If you’re a child of the ‘80s, chances are you can’t see the name Inspector Gadget without humming the signature tune —Dun-dun-dundundun, Inspector Gadget! Whoo hoo! Parents will soon be able to introduce their kids to the indelible character thanks to Netflix, which will be offering a reboot of the show, along with a reboot of the Danger Mouse series, and three other children’s series in Some Assembly Required, Bottersnikes & Gumbles, and SUPER 4, all rolling out this year and next.
The clumsy detective with the bag of cyborg tricks and the infinitely stretchable limbs (go, go Gadget arm!) will reemerge in a CGI-animated show that will be the first of the new shows to launch next month in the U.S. As the story goes, Dr. Claw (and his evil cat companion?) has reactivated his crime syndicate, MAD. It’s up to Gadget (well, really Penny and her dog Brain who are the real, well, brains of the operation), and his boundless arsenal of high-tech gadgetry, to fight crime and bring MAD down. (I’ll get you next time, Gadget!)
There will be 26 episodes of the reboot in all, produced by DHX Media. The show will premiere first in the U.S., followed by other markets, including Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Benelux, France and the Nordics, at a “later date,” after the initial broadcast in each country.
Danger Mouse, set to become available in Spring 2016, is another animated series reboot from the ‘80s that follows the superspy rodent and his adventures to overthrow foes looking to take over the world, alongside his hamster pal Penfold and a collection of high-tech gadgets, gizmos, and vehicles. It was originally a parody of British spy fiction like James Bond, so it comes as no surprise that this series will feature a British actor and comedian – Stephen Fry will provide the voice for Colonel K. The show will launch in North America, Latin America, Nordics, Benelux and Japan first, with all other Netflix territories to follow.
Launching this Summer, Some Assembly Required features Jarvis Raines, a 14-year-old boy who has just become the new owner of Knickknack Toys, and does what any 14-year-old would do in such a position – hires on a group of his friends to help him create new toys! It’s a live-action series created by Dan Signer (A.N.T. Farm, Mr. Young) and Howard Nemetz (Mr. Young, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) and produced by Thunderbird Films. All Netflix territories will get the show, excluding Canada, where it already airs on traditional cable TV on the network YTV.
Bottersnikes & Gumbles (Spring 2016) is a comedy focused on three young creatures called Gumbles — Tink, Bounce and Willi — as they bounce about and play. However, they must watch out for their lazy and grumpy neighbours, the Bottersnikes. The CGI-animated series was created by Cheeky Little, Mighty Nice, and CAKE, and is developed and adapted from the book series of the same name. It was co-commissioned by Netflix, along with BBC and Channel 7 Australia. Launch is set for some time in 2016 in all Netflix territories with the exception of the U.K. and Australia, which will get the first 13-episode season later.
Finally, the CGI-animated series SUPER 4 was inspired by PLAYMOBIL, and will debut this April. The four main characters – Alex the Knight, Ruby the Pirate, Agent Gene, and Twinkle the Fairy – explore the islands of their planet, fight bad guys, and, of course, have loads of fun.
Erik Barmack, Vice President of Global Independent Content at Netflix, says the company “can’t wait for kids and families all over the world to get to know these stories.”
The shows will appear in Netflix’s dedicated section for kids under 12, which was added to the streaming service back in 2011.
