teaser ad from Netflix's official YouTube channel, mentioning the March 27 launch date:

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16 comments:

  1. Connor TerrellFebruary 26, 2015 at 5:55 AM

    Heard about this from Maurice LaMarche, who by the way wasn't even approached to play Gadget this time around.

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    1. SslaxxFebruary 26, 2015 at 11:25 AM

      Aside from fan expectations, is there any reason why he should have been? Is Ivan Sherry really that bad, honestly?

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    2. AnonymousFebruary 26, 2015 at 12:27 PM

      Looking at everyone in the main cast IMDB/Wiki pages, they are all Canadian. Maybe there is a law for Canadian shows to only cast Canadians?

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    3. MesteriusFebruary 26, 2015 at 1:55 PM

      Connor: That's interesting. Did Maurice say this anywhere online? And do you know him personally?

      Sslaxx: "Is Ivan Sherry really that bad, honestly?"

      I'll have to agree here. From what I've heard, Ivan Sherry does a very good Inspector Gadget in his own right. Gadget's voice doesn't need to be a direct attempt at imitating Don Adams for me to like it.

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    4. AnonymousFebruary 26, 2015 at 3:28 PM

      I do have to say, Ivan Sherry isn't that bad. Though I'm not too keen on how they're trying to go for a more comical Dr. Claw here...

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    5. MesteriusFebruary 26, 2015 at 3:45 PM

      wile-e: Me neither.

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    6. deactivatedFebruary 26, 2015 at 4:09 PM

      As much as I enjoy Maurice's talented VAing, I'm not really missing him that badly here. Ivan's take on Gadget is great, he brings something different to the character and I like it.

      I thought Doctor Claw was actually way funnier when he was played straight in the original series. Even if Claw had a ridiculous plan I could still believe in the motivations of the character and it worked. The dynamic of the show feels thrown off if I can't take Claw seriously.

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    7. MesteriusFebruary 26, 2015 at 4:28 PM

      Cortoony: I feel the same way about Ivan's voice. The personality of the original Gadget feels intact, and Sherry's voice does seem to add something fresh at the same time.

      "I thought Doctor Claw was actually way funnier when he was played straight in the original series."
      I agree completely with this. I think the main reason Dr Claw actually IS so funny in the original series - specifically in season 1 - is exactly that he is presented as a powerful, intimidating criminal force. When a villain has such a forceful, scary personality, and STILL fails and loses his diginity, it becomes so much funnier. The contrast between these elements is what makes it hilarious.

      "Even if Claw had a ridiculous plan I could still believe in the motivations of the character and it worked."
      Same here. Though I'm curious... what is your definition of "ridiculous" here? Claw's plans in the original series (again, I'm referring to season 1, where his personality was portrayed far more successfully than in season 2) were often high-end and/or eccentric schemes, but they still seemed to make sense as far as his goals for money and/or world domination went. (Maybe that's exactly what you meant, come to think of it.)

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    8. Connor TerrellFebruary 28, 2015 at 9:59 PM

      Mesterious: I'm friends with him on Facebook, and he shared this news along with mentioning he wasn't even approached. I really don't like Ivan's take on it simply because it just doesn't sound like Gadget.

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    9. MesteriusFebruary 28, 2015 at 10:32 PM

      Right. Wish I heard about that earlier. I found Maurice's Facebook site, but it seems he already deleted his post on the new Gadget series. Would have liked to read the whole thing.

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    10. SslaxxMarch 1, 2015 at 3:38 PM

      Doesn't sound very professional of him.

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    11. MesteriusMarch 1, 2015 at 4:33 PM

      It sounded like it was a rant. Which is one of the reasons I'd love to have read it. ;)

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    12. deactivatedMarch 1, 2015 at 5:07 PM

      Ridiculous in that cartoonish villain way. Yes, eccentric.

      "I wish all involved with said "thingy" only the best."
      Oooh he mad.

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    13. MesteriusMarch 1, 2015 at 5:44 PM

      ""I wish all involved with said "thingy" only the best."
      Oooh he mad."

      Isn't he, though? ;) Me wanna read!

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    14. Connor TerrellMarch 1, 2015 at 6:12 PM

      Wouldn't you be mad too if you weren't even approached to play the character you've been playing for nearly ten years?

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    15. deactivatedMarch 1, 2015 at 8:25 PM

      If I felt like I was entitled to continue that role for whatever reasons, then sure.

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