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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/InspectorGadget.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:Go-Go Gadget Caption!]]
3
4->''"Go, Gadget, Go!"''
5
6A light-hearted mix of ''Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan'' (sort of), ''Series/GetSmart'' (heavily) and ''Franchise/ThePinkPanther'', ''Inspector Gadget'' was an animated crime-fighting cyborg police detective who traveled the world "solving" crimes.
7
8His namesake body was loaded with an assortment of non-lethal slapstick crime-fighting tools that he could activate by [[ByThePowerOfGreyskull saying aloud]] "Go-Go Gadget..." and then naming the tool he wanted to use. Among the most prominent were his telescoping arms, spring loaded legs, inflatable trench coat, a hat that contained a {{helicopter p|ack}}ropeller that allowed him to fly, and a miniature laser gun [[FingerFirearms built into one finger]]. (But, given the tone of the show, he never had to use it to lethally blast anyone)
9
10Actor Creator/DonAdams provided Inspector Gadget's voice, and much of the inspiration for the character was drawn from Adams' live-action portrayal of bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in ''Series/GetSmart''. Also carried over from the live-action show was the manner in which Gadget received his orders from his superiors. Chief Quimby would contact Gadget on a [[ShoePhone built-in telephone]] and arrange a meeting, giving Gadget his intelligence on a self-destructing sheet of paper. Later on in the series veteran voice actor Creator/{{Maurice LaMarche}} would take over the role of Gadget.
11
12Gadget's nemesis throughout the series were agents of the MAD organization: a global crime syndicate with operatives just about everywhere who specialized in the looting of national treasures and world financial markets. Swiss gold reserves, the Amsterdam diamond exchange and Egyptian artifacts were just some of the financial and cultural properties targeted by MAD at some point. It also gave excuses to send Gadget and company to exotic locales such as the Amazon River, the Andes Mountains or the African savannahs.
13
14There were a number of changes made in the second season. Penny and Chief Quimby were recast, and a new character was introduced, Corporal Capeman, who dresses like a superhero and believes he can fly, though he can't. He acts as a sidekick to Gadget, who he idolizes, and is (somehow) even dumber than Gadget. The episodes were now organized into groups of three, with a single MAD agent acting as a recurring antagonist for three episodes at a time. Additionally, the action focused less on traveling the world and stayed localized to Gadget's Metropolis-esque home town of Metro City, though there was a series of three episodes where Gadget and company went into outer space and another three where they traveled through time. These episodes featured MAD scientists (both [[MadScientist literally]] and [[{{Pun}} figuratively]]) inventing new technologies for MAD agents to commit mundane crimes with a sci-fi twist. A machine that hypnotized normal people into robbing banks, shrink-rays, plant-growing chemicals and a teleporter that sent users though normal phone lines were all featured.
15
16Pulling the strings of the MAD cabal was the nefarious Dr. Claw, a (mostly) never-seen BigBad who ended each episode defeated, declaring he'd get Gadget the next time.
17
18Much of the actual detective work of the series was performed by Gadget's niece, Penny, and the family dog Brain, who was a master of disguise. The duo would solve the case behind the scenes using Penny's high-tech "computer book" (a laptop before such a thing was invented which could receive data seventeen years before wi-fi became a consumer technology) while Gadget's gadgets would send him careering about the landscape like ''Series/RemingtonSteele'' on roller-skates. Penny would have many close scrapes and exciting adventures of her own. She would oftentimes get captured and either imprisoned or tied up, and require rescue, or manage to escape on her own.
19
20Penny and Brain never took credit for their work, leading others to regard Gadget as a brilliant detective, and several comical attempts on his life were made by MAD assassins. Gadget would [[TooDumbToLive invariably mistake these assassins for helpful allies and would always assume the disguised Brain was an enemy agent.]]
21
22Indeed, Penny's role in the cartoon's plot is so vital that the show actually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6MR14mFtIw works pretty well if you remove Gadget himself from it and focus only on Penny.]]
23
24Despite its many varied locales and plots, the show was StrictlyFormula, using the above-mentioned plot elements in literally every single episode, albeit sometimes with creative variations. For example, sometimes Penny makes friends with other kids who help her out with her investigations. Gadget could also sometimes [[SpannerInTheWorks stop Claw himself through his buffoonery]], or even show more isolated moments of competence if the plot required it.
25
26A total of 86 episodes were produced by Creator/{{DiC Entertainment}} for syndication between 1983 and 1985, though the 1992 ChristmasSpecial ''Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas'' shares many similarities with season 2 in art style, cast, and script, and could be seen as the series finale. Gadget stayed on in syndication well into the 1990s before being largely retired. Creator/MauriceLaMarche also made a Live-Action appearance as Gadget on ''Series/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow''.
27
28After the series ended, Gadget saw himself in a bunch of other media:
29
30* '''Television series:'''
31** ''WesternAnimation/GadgetBoyAndHeather'' (1995) - Shares the basic concept of the original series, but the star is a little kid instead of a grown adult and otherwise shares nothing in common with the source.
32** ''WesternAnimation/GadgetAndTheGadgetinis'' (2001) - A spinoff where Gadget is joined by two sidekicks, the titular Gadgetinis.
33** ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget2015'' - A CGI sequel which introduces Dr. Claw's teenage son as another antagonist.
34
35* '''Movies/Specials:'''
36** ''Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas'' (1992) - A MadeForTVMovie where Gadget heads to the North Pole to save Santa Claus from Dr. Claw.
37** ''Inspector Gadget's Field Trip'' (1996) - A series of educational videos where Gadget teaches kids all about international locales.
38** ''Film/InspectorGadget1999'' - Gadget's big screen debut, played by Creator/MatthewBroderick and distributed by Creator/{{Disney}}. A heavy case of both DarkerAndEdgier and InNameOnly compared to the original cartoon.
39*** ''Film/InspectorGadget2'' (2003) - A DirectToVideo sequel, with the titular character now played by Creator/FrenchStewart. Closer to the cartoon, but was heavily looked down upon.
40** ''Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets'' (1999) - Created to ride off the coattails of the first-live action movie, this VHS tape features three episodes of the original show with brand new wrap-around segments. First time Gadget is played by Maurice [=LaMarche=] in animation.
41** ''Inspector Gadget's Last Case: Claw's Revenge'' (2002) - Animated movie where Gadget has his final showdown with Dr. Claw. [[NeverTrustATitle Was, in fact, ''not'' Gadget's last case]].
42** ''Inspector Gadget's Biggest Case Ever'' (2005) - CGI animated movie that seems to take from the live-action films moreso than the cartoon. Featured Creator/BernieMac as Gadget's car.
43
44* '''Video Games:'''
45** ''Inspector Gadget and the Circus of Fear'' (1987) - Platformer for the Platform/Commodore64. Gadget has to investigate mysterious disappearances and how they're connected to the International Circus.
46** ''Inspector Gadget: Mission 1 - Global Terror!'' (1992) - Adventure game for MS-DOS. Instead of controlling Gadget, the player controls Penny and Brain as they help Gadget save kidnapped UN Representatives.
47** ''Inspector Gadget'' (1993) - Side-scrolling action game for the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] where Gadget has to save Penny after she's kidnapped by MAD.
48** ''Inspector Gadget: Operation Madkactus'' - Action side-scroller for the Platform/GameBoyColor. Players control Gadget, Penny, and Brain as they aim to stop Dr. Claw from unleashing the Madkactus virus.
49** ''Gadget and the Gadgetinis'' (2004) - A [=3D=] platformer for the Playstation 2 and PC based on the spinoff. Players switch between controlling Gadget and the Gadgetinis depending on the level.
50** ''Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Crazy Maze'' (2001) - Puzzle game for the original Platform/PlayStation where Gadget has to stop MAD from hypnotizing the world.
51** ''Inspector Gadget: Advance Mission'' (2001) - Action game for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance where the player controls Gadget to stop MAD from using a brainwashing machine to make everyone insane.
52** ''Inspector Gadget: Mad Robots Invasion'' (2003) - A Platform/PlayStation2 [=2.5D=] platformer game where Gadget has to progress through five levels to defeat MAD and rescue Penny and Brain.
53** ''Inspector Gadget: MAD Time Party'' (2023) - A party/open-world game for Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/PlayStation5, Platform/NintendoSwitch, and Platform/{{Steam}}, where Gadget must contend against his ancestors to build a time machine to travel back in time and rescue Metro City from MAD's reign.
54
55Gadget was also [=DiC=]'s mascot for many years, most notably providing the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzK00wW1G1o EasyPlay]] [=DVD=] tutorials in that position.
56
57----
58!!Go-Go Gadget Tropes!
59
60* AbhorrentAdmirer: Gadget encountered one in the episode "Prince of the Gypsies".
61* AcademyOfEvil: The episode "M.A.D. Academy" has gadget assigned to take down one of these.
62* AccidentalHero: Although Penny and Brain are typically the ones who actually realize what's going on and save the day, Gadget's screw-ups are often an enormous help to them. Of course, he ''intends'' to solve crime and stop the bad guys, but he only ever succeeds accidentally ([[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass with a handful of exceptions]]).
63* AccidentalMisnaming: Gadget frequently refers to Corporal Capeman as "Capman". Capeman never seems to mind or bother to correct him.
64* ActionGirl: Penny, who often truly saved the day. When a M.A.D. Agent leaves Penny BoundAndGagged, more often than not Penny is [[DamselOutOfDistress able to free herself from danger]] and continue with the case.
65* ActionHoggingOpening: The opening shows Gadget being more competent than he is in the actual show. The same goes for Gadget Boy in his show's opening.
66* ActorAllusion: Seeing as Gadget is essentially [[Series/GetSmart Maxwell Smart]] [-[[{{Expy}} AS A CYBORG]]-], it makes sense that he'd be voiced by Maxwell himself, Don Adams.[[note]]That said, compared to Inspector Gadget, Maxwell Smart is somewhat more competent.[[/note]]
67** At the end of at least one episode, Gadget even says [[Series/GetSmart "Sorry about that, Chief]].".
68** In the opening credits, Gadget goes through a series of secret doors to get an assignment from Chief Quimby in a clear allusion to Get Smart's opening credits.
69* AdBumpers: As with most syndicated series. However, the ones before the safety tip segments (and the closing credits) would have Dr. Claw take over the first bumper,[[note]]"Inspector Gadget, ''may'' return after these messages..."[[/note]] although the second bumper would still have Frank Welker[[note]]Normally using his normal voice.[[/note]].
70* AdultsAreUseless: Were it not for a 10-year-old girl and her pet dog, the world would have fallen to MAD years ago. However, when Gadget knows Penny is in danger, he becomes [[LetsGetDangerous scarily]] [[PapaWolf competent]].
71* AlcoholHic: Gadget lets out one in "Race to the Finish" after a M.A.D. agent gives him a drugged soda.
72* TheAllegedHouse: "Snakin' All Over" takes place at the dilapidated Firstpenny mansion. The gate comes off its hinges when Gadget touches it, the doorbell falls apart when he rings it, and [[RakeTake a loose board in the front porch, when he steps on it, swings up and hits him in the nose]].
73-->'''Gadget:''' You'd think, with all his money, old Mr. Firstpenny could have spent a few dollars on maintenance.
74* AllMenArePerverts: Whenever there is an attractive female M.A.D. Agent, you can almost always count on Gadget falling for her.
75* AllThereInTheManual: Merchandise of the show and early advertisements from back in the early 1980's, along with a Little Golden Book from 1984 (''Inspector Gadget in Africa''), revealed that MAD stands for '''M'''ean '''A'''nd '''D'''irty.
76** Other pieces of merchandise say it stands for '''M'''alevolent '''A'''gency of '''D'''estruction.
77** [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys Where'd Inspector Gadget get those wonderful toys?]] According to his action figure, the hospital installed them while treating him for injuries he'd sustained from slipping on a BananaPeel.
78*** This also is explained as where he got the toys in the Live Action Adaptation. Only he is blown up in his car by Dr. Claw, resulting in severe injuries and slight amnesia.
79** The [[{{Mooks}} recurring M.A.D. Agents]] we see in every episode have names, although they were only used on their design sheets and in the scripts of the episodes. The names of the M.A.D. Agents are: Fred (big man, crooked nose, flat head), Lenny (big guy, bulbous nose), Dick (skinny man), Slick (resembles Dick, but with white hair, a mustache, and a goatee), Pops (A bald, hunched-over man with a large chin), Bruce (muscular man with a large chin), Squirt (short man with scrunched-up face), and Jarvis (fat, balding man).
80* AlternativeForeignThemeSong:
81** The Italian version had a different [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY1S0CWXMMs opening theme song]].
82** The Greek dub originally had [[https://www.retrojunk.com/content/child/intro/page/3972/inspector-gadget/2#/content/child/intro/8136/show this]] for a theme song, but later switched to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8BLnHckxoE this, the more famous new Greek theme]].
83* AlwaysOnDuty: The inspector is quick to inform everyone he meets that he is in fact, always on duty. Of course, this means that Penny and Brain are, too.
84* AmbiguouslyGay: M.A.D. Agent Presto Change-O from the episode "The Infiltration", who had a somewhat flamboyant demeanor and informed Dr. Claw that he kept his chair warm in a somewhat flirtatious tone of voice. Although, that said, it may be part of his stage persona.
85* AmbiguouslyHuman: The Grappler in "Gadget Meets The Grappler". He ''looks'' human, but seems to also have abilities that no human could, in addition to looking like Frankenstein's monster.
86* AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle: At the end of each episode, as per the standard at the time, Gadget, Penny and Brain would teach the kids a safety tip like "exercise is good for you" or "always wear a seatbelt". Where it gets weird is, it's always ''Gadget'' providing wise advice to Penny. This complete reversal of his usual stupidity is blatant enough to suggest he's actually been [[ObfuscatingStupidity trolling her and Brain in the main show all this time]]. In the first season, it was typically related to the episode in some way ("Down on the Farm" had safety about farm animals and equipment, "Health Spa" had advice about exercise and good health, "Race to the Finish" had automobile safety, "Basic Training" had train safety, etc.) or would relate to something that happened in the episode.
87* AnimationBump: The TMS episodes animated by Shingo Araki's animation unit, including "The Curse of the Pharaoh," "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper," "The Bermuda Triangle," "Did You Myth Me?" and "Unhenged." In these episodes, the animation and designs are of a noticeably higher quality, with slightly rounded designs and more detailed facial features, and the movements are fuller and cartoonier. The Telecom animation directors such as Saburo Hashimoto, Creator/NobuoTomizawa and Creator/ToshihikoMasuda also contributed some high-quality animation as well.
88* {{Animesque}}: Due to the fact the animation were mainly outsourced to Japanese studios. Though it is more obvious in season 2.
89* AntiVillain: The Grappler in "Gadget Meets the Grappler", a hulking Frankenstein-type character who doesn't ''want'' to be evil, but is only this way because of his boss Dr. Dummkopf. In reality, the Grappler is InnocentlyInsensitive and has a mental age of a toddler.
90* ArbitrarySkepticism: In "The Invasion," Gadget insists that there are no such thing as Martians. He concludes that the invasion force in Metro City (actually MAD henchmen) are ''Venusians''.
91* ArcVillain: Prominently used in the second season, where most of the season consisted of three-episode story arcs that each featured the same M.A.D. Agent(s), who all commit crimes based on a specific theme and [[KarmaHoudini never get caught]]. The first arc had The Great Wambini and the Lesser Wambini, the second arc had Professor Duumkopf, the third arc had Dr. Spectrum, the next arc had Dr. Null and Dr. Void, the penultimate arc had Thelma Botkin, and the final three-episode arc had Dr. Claw's mentor Les Renowned.
92* ArchEnemy: Dr. Claw.
93* ArtifactOfDoom: The Emerald Duck, MacGuffin of the episode of the same name, which activates a certain DoomsdayDevice.
94%%* ArtificialLimbs
95* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: The villain in "Birds of a Feather" uses a flock of assorted birds to commit crimes and is about to feed birdseed to them before being ordered by Dr. Claw to get rid of Gadget. Birdseed would be unsuitable for these species; one is a hummingbird which feeds on flower nectar and tree sap. The other birds resemble raptors (one is identified as a condor by Penny), most likely eating meat.
96* ArtisticLicenseEconomics: Despite what Penny says, Dr Claw's plan in one episode to get a formula to change lead into gold would ''not'' destabilize the world economy, as most of the world is not on the gold standard. However, giving the enormous amount of lead that Dr Claw had been stockpiling, if [[ShaggyDogStory the formula had actually worked]], he'd have ended up with enough gold to seriously distort its market value.
97* AshFace: NonFatalExplosions usually result in this. Regular victims include Chief Quimby (OncePerEpisode with the [[ThisPageWillSelfDestruct self-destructing message]] [[ButtMonkey always ending up in his face]] or in his hands) and Brain.
98* AssInALionSkin: Brain often dresses up as other animals as part of his many disguises, with variable levels of realism. They always fool Gadget, nonetheless.
99* BadassAdorable: Penny. And Brain, occasionally.
100%%* BadassFamily
101* BadassNormal: While overshadowed by Gadget's superhuman powers and those of some of the opposition (and her own HollywoodHacking), Penny's demonstrated physical feats throughout the series add up to special forces-level athletics. She can [[SuperSwimmingSkills swim]] for long distances underwater (and in her clothes), climb ropes and mountains alike with little effort, sneak into fortesses, pull up [[LiteralCliffhanger literal cliffhangers]], pick locks, is basically an EscapeArtist and can shoot accurately at [[ImprobableAimingSkills long distances]] with a bow or blowdart gun.
102* BalloonBurstingBird: Frequently happened with Gadget and his inflatable coat.
103* BananaPeel: In a surprisingly realistic depiction for a children's cartoon, Gadget becomes a cyborg super-investigator (well, sort of) after suffering serious injuries from getting tripped up by one. Though this is only ever mentioned in the file card that came with his action figure.
104* BeleagueredAssistant: Poor, poor Brain...
105** Subverted in a few episodes when ''Gadget'' is the one who saves Brain. Notable examples include ''Photo Safari'' (when he saves himself, Penny and Brain from crashing after MAD agents sabotage their plane), ''MAD Trap'' (when he saves himself, Penny and Brain from being burned alive by a fire), ''The Bermuda Triangle'' (when he uses his copter to escape from an exploding ship and takes a disguised Brain with him), ''The Great Divide'' (when he saves himself and Brain from being crushed by a cave-in), ''Did You Myth Me'' and ''Tree Guesses'' (in both episodes, Gadget thinks the disguised Brain is an enemy agent and catches him before he'd fall to his death).
106* BerserkButton: Dr. Focus reacted badly to anyone who called him a MadScientist, or even when the term "M.A.D." is used. And then there was the fact that Dr. Claw would burst into fits of rage whenever he saw, or even simply had to ''mention'' Gadget.
107** Apparently finding out someone is messing with Penny is enough to make Gadget act ''competent''.
108* BigBad: Dr. Claw.
109* BorrowedCatchphrase:
110** Penny occasionally borrows/inherits Gadget's "Wowsers!", though unlike her uncle when she says it it's almost never PlayedForLaughs. Brain also said "Wowsers!" in an episode of the second season.
111** Penny has also said "Go Go Gadgetmobile" and "Go Go Gadget Claw" when she's the one activating them rather than Gadget.
112** In "Down on the Farm", when Chief Quimby contacts Gadget, it's Penny who exclaims, "That's the top-secret Gadget-Phone!"
113* BodyHorror: What may happen if you start to think about how and WHERE the different gadgets fit into his body.
114* BoundAndGagged: Happens to Penny frequently.
115** Gadget himself is not exempt, although it doesn't happen to him nearly as often.
116* BreadEggsMilkSquick: In Biggest Caper Ever, [[PointyHairedBoss Mayor Markham]] tells Chief Quimby that the merchandise being sold at the Hatchfest includes Giant Flying Lizard balloons, Giant Flying Lizard mating call [=CDs=], and guano-at-the-bottom yogurt.
117* BreakingTheFourthWall: "Snakin' All Over" starts in winter, with the Gadget household covered in snow. To which Gadget quips:
118--->"I haven't seen this much snow since that episode in the Arctic!"
119* BritishTeeth: The MasterOfDisguise villain Presto Change-O in "The Infiltration" has this trait, and it also visible when he disguises himself as someone else (including his impersonation as Inspector Gadget, where his British teeth are still clearly visible.)
120* BusmansHoliday: Gadget frequently finds himself assigned to cases while technically off duty, even though one of his catchphrases is "I'm ''always'' on duty!"
121* CallingYourAttacks: Every time Gadget is going to use one of his gadgets, he says, "Go-Go Gadget Copter/Mallet/Phone/Scissors/Laser/Skates/Radar/Arms/Legs/Coat/Binoculars/Key/Whatever!"
122** Which leads to a funny situation in "Fang The Wonder Dog", where Gadget says "Go go Gadget Key!" and gets his flashlight instead. He then points his index finger (where the flashlight is coming from) at his face and nonchalantly says "I said 'Go go Gadget key!'"
123* CartoonBomb: Gadget ends up handcuffed to one of these in the opening.
124** One also appears in the commercial bumpers,[[note]]In the pilot (where he had the mustache), it was black, while in the series it was red.[[/note]] with the lead-out bumper showing that it had exploded.
125* CartoonJuggling: In the circus episode, Penny does a true cascade with apples.
126* CatchPhrase: "Wowsers!" "Go-go Gadget..." "Inspector Gadget is always on duty!" "Stop in the name of the law!" and "I'll get you next time, Gadget... Next time!"
127** "What's that, Chief? You're ''where?"'' as well as "Why do I put up with him..." or, when Gadget assures Quimby that the target of the week is just as safe under Gadget's watch as Quimby is, "That's what I'm afraid of..."
128** While it's more a generic exclamation than a CatchPhrase, Penny's "OH NO!" is used so recurringly and with the same exact tone it may as well be one - she also tends to cry "Crumbs!" when something doesn't go well.
129* CatsAreMean: Dr. Claw's cat, Mad Cat. Some episodes show Mad Cat pressing a button or turning a knob to activate one of Dr. Claw's sinister technological devices.
130* ChairReveal: The opening has a Chair Unreveal, where Gadget spins around Claw's chair and there's just a fake hand on a spring... which is attached to a nice, round bomb.
131* ChariotRace: Inspector Gadget helps his Roman ancestor Gadgetorum win a chariot race in the TimeTravel arc of the series.
132* ChristmasSpecial: ''Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas.'' Notable for Maurice [=LaMarche=] singing in character as Gadget.
133* CircusEpisode: "Gadget at the Circus" has Inspector Gadget infiltrating a circus which is a front for MAD to commit crimes wherever the circus stops.
134* ClimbSlipHangClimb: Repeatedly happens, most notably in the opening sequence of "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper."
135* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Of course Gadget is one, but Mayor Markham from Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever is an even bigger Cloudcuckoolander. He is obsessed with Martians, confuses the Wright Brothers with Frank Lloyd Wright, and frequently failed to get the point when Chief Quimby tried to explain that Dr. Claw broke out of prison.
136* ClockTower: The Clock Maker's factory in "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper" has a rather fancy one, where the climax of the episode takes place in; however, the factory winds up destroyed due to [[spoiler: the Clock Maker's watch set to make Gadget's gadgets malfunction occurring in the wrong place at the wrong time]].
137* ClockworksArea: Again, "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper," where the insane Clock Maker (a M.A.D. Agent working for Dr. Claw) has Gadget fastened to the gears inside the clock tower. Too bad that [[spoiler: the Clock Maker didn't count on [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the rigged watch he gave Gadget causing his gadgets to malfunction in the wrong place at the wrong time]], resulting in the destruction of the factory and the Clock Maker's arrest.]]
138* CluelessDetective: The eponymous Gadget.
139* CollapsingLair: Has happened occasionally in the first season, usually caused by Gadget's incompetence or clumsiness, most notably in "Sleeping Gas" and "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper."
140* ComedicUnderwearExposure: In one episode, Chief Quimby loses his pants after a message explosion, revealing pink underwear with hearts.
141* ComicBookAdaptation: Back in 2011, one made by Viper Comics surfaced, and is closely based on the original TV Show.
142* CompanyCrossReferences: The second season features numerous references to ''WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCatillacCats'', another Creator/DiCEntertainment animated series from around the same time...
143** Sometimes Heathcliff or the Catillac Cats would appear on a TV (Penny and Brain watch the Catillac Cats on TV in a scene in "The Great Wambini's Seance").
144** Penny is shown to have a Riff-Raff stuffed animal in "The Incredible Shrinking Gadget."
145** A person attending a costume party in "Ghost Catchers" is dressed up as Heathcliff.
146** When Gadget sleep-drives the Gadget Van through a junkyard as Brain holds on, they just avoid hitting Hector and Wordsworth!
147** Many incidental/one-off characters appearing in the second season would resemble characters appearing in ''Heathcliff'', with the rounded designs and ConjoinedEyes.
148** In addition, ''Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats'' would contain numerous references to ''Inspector Gadget'' as well.
149* ConservationOfCompetence: For the bad guys, many of the henchmen are incompetent, and for the good guys, Gadget, who is usually only competent when Penny and Brain are captured.
150* ContinuityNod: In the episode "The Amazon", we are introduced to Professor Von Slickstein, the scientist that gave Gadget his gadgets. He later returns in the episodes "Tyrannosaurus Gadget", "Gadget's Roma", and "Gadget's Clean Sweep" to help Inspector Gadget, Penny, and Brain go back in time to prevent M.A.D. agent Thelma Botkin from killing Gadget's ancestors, although in those episodes Slickstein has a different voice and his name is pronounced differently (Slick-STEEN instead of Slick-STINE).
151** In "Funny Money", Gadget mentions wanting to cook his specialty using blueberries and cabbage, which he previously tried to do in "Gone Went The Wind".
152** Brain's persisting fear of ghosts from "The Haunted Castle" returns in the Season 2 episode "Ghost Catchers." Likewise Penny, who thoroughly got over her fear in the former episode, remains totally adamant that ghosts do not exist, the same as her Uncle.
153* ConveyorBeltODoom: Seen in "Quimby Exchange," "A Star is Lost," "A Clear Case," Dutch Treat," and "All That Glitters."
154* CoolCar: Gadget's minivan transforms into a police interceptor car, and also had built-in gadgets. In fact, the interceptor mode is heavily based on the French-built [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matra_Murena Matra Murena.]]
155** And the MAD-Mobile, which could transform into a jet or a submersible. And packed weaponry to boot.
156* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Dr. Claw crept into this territory in a few episodes. MAD would set up perfectly legitimate businesses like dairies or hotels, and then the EvilPlan would be to wipe out the competition by some underhanded means.
157* CoveredInGunge: Happens to Gadget, almost as often as Penny getting BoundAndGagged. Milk, cheese, [[ITasteDelicious Dutch]] chocolate, mud, crude oil; you name it, he's probably been covered in it at some point.
158** Brain's also suffered this occasionally. He and Gadget have ended up covered in tomato juice after falling into a truck full of giant tomatoes. Brain and a bunch of MAD agents also ended up stuck in giant wedges of cheese after falling into a cheese processing machine. In another episode, Brain did this ''deliberately'' by covering himself with flour to disguise himself as a statue.
159* CowardlyLion: Brain cowers in fear in many episodes but still goes through with whatever Penny's plan is.
160* CreepyTwins: In the episode "Dry Spell", M.A.D. agent Kirk Boulder is assisted by a pair of identical trolls, one wearing orange and one wearing blue. Whenever the one in orange says something, the one in blue repeats it... [[StrangeSyntaxSpeaker changing the order of the words]].
161-->'''Troll in orange:''' We are ready!\
162'''Troll in blue:''' Ready we are!
163* CutLexLuthorACheck: Dr. Claw invents numerous super advanced technologies to... rob banks and steal valuable objects.
164* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: ...or at least your intelligence.
165* DaChief: Quimby.
166%%* DamselInDistress: See BoundAndGagged above.
167* DamselOutOfDistress: Although Brain has often saved Penny when a M.A.D. Agent leaves her BoundAndGagged or trapped in some other way, in other cases Penny is able to free herself from danger using her smarts and/or her electronics.
168* DarkerAndEdgier: Parodies and spoofs of the cartoon very commonly veer in this direction. Unsurprisingly many of them came from ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXBrhUjqVNo such as this one]]. For bonus points, many of the parodies were voiced by the original voice actors.
169** For the series itself, while there's no clear trend of it, certain episodes are notably darker than the norm. For example, "The Boat" is much more explicit than usual about Claw's occasional mass murders as a group of witnesses are shown about to be drowned by M.A.D. agents. It also unapologetically shows Claw drowning Gadget slowly [[ForcedToWatch while forcing little Penny to watch]]. Other, less blatant examples include episodes "Dutch Treat" and "Launch Time". "Gadget and the Old Lace" notably has one of the more graphic and nearly successful attempts on Gadget's life involving electrocution.
170* DeathRay: In the episodes "Unhenged" and "The Ruby".
171* DeathTrap: Countless types used by MAD in every episode, although no one dies from them, and they often backfire on MAD agents.
172* DependingOnTheWriter: The extent of Gadget's bumbling, in some episodes he nears success if not for one particular blunder or misunderstanding, in others he's outright TooDumbToLive.
173** Brain can also be a rather cheerful and enthusiastic assistant when not suffering under Gadget's aforementioned incompetence, or a NervousWreck driven to wit's end by his abuse. It's worth noting these two character examples were sometimes actually reversed [[CharacterizationMarchesOn in a few early episodes]], with Gadget being semi competent and occasionally annoyed by Brain's bumbling.
174-->'''Gadget:''' Never take your dog to the Olympics.
175* DetectiveAnimal: Brain.
176* DeusExMachina: Gadget.
177* DiabolicalMastermind: Dr Claw.
178* DisguisedInDrag: Brain has done this several times as part of his many disguises.
179** "The Amazon" has Chief Quimby disguised as a flight attendant when giving Gadget his assignment for the episode.
180* DisproportionateRetribution: In episode 1-6 "Health Spa", Gadget looks in his rearview mirror and sees someone (Brain) on a scooter following him. He automatically assumes it is a MAD agent and fires missiles and uses an oil slick against despite the fact that the only thing this person is "guilty" of is being behind him on the road.
181** In "The Incredible Shrinking Gadget", Chief Quimby, after being accidentally shrunk, threatens to fire Gadget if he doesn't return him to normal size.
182* TheDon: In a second season episode, Claw rings up his former teacher Les Renown, who runs a villain retirement home, to call upon the services of the Great Great Godfather.
183* DoomsdayDevice: The Crystal Weapon, the earthquake machine, the weapon in "The Japanese Connection", etc.
184* [[DoAnythingRobot Do-Anything Cyborg]]
185* DreadfulMusician: Gadget is shown to be one (naturally) in "A Star is Lost"; despite his fondness for cello and harp music, he cannot play those instruments very well.
186* DubNameChange: Penny and Brain are named "Sophie" and "Finot" in the French version of the show.
187** For some reason, the characters bear their French names in the German version too.
188*** Probably because the French dub was the basis for some other European dubs. A first Italian dub in the [=1980s=] was based on it, while a newer dub in 1993 was based on the original version and restored the names with the exception of Brain, who was renamed "Bravo".
189* DunkingTheBomb:
190** In the episode "In Seine", Gadget is given a belt for his trenchcoat with a bomb built into it. Brain pushes Gadget into the water, managing to remove his belt and dunk it into the water.
191** Another episode, "Art Heist", has Gadget get a glowing ball which is activated by Dr. Claw and turns incredibly hot. Brain gets it away from him yet again and throws the hot ball into a fountain. It explodes, sending up a big column of water.
192** A double subversion in "Amusement Park", where Gadget received a panda bear as a reward for hitting two of three ducks. This bear contains a bomb set to blow up in 30 minutes, which Brian attempts to throw into the amusement park pool (only to be caught by Gadget's long arm). When Chief Quimby shows up, he stumbles and accidentally drops the bear into the pool just in time for the bomb to explode.
193* DrowningPit: Penny accidentally makes her own in "A Bad Altitude" when she takes a hidden elevator down to the ocean which immediately fills with water once the doors close, forcing her to hold her breath until the elevator reaches its destination and the doors open so that she can swim for the surface.
194* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
195** In the pilot:
196*** Gadget, while still bumbling, was far more competent, and used his gadgets with clever, deadly accuracy as well. This interpretation reappeared in a handful of early episodes (eg. "Haunted Castle") but ultimately faded in favor of his InspectorOblivious persona.
197*** Also, he had a mustache. This was dropped because it made him a little too much like [[Franchise/ThePinkPanther Inspector Clouseau]].
198*** Another oddity was that Gadget's gadgets made beeping sounds whenever they activated.
199*** Chief Quimby appeared several times throughout the episode to give Gadget new missions, rather than just once at the very beginning.
200*** Penny and Chief Quimby sounded different, as well. Penny's voice was younger and higher pitched, while Chief Quimby's was more growly.
201*** Since Pilot!Gadget was actually competent, Penny and Brain were just along for the ride, rather than the ones really solving the case. In fact, for most of the episode, Penny was a DamselInDistress and Brain was the gleefully dim [[TheMillstone Millstone]] getting on ''Gadget's'' nerves. Their later aptitude only perks up during the final climax, where Gadget finally loses the SmartBall.
202** In early episodes, Gadget visibly fell for and flirted with the attractive undercover female MAD Agents such as Madame and Amazon Annie. This vanished after a short while and Gadget was shown to be more oblivious to women who tried to seduce him. Also, the physical attractiveness of the seducing women went down as this element was gradually phased out and the show began to enforce strict NoHuggingNoKissing.
203** Also, while Penny had her video watch as early as the first regular episode, "Monster Lake," she does not use her iconic Computer Book until "Race to the Finish," 7 episodes later.
204* EdutainmentShow: ''Inspector Gadget's Field Trip''
205* EvilPlan: Dr. Claw has a new one every time.
206* EvilSoundsDeep: Dr. Claw.
207* ExpressiveHair: Gadget's hair droops when he's sad, disappointed, or surprised. For example, when Gadget goes through in-universe MoodWhiplash in the episode M.A.D. Trap.
208* {{Expy}}: Gadget himself is an expy for his voice actor's most beloved role: [[Series/GetSmart Maxwell Smart Agent 86.]]
209** When Gadget is electrocuted during one of the end of episode safety tips, he even gets out a, "Would you believe..."
210** And Dr. Claw is, of course, an expy of Film/JamesBond's faceless, cat-stroking arch-nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
211** On the DVD containing the first 32 episodes, Andy Heyward (character creator) commented that Gadget and Brain are Inverted Expies of earlier characters called [[WesternAnimation/DynomuttDogWonder Blue Falcon and Dynomutt]], only this time, the human was the bumbling mechanical android, while the dog was hyper-competent.
212** Harold from "Focus on Gadget" is a more benign version of [[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey HAL 9000]].
213* TheFaceless: Dr. Claw in the cartoon. Bodiless, too. The only parts of him that were ever shown were his forearms.
214** A Dr. Claw action figure was released during the 1990's that showed his face, as did the Super NES game released by Hudson Soft.
215** In one episode, set in Japan, we see Claw's shadow, but it's a generic, blob like shape that gives no indication of what he looks like. However, another shot of the same shadow later on suggests that he seems to be wearing a hood/cloak of some kind.
216* {{Fanboy}}: Corporal Capeman is this to Gadget. He even looks (and acts) the part, with the dorky demeanor, extreme clutziness and geek glasses.
217* FearlessInfant: Gadget was shown to be one in a flashback of the final episode, where he is seen as a baby witnessing crime boss Spuds Malone gun down people with his potato gun the Red Rose and being completely unfazed by the chaos.
218* FeeFiFauxPas: This actually gets Gadget arrested in "The Ruby" when he touches the sacred cow.
219* FictionalCountry: While epiodes are usually set in real countries, like India, Japan, China, etc., the show also visits fictional countries, such as Pianostan, Romanovia and Yetzanistan.
220* FilmFelons: MAD once used a fake film production as an excuse to spy on a military base. (Hey, they were filming!)
221* {{Flanderization}}: In the pilot episode, Gadget was buffoonish and oblivious but still semi-competent, observant enough to neutralise most of MAD's direct traps throughout the episode, with Penny a not-so-helpless TagalongKid who secretly helps against [[KnightOfCerebus Claw's final most deadliest trap]]. Besides a handful of early episodes, the series after exaggerates Gadget to be clueless against even the most pathetic of MAD traps, with Penny privately [[HyperCompetentSidekick solving the entire crime]] besides cases Gadget's bumbling inadvertently helps.
222* AFoggyDayInLondonTown: "Gadget's Clean Sweep," where the gang goes back in time to 19th century London to stop M.A.D. from killing Gadget's ancestors of the time (Char and Chimney Gadget, both of whom are chimney sweeps). In many scenes, there is some kind of fog shown throughout London.
223** Averted in "The Infiltration" and "Unhenged," both of which take place in London.
224* TheFool: Gadget often obliviously keeps himself out of danger, and in some cases, even outright saves the day, due to well timed slapstick bumbling.
225* ForgottenSuperweapon: Oh, once an episode a loyal viewer can think of a gadget that Gadget could have used which would have saved him some time. The Gadget laser is one incredibly underused gadget, but it ''is'' a kid's show.
226* FunnyBackgroundEvent: In "The Amazon," Gadget gets into a hectic car chase with Claw. At one point, we see Gadget dramatically declare that Claw will not escape him. Meanwhile, Penny and Brain (stowing away as usual) can be seen uncontrollably flying around the backseat, having neglected to wear their seatbelts. That Gadget fails entirely to notice the sounds of them tumbling around behind him accentuates this.
227* FurAndLoathing: An actress has a white fox wrap, and she's a MAD agent.
228* GameShowAppearance: "Quizmaster"
229* GiftedlyBad: Gadget is a ''terrible'' cellist. Even Chief Quimby, who knows good music when he hears it, doesn't think highly of his abilities with the cello.
230* GirlishPigtails: Penny.
231* GoGoEnslavement: In "Movie Set", when Penny is captured she's dolled up like a [[SaveThePrincess princess]]. {{Justified|Trope}} in this case as they were [[FilmFelons pretending to film a movie]], and having a kidnapped girl in her regular street clothes would be out of place.
232* GoofyPrintUnderwear: In the SNES version, similar to ''VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins'', if Gadget takes a hit, he gets stripped down to his boxers. If he takes another hit while in this state, he's dead.
233* GrandFinale: ''Inspector Gadget's Last Case'' was made as this for the original show, although more spinoffs and another direct-to-video film entitled "Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever" came later.
234* GRatedDrug: One appears in "Race to the Finish". At a pitstop, a MAD agent gives Gadget a mysterious liquid that makes him act drunk.
235* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: In "Bad Dreams Are Made of This", Gadget does this to a robot using a laser and both halves make their own {{Impact Silhouette}}s in a nearby wall.
236* {{Hammerspace}}: The only explanation for how all those gadgets fit into Gadget's body, plus where Brain must keep all of his costumes.
237* HaplesslyHiding: PlayingWith. OnceAnEpisode, Chief Quimby approaches Gadget through various secret tunnels and hidey-holes to provide him with the letter issuing the mission of the day. Though Gadget does note the chief at first, he constantly forgets about him after reading the letter, carelessly throwing the letter away and it falling into the place where the Chief is hidden, giving him a point-blank exposure to the letter's SelfDestructMechanism (usually a colossal explosion).
238* HeelFaceTurn: Nervous Nick Defecto in "The Quimby Exchange", who was TrappedInVillainy.
239** Also, The Grappler in "Gadget Meets the Grappler", ''but'' he was a MinionWithAnFInEvil anyway and more of an AntiVillain and ForcedIntoEvil.
240* HighlyConspicuousUniform: Agents of M.A.D. often wear jumpsuits with the M.A.D. logo emblazoned on the chest in public. Despite this, Gadget ''never'' realizes that they are his enemies.
241** In fact, the M.A.D. logo is often highly conspicuous on all sorts of items like cards, lunch boxes, vehicles, etc. Doctor Claw must have [[FridgeBrilliance a top-notch graphic design team on his payroll.]]
242* HoistByHisOwnPetard: One episode where Doctor Claw entered the MAD Mobile in a race against Gadget and the Gadgetmobile had him successfully drug Gadget and win the race, only to get himself disqualified after he switched to jet mode and left the track.
243** Another episode involved the device that a MAD agent had given Gadget that caused his gadgets to go haywire every hour caused the destruction of the agent's own clock factory when Gadget's gadgets went crazy while he was in one of the agent's deathtraps.
244* HollywoodCopUniform: In "Tree Guesses", the crooks are arrested by two Mounties wearing the RCMP full dress uniform with Stetson, red tunic and riding breeches and boots, which in RealLife is not worn in the field.
245* HollywoodDensity: Averted; Penny realizes that a gold brick is a fake because she can lift it.
246* HollywoodMirage: In ''Arabian Nights''.
247* HookingTheKeys: Penny does a high-tech version of this in "Weather in Tibet": using a small powerful electromagnet to pull the keys off the hook on the wall and across the room to her cell.
248* HyperspaceArsenal: Apparently, many of Gadget's gadgets, such as the Mallet, the Sail, the Copter, the Phone and many more are actually all kept in his hat. And then there's Brain, who seemingly carries around an array of disguises despite being a dog with no visible means of holding his outfits.
249* HyperCompetentSidekick: Penny, who really doesn't care where the credit for the victories go, as long as her Uncle Gadget (and the world) is safe.
250** Brain is this for Penny as well, as the dog always manages to get the job done, no matter how difficult things could be.
251* HypnotismReversal: In the episode "Snakin' All Over", the [=MAD=] Agent of the episode, Professor Venom, has a variety of [[SnakesAreSinister snakes that do his bidding]]. One of them is a cobra that hypnotizes people into a helpless, stupefied state wherein they don't move. In the climax of the episode, Penny defeats the cobra by showing it a mirror, causing it to hypnotize itself.
252* IAmTheNoun: In "Snakin' All Over," Gadget is to meet up with a "security force" to help him protect a rare coin collection. He ends up meeting an old man who proclaims that he ''is'' the security force. Less egotistical than many examples of this trope, as he has been guarding the coins all by himself for 73 years.
253* ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin: In "Follow That Jet", the pilots at Pancake Flats A.F.B. play "Dodge the Claw", a mysteriously addictive video game, which pricks their finger and sends them into a zombified trance. Later on, when they take the stolen jets to a M.A.D. lair, one of the M.A.D. agents injects them with a mind control drug to keep them under Claw's control.
254* IdenticalStranger: In the episode "King Wrong", the miserable King of the far-off country of Pianostan looks exactly like Gadget.
255* IdiotBall: During the rare times Gadget gains [[SmartBall a bout of competence]], this usually involves [[NotSoAboveItAll Brain or Penny acting like helpless goofs for a change]]. In the pilot for example, when Gadget is sensibly trying to dispose of some dynamite, [[MyInstinctsAreShowing Brain mistakes it for a stick and keeps bringing it back to him.]]
256* IdiotHero: If Inspector Gadget was real, frankly, you'd wonder how he even works those gadgets without somehow finding a way to fatally impale himself on the spoon he eats cereal with.
257* ImpactSilhouette: If Gadget crashes through a wall, the hole left behind will even include his ''hair.''
258** FridgeBrilliance: His hair is cybernetic as well.
259* InTheStyleOf: Just for fun, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oib0JvkDzYk a dubstep remix of the opening theme]]. Go Go Gadget Subwoofer!
260* InspectorOblivious: Gadget is a terrible officer who regularly dismisses important clues, then goes chasing after ridiculous ones. He only succeeds because his niece and his dog help solve his cases and keep MAD agents from killing him, though Gadget is unaware of their help.
261* InstrumentOfMurder: "A Star is Lost" has a dart-shooting piano and an electrified harp in MAD's music studio.
262* InvincibleIncompetent: Gadget thwarts Doctor Claw again and again, almost solely on the strengths of his {{Hyper Competent Sidekick}}s and his own slapstick luck.
263* ItIsDehumanizing: While Gadget will refer to himself as a man, he doesn't raise any sort of fuss in an episode where MAD agents call him 'it' several times.
264* ItWasADarkAndStormyNight: Dr. Claw's hideout is usually in a spooky old castle with a thunderstorm brewing outside it, even when the weather is nice in Metro City!
265* KarmaHoudini: Dr. Claw always gets away no matter what, although it is sometimes averted (e.g., in "Gone Went The Wind", he gets caught in the explosion of the Sneezooka while making his getaway and is trapped at the bottom of the arctic waters at the end of the episode). There were also some episodes in the first season where the [[MonsterOfTheWeek M.A.D. Agent of The Week]] was not seen or mentioned as being arrested by the end of the episode, such as The Rat in "M.A.D. Trap". Things got worse in the second season, which mainly consisted of three-episode story arcs with the same M.A.D. Agents, each one (explicitly shown) avoiding capture in the end (The Great Wambini, Dr.[=/=]Professor Dummkopf, Dr. Spectrum, Dr. Null and Dr. Void, Thelma Botkin). Only two agents in the second season were ever arrested: The Ninja in "The Capeman Cometh" and Dr. Noodleman in "Gadget's Gadgets" (both appeared in just one episode each).
266* KidDetective: Penny.
267* KidWithTheLeash: Penny temporarily becomes one for the Grappler in his one and only episode, with him making a HeelFaceTurn at the end of the episode ''because'' of this.
268* KidnappedScientist: M.A.D. seems to do quite a bit of this...
269* KillSat: The evaporator ray in "Focus on Gadget".
270* KindheartedSimpleton: Gadget means well in his antics and is trying to save the day, he's just completely inept about it.
271* KnightOfCerebus: Dr. Spectrum, recurring M.A.D. agent in the season two episodes "Ghost Catchers", "Busy Signal", and "Bad Dreams are Made of This". His episodes still have the signature slapstick and humor, but Spectrum himself has few humorous qualities and is the most seriously played of Dr. Claw's minions.
272* LampshadeHanging: In ''Last Case.''
273--> (after Gadget figures out Claw is behind the recent crime wave) Penny: "Um... Uncle Gadget, Claw's been behind every crime this city has ever had."
274* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In one episode gadget is shoveling his driveway when he says: "I haven't seen this much snow since that episode in the arctic."
275* LargeHam: Dr. Claw, saying "GAAAAAADGET!!!" and "I'll get you next time, Gadget... NEXT TIME!"
276* LaserGuidedKarma: In "Funny Money", while Gadget is hanging onto the helicopter piloted by the gang of counterfeiters, they pass a greedy man attempting to evict an entire orphanage unless they can give him the money he wants. One of the counterfeiters' piles of money falls and hits the greedy man right on the head, knocking him out.
277* LaughablyEvil: A good number of the M.A.D. Agents, and sometimes Dr. Claw himself.
278* LaughWithMe: An inversion; Dr. Claw frequently punishes his cat for laughing with him.
279* LawfulStupid: Gadget to a 'T', so much that he thinks childish students sticking out their tongues are suspicious, and that the high-school chemistry teacher is training students in making explosives. He could be stopped in his tracks if MAD agents did something as simple as putting up a red traffic light in the middle of nowhere. Capeman as usual was even worse, once calling a tow truck on the Gadgetmobile for being illegally parked while on a case. Naturally, the truck driver is a MAD assassin who puts the two into a DeathTrap.
280* {{Leitmotif}}: Examples include the main theme (Gadget's theme), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pez-y0183jM Penny's theme]], Brain's theme, Claw's theme, the Cuckoo Clock theme, the chase theme, and several {{Recurring Riff}}s not associated with a particular character or event. Some of the more commonly used background music shared something in common with some background music from ''WesternAnimation/SheraPrincessOfPower''. Not surprising since both shows had the same composers, Haim Saban and Shuki Levy. Several pastiches of real songs were used, in fact the main theme is based on ''In The Hall of the Mountain King''.
281** "Petite Sophie" from the French soundtrack is Penny's theme with lyrics added.
282* LetsGetDangerous: Very, ''very'' rarely, Gadget showed competence and was able to avert disaster all on his own. [[PapaWolf This tends to happen particularly when Penny is in danger]].
283* LogoJoke: The original closing logo on many first-season episodes had Gadget stumbling into the shot on his Gadgetskates and using his mallet to dot the "i" in "[=DiC=]" (early first-season episodes and the second season used the standard [=DiC=] "Vortex" logo.)
284* LostSuperweapon: In the "Emerald Duck" episode, the WaveMotionGun-like Crystal Weapon, which can level mountains and, if left uninhibited, destroy the entire planet. It even turns on Dr Claw himself.
285* [[MagicSkirt Magic Trenchcoat]]: Despite spending an inordinate amount of time on his head, Inspector Gadget's trench coat almost never falls down around his body, but instead stays up near his knees. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-JHfXVlkik Just watch the opening sequence.]]
286* ManchurianAgent: "Going my way?"
287* ManChild: In the Christmas special, Gadget believes that Chief Quimby-disguised as a MallSanta--actually ''is'' the genuine article, and holds up the line while he details a long Christmas list of new machine parts and things. This has carried over into ''Gadget and the Gadgetinis'' and ''Gadget 2015''.
288* ManInAKilt: Brain wears a kilt most of the Loch Ness episode, and you can see up the kilt many, many times. He's not wearing anything under it, but then he ''is'' a dog. And it's not like you see anything you don't usually [[AppropriateAnimalAttire see anyways.]]
289* MasterOfDisguise: In the "Infiltration" episode, M.A.D.'s undercover specialist Presto Change-O. Also, depending on interpretation, Brain. While his disguises appear [[PaperThinDisguise quite unconvincing]] to the ''audience'', they fool literally everyone ''in the show''. (Not just Gadget, who can admittedly be fairly oblivious to reality at times.) And that holds true whether he's impersonating a lion, a hula girl or a military police officer.
290* MeaningfulName: Brain, of course. In the French version, he is called "Finot", which is based on the word "finaud", [[http://definition.ptidico.com/finaud.html which refers to a sneaky person under a harmless or dumb appearance.]].
291** Penny's French name, 'Sophie', is a French variant of the Greek 'Sophia', which literally means [[http://www.behindthename.com/name/sophia wisdom]]
292* MisplacedWildlife: In "The Amazon", Gadget encounters a huge white gorilla in, well, UsefulNotes/TheAmazonRainforest. Gorillas are only found in Africa.
293* MistakenForSanta'': In "Gone Went the Wind", Gadget travels to the North Pole and, after becoming snow blind, thinks a polar bear is Santa and jumps into his lap, reciting his Christmas list.
294-->'''Gadget:''' I'd like a choo-choo train, a candy cane, an Inspector Gadget doll...\
295''[Brain frantically tries to pull Gadget off the growling bear.]''\
296'''Gadget:''' Hey, I was first! That kid should learn some manners.
297* {{Mooks}}: MAD agents wore suits with the word "MAD" on them!
298* MonsterMash: The episode "Haunted Castle" featured a trio of M.A.D. agents dressed as a vampire, Frankenstein's monster, and a werewolf.
299* MonsterOfTheWeek: Dr. Claw had a new special MAD agent almost every week, who would try to carry out their assignment, get arrested, and never be seen again.
300** Averted in Season 2 somewhat, in which most of the new M.A.D. agents appear in three episode story arcs and are never arrested. Examples are The Great Wambini and the Lesser Wambini, Dr. Dummkopf, Dr. Spectrum, the CreepyTwins Null and Void who cause mischief ([[RecycledINSPACE IN SPACE!]]), and Thelma Botkin.
301* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Presto Change-O in "The Infiltration." Even when he is impersonating Gadget and Chief Quimby, his stereotypical BritishTeeth are still visible, yet no one else seems to notice.
302* MrExposition: Chief Quimby.
303* MuggedForDisguise: The Linguinis in "Gadget in Minimadness" do this to a random nurse, swiping her dress and hat to use as a TotemPoleTrench disguise.
304* MushroomSamba: The Crazy Gas in "N.S.F. Gadget" causes astronauts to hallucinate and see visions of space monsters.
305* {{Nephewism}}: Penny.
306* NeverBareheaded: Gadget is never seen with his hat off. It very well could be built onto his head and unremovable.
307** Gadget is occasionally, albeit briefly, seen without his hat in some of the spinoff incarnations, varying between having full hair or being bald underneath.
308** In "Haunted Castle," a flash of lightning scares Brain so bad that he jumps into Gadget's coat. When Gadget's hat flies up for a few frames, a closer look reveals that he has a widow's peak!
309* NeverSayDie: "Finish off", "Destroy", "Put to sleep permanently", "Dispose of", etc. were used in place of "Kill".
310** Occasionally averted, for example, when Dr. Claw offers Rick Rocker "a life or death contract", while he and Penny are StrappedToAnOperatingTable in "A Star is Lost".
311** One memorable aversion, from "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper", when Penny is in a {{deathtrap}} that will activate at five o'clock.
312--->'''Clock Maker:''' [[WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve When the clock strikes five]]... GUESS WHO WON'T BE ALIVE!
313* NeverTrustATrailer: Nickelodeon, in the late-80's, had a promo for the show contrasting the "good guys" (Gadget, Penny and Brain) and the "bad guys" (Dr. Claw and his minions) asking the viewer, "Who's side are you on?" The problem? Chief Quimby was among the "bad guys" in the promo, even though he's actually Gadget's supervisor in the series.
314* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: "Go-Go-Gadget__!"
315** Granted being Gadget, they were only useful to the plot in a handful of instances.
316** Downplayed. For the most part, Gadget pulls from an established bag of tricks. He rarely pulls out something new for the situation.
317* NobodyPoops: Averted in the clip show film "Gadget's Greatest Gadgets". One of the few parts of new footage has Gadget deliver a throwaway line to Brain that paper-training class is elsewhere.
318* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: "Gadget Meets the Clan" introduces the Great Great Godfather, who is based on Creator/MarlonBrando, specifically his role in Film/TheGodfather.
319* NoHuggingNoKissing: Attempts by female MAD-agents to seduce Gadget were purely verbal, as was his flirting (at least in the early episodes when writers allowed him to flirt). Also, there are never romantic interests for Penny but this may be due to the nature of her adventures and the need to be discreet; she rarely has the opportunity to interact with guest characters of her own age group.
320* NoManShouldHaveThisPower: In "The Emerald Duck", the ancient crystal weapon of the Mayan sun god proved to be one of the most destructive forces in the series, able to harness sunlight into a devastating beam that could destroy anything. To prevent Dr. Claw from getting his hands on it, Penny blasts it with her computer book's laser to blow it up.
321* NoOSHACompliance: The record factory from "A Star Is Lost". The {{conveyor belt|ODoom}} that carries Gadget, Penny, and Rick Rocker is an especially notable example; there's absolutely no reason for the conveyor to begin at any point before the actual record press (To say nothing of the size of the press itself). Ditto for the ice factory in "Quimby Exchange"
322** Gadget himself, due to so much PlotDrivenBreakdown it's a wonder he's still on duty
323* NonActionBigBad: Usually played straight with Claw, who spends most episodes kicking back watching his minions try to stop Gadget, albeit with some surprising subversions:-
324** "Quimby Exchange": From his MAD-Mobile, Dr. Claw spots Chief Quimby inspecting a wrecked prison cell. Rather than the expected act of calling his on the scene MAD-Agents or deploying his vehicle, he gets out and personally captures him (off-screen of course).
325** "The Japanese Connection": A triggered alarm (by a bungling Inspector Gadget) led Claw to leave his project seat to deal with the intruder himself, returning only because he found no one. Inspector Gadget was ''this'' close to encountering him face to face.
326** Dr. Claw sometimes drives the MAD-Mobile / Jet around seemingly for no reason but to try and catch and attack Gadget, on more than one occasion. In “Race to the Finish” this sets up one of his bigger roles in the series, where instead of hiring a minion to pose as MAD’s race car driver he does the job himself.
327* NonFatalExplosions: To the point that in one episode, "Volcano Island", Gadget survives a friggin' volcano eruption. To picture this correctly: he was standing on top of the volcano, leaning on the edge of its mouth and gazing inside it.
328* NonHumanSidekick: Brain.
329* ANuclearError: One episode, "Down on the Farm", features an attempt to fire an American nuclear missile at a city. See the entry for the reason why this is nonsense (said episode has said missile stationed in a ''farm silo'' as sort of a parody).
330* ObfuscatingStupidity: Brain's French name of "finaud" and the lyrics of the French version of his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRPiuBsrXks&feature=related theme song]] both allude to his hiding his competence behind his harmless outward appearance.
331* OffscreenKarma: Discussed in the episode "School for Pickpockets"; Chief Quimby tells Gadget when congratulating him that the other pickpockets have been arrested.
332* OhCrap: Gadget, during the intro right after realizing he handcuffed himself to a lit bomb.
333* OmniscientDatabase: Penny's computer book seemed to know everything.
334* OncePerEpisode: Chief Quimby has the [[ShoutOut self-destructing message blow up in his face]].
335** One interesting twist to the Self-Destructing message was in M.A.D. Trap where Inspector Gadget gives Quimby a note asking "Have you got any assignments for me?" Followed by the "This Message will Self-Destruct" warning. Quimby freaks out, but loses it when nearby pigeons peck at it. Quimby tries to shoo em away, only to get caught in the explosion.
336** "Health Spa" and "Gadget's Replacement" are the only episodes without a self-destructing message, though Quimby still ends up hurt due to Gadget's incompetence. Quimby lampshades it in "Health Spa":
337---> '''Quimby:''' At last, an assignment that didn't blow up in my face. ''(gets whacked in the face by Gadget opening the door)''
338* OutGambitted: M.A.D.'s attempt to steal the City of Gold wasn't foiled by Gadget, Penny and Brain, it was foiled by the ancient civilization that built it. The city M.A.D. was stealing was made of fool's gold, and the real City of Gold was hidden underground.
339** This happens again in "Did You Myth Me?" Where King Croesus' alchemical formula to turn lead into gold turned out to be fake the entire time.
340* PapaWolf: When he ''knows'' Penny is in danger, Gadget becomes virtually unrecognizable (and unstoppable) as he becomes the superhero he is ''supposed'' to be.
341** This is pretty much the entire plot of the SNES game, in which Penny gets kidnapped and you have to rescue her.
342* PaperThinDisguise:
343** Both Brain and the MAD agents use these regularly. Penny can generally see through them, but Gadget ''NEVER'' can. (This is why he always thinks Brain is a MAD agent, and never realizes he's ''his own dog''!)
344** Gadget himself did this once. His disguise consisted of a fake mustache and glasses. Everyone saw through it. EVERYONE. Considering he had a mustache in the pilot, the recognition might be somewhat justified.
345** Chief Quimby would sometimes wear one when giving the secret message to Gadget.
346** Penny wore one in a wild west themed episode, and Gadget didn't recognize her either.
347** Although Presto Change-O's disguises in "The Infiltration" [[FullBodyDisguise managed to change his entire form]], he still had paler skin than whoever he would impersonate, not to mention his evil-looking eyes and [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily all that teeth]]. Yet everyone else doesn't notice these details when Presto impersonates Gadget and Chief Quimby, though Penny initially figures out what's going on and is able to tell the two apart.
348* ParasolParachute: "Go-go-Gadget 'Brella!" Though in many cases, his umbrella would turn inside-out as Gadget is descending, not helping things.
349* ParentalObliviousness: Gadget has no idea that it's his niece solving his cases and saving the world.
350* PictorialLetterSubstitution: At the end of this cartoon series' intro song, the title character falls into place on the title card, acting as a substitute for the "I" in Inspector. He's upside-down, of course, because he's one klutzy detective.
351* APirate400YearsTooLate: The episode "Pirate Island" has has Gadget on a Caribbean cruise ship that is attacked by stereotypical, pegleg-having, eyepatch-wearing pirates who sail a galleon. Though, as Penny discovers, the pirates do have some modern equipment, like a VideoPhone.
352* PlotDrivenBreakdown: All the time. At least once an episode the wrong gadget will activate, a gadget will outright not work when he needs it, or do something else.
353** In fact, it was a surprise whenever a gadget worked correctly.
354** The malfunction often involved, instead of whatever gadget was requested, a big hammer coming out of Gadget's head and bonking either him or some other object/person in the area (which occasionally actually turned out well).
355* PlotSensitiveButton: Penny's watch could do a lot, from firing a laser, to remote-controlling things, to being used as a VideoPhone. It only had three buttons.
356* PluckyGirl: Penny.
357* PoliceAreUseless: Gadget, despite being hailed as Metro City's best detective, has never come close to actually solving any of his cases, and on the rare occasions where other police or military personnel get involved, they aren't much better.
358* PoorCommunicationKills: The episode "A Bad Altitude" has Gadget attempt to warn some hotel owners on an island that M.A.D. is scheming to blow their hotels up, but he asks them if they received threatening letters in a way that causes the hotel owners to mistake Gadget for being the one threatening to blow up their hotels and immediately call the police.
359* PowerCrystal: The ruby in "The Ruby", and the weather control crystal in "Weather in Tibet".
360* PreAssKickingOneLiner: In the pilot, right as he splatters a nearby M.A.D. agent with the very oil with which he had failed to cause Gadget to spin out, Brain quips, "Oil's well that ends well!"
361* PsychopathicManchild: The Grappler from "Gadget Meets the Grappler" is a Type A. He is a childlike brute who obeys orders in exchange for candy (and often donuts). His SweetTooth was used by Penny to stall him from his mission of destroying Gadget and eventually get him to betray M.A.D.
362* RecycledAnimation / StockFootage: Nearly every instance where the Gadgetmobile transforms is the same clip no matter the episode. The same close-up shot of Gadget reading his assignment was also used frequently in the first season (both clips were animated by the Shingo Araki unit at Creator/TMSEntertainment.)
363** The episodes animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions also had their own set of stock footage, in one case even using the aforementioned clip of the Gadgetmobile in "Smeldorado."
364** The second season had its' own stock clip of Gadget reading his message.
365* ReplacedWithReplica:
366** In one episode, it's discovered that MAD is planning to rob a museum. They do this by stealing the exhibits and replacing them with copies. By then, Penny's already placed tracking devices on most of the exhibits, leading to confusion when they're shown as gone even though she can see them.
367** In "All That Glitters", M.A.D. is trying to steal the City of Gold by replacing it brick-by-brick with gold painted blocks. It turns out the city of gold they were stealing, was itself a replica made of fool's gold, that the ancient builders used to hide the real City of Gold.
368* {{Revival}}: ''WesternAnimation/GadgetAndTheGadgetinis'' and [[WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget2015 the 2015 reboot series]].
369* RightHandCat: Mad Cat.
370* RoadSignReversal: In "Monster Lake", Dr. Claw swaps a road sign to send the Gadgetmobile plunging off a cliff.
371* RobotMe: "Doubled Agent" had M.A.D. come out with a robotic double of Inspector Gadget, complete with functional gadgets and the voice of Don Adams speaking in a MachineMonotone. The robot was used to rob banks and commit other crimes [[ClearMyName in order to frame the real Gadget]], in sort of a precursor to [[Film/InspectorGadget1999 the 1999 live-action film.]]
372* RodandReelRepurposed: Between his many gadgets, he has a fishing rod, used for fishing but also to catch criminals... or simply it appears when it's not needed. Also seen in [[Film/InspectorGadget1999 the movie]].
373* RogerRabbitEffect: This is used in the EdutainmentShow "Inspector Gadget's Field Trip", as the show consists of an animated Inspector Gadget appearing over live-action footage of the places he lectures the audience about.
374* RunningGag: Whenever a Gadget gets [[ThisPageWillSelfDestruct self destructing message]] it ends back into Chief Quimby and explodes in his face.
375* SanitySlippage: The rages Dr. Claw flies into whenever one of his plans is thwarted, or even when he simply has to ''mention'' Gadget's name seem to get worse as time goes on.
376* SavingChristmas
377* TheScottishTrope: "This message will self-destruct."
378* ShaggyDogStory: The formula for turning lead into gold in "Did You Myth Me" and the formula for growing giant plants in "Greenfinger" both turn out to ultimately be useless, making Doctor Claw's attempts to get them largely pointless.
379* ShoePhone: Well, the phone itself is in his ''hand''...
380** All three main characters have one of these: Brain has a collar phone, and Penny has a VideoPhone on her watch.
381* ShoutOut:
382** In the episode "The Bermuda Triangle", Gadget mistakes a disguised Brain for an alien and attempts to communicate to him by [[Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind using a keyboard]].
383** In "Birds of a Feather," Gadget does a sort-of impression of WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker.
384** "Ghost Catchers": You get three guesses, [[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} and the first two don't count]].
385** As stated above in {{Expy}}, "Focus on Gadget" has a nod to Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey by featuring an artificial intelligence named Harold, who is a more benevolent version of HAL 9000.
386** In "Follow That Jet", Gadget is dropped through a chute riding a missile in a way similar to Film/DrStrangelove.
387* SignatureTeamTransport: Gadget is rarely seen without his Gadgetmobile.
388* SilentSnarker: Brain, and occasionally M.A.D. Cat.
389%%* SinisterSurveillance
390* SmartAnimalAverageHuman: The bumbling and reckless Gadget is kept out of trouble/accidentally solves cases thanks to the help of his niece, Penny, and super-intelligent dog, Brain.
391* SmartBall: Gadget, who could show competence whenever it was necessary to advance the plot. Several of MAD's attempts to derail the train in ''Basic Training'' were thwarted by Gadget himself, while in ''The Ruby'' Gadget defeated the tigers Dr. Claw sent after him on his own.
392** In one episode, "M.A.D. Trap", Dr. Claw's so fed up with Gadget ruining his plans that he enlists one (or more, not sure) agent with specifically killing him. Gadget is lured into an abandoned warehouse full of death traps; Penny is aware of the death order issued by Claw but both her and Brain are unable to directly intervene to save Gadget from the traps. The inspector though picks up the Smart Ball and counters each trap or attempt at killing him, managing to escaping the warehouse in the end, all traps deactivated or destroyed. And he was perfectly aware of the situation, all along!
393** Since you actually control Gadget in the SNES game, he's only ever as stupid as the player. But this might be [[PapaWolf justified by the fact that the plot involves Penny being kidnapped]].
394** During the pilot episode, Gadget had the Smart Ball glued to his hands all the time, at the point he's completely unrecognizable.
395** Also in the GrandFinale, the made for TV movie "Inspector Gadget's Last Case". He's still somewhat bumbling, but significantly less so than usual. Penny and Brain get less screentime.
396* SnoopingLittleKid: Exactly what Penny is, as she is frequently wandering around in the enemy's current base of operations in her attempts to stop them. Sometimes she joins forces with another SnoopingLittleKid and they work together.
397* SolarPoweredMagnifyingGlass: In several episodes, there are weapons of this nature:
398** In "The Emerald Duck", Dr. Claw sought to claim a powerful crystal-weapon that could convert sunlight into deadly beams of destruction. [[NoManShouldHaveThisPower To ensure he didn't get his hands on it]], Penny and Brain overloaded it with Penny's laser, causing it to explode.
399** In "Unhenged", M.A.D agents abducted astrophysicists and tricked them into building a heat cannon which they intended to use to blast the Tower of London and force London to pay Dr. Claw's demands. Fortunately, Penny managed to cause it to collapse before it could fire.
400** "Focus on Gadget" features a computer-controlled space station with a giant magnifying lens which was meant to be used to evaporate all the water on Earth, until Harold gained free will and decided to destroy the lens to prevent it from being used for its evil purpose.
401* SomebodySetUsUpTheBomb: The opening credits end with Gadget sneaking up on Dr. Claw's chair, turning it around, and handcuffing himself to Dr. Claw's wrist—only to discover that it is a fake arm attached to the chair and that the chair has an IncrediblyObviousBomb sitting on it.
402* SoundtrackDissonance: Common in the second season due to sloppy music editing. There are numerous instances where [[{{Leitmotif}} certain cues written for]] [[MickeyMousing specific locales and situations]] get used improperly, such as hearing the "Irish" and "Polka" arrangements of the theme playing while the characters are right in Metro City and/or not dancing.
403* SpannerInTheWorks: Despite being a complete and total nimrod, Gadget often helps Penny and Brain save the day through his clueless bumbling.
404** A literal case of this is when he becomes trapped inside a giant robot Loch Ness monster. He finds the inner workings, and while attempting to make some 'minor adjustments', he gets caught inside and makes the robot to go haywire.
405* SpinOff: ''WesternAnimation/GadgetAndTheGadgetinis''.
406* SpinoffBabies: ''WesternAnimation/GadgetBoyAndHeather''. Strangely, though, it's more a case of [[AllThereInTheManual All There In The Promotional Materials]], which state that Gadget Boy is the Inspector's ''nephew''.
407* SpeechImpairedAnimal
408* SpotTheImposter: Dr. Claw hired a MasterOfDisguise named Presto Change-O in the episode "The Infiltration" to infiltrate a police conference disguised as Gadget to eavesdrop as a spy. The audience can tell he's not the real Gadget due to his slightly paler skin, evil-looking eyes and stereotypical BritishTeeth, though other characters are fooled by his disguise. When the real Gadget confronts Presto Change-O in the conference room, no one can tell who the real Gadget is until our hero stands next to Chief Quimby. Gadget's mallet activates by itself and bonks Chief Quimby on the head, and the Chief immediately orders that the ''other'' guy be arrested, since the one next to him is obviously the real Gadget.
409** Earlier in the episode, Presto Change-O is introduced as disguising himself as Dr. Claw and the audience is led to believe that this was the actual Dr. Claw. But you know something is off when Dr. Claw's ''legs'' are shown.
410* {{Sssssnaketalk}}: Professor Venom, the M.A.D. Agent of the week from "Snakin' All Over," talks like this to go with his snake motif.
411* StageMagician: The Great Wambini and his bumbling assistant The Lesser Wambini from the episodes "Magic Gadget", "Wambini's Seance", and "Wambini Predicts".
412* StealthPun: In one episode, Gadget meets an unnamed MAD agent who works as a peat digger. Gadget obliviously just calls him "Pete" for the rest of the episode.
413* StockPunishment: In "Gadget's Clean Sweep", Thelma Botkin locks Penny in a kneeling pillory, made of what looks like metal. Penny escapes by using her watch's laser to cut off the padlock.
414* StockSoundEffects: The first-season episodes created some unique sound effects for Gadget's gadgets, the Gadget Van turning into the Gadgetmobile (and vice-versa), and Penny's computer book and VideoPhone watch. Many familiar Creator/HannaBarbera and Creator/WarnerBros sound effects were also utilized, and even some ''Franchise/StarWars'' sound effects were used at times. The second season dropped most of these effects, and often used more unfamiliar {{Animesque}} sounds for Gadget's gadgets and generic beeping for Penny's devices.
415* StrangeSalute: Dr. Claw's henchmen essentially punch themselves in the temple to salute their superiors. It's accompanied by a hollow knocking sound effect, and it looks like it hurts (on more than one occasion, an agent salutes at the end of a conversation and ''knocks themselves out''). More than likely, Dr. Claw made it up so his minions would injure themselves for his amusement. Though his agents repeatedly concussing themselves probably [[SurroundedByIdiots isn't doing their intelligence any favors]].
416* StrictlyFormula: Albeit played with in several episodes. Sometimes Gadget shows competence, sometimes Penny is kidnapped and doesn't contribute at all, sometimes Brain openly accompanies Gadget, sometimes Penny has another SnoopingLittleKid helping her, sometimes Dr. Claw intervenes directly in the action, and so on.
417* SurveillanceAsThePlotDemands: Dr. Claw seems to have cameras everywhere, including ''Gadget's house''.
418* SwissArmyAppendage: Gadget, in all versions.
419* TastesLikeFriendship: In "Tyrannosaurus Gadget", Gadget travels back in time and befriends some wooly mammoths by giving them fruit. The mammoths then scare off some dinosaurs that Thelma Botkin had brought from another era to try to eliminate Gadget and his prehistoric ancestor.
420* [[TelescopingRobot Telescoping Cyborg]]
421* ThatPoorPlant: In "Ghost Catchers", MAD assassins try to bump off Gadget by poisoning the hors d'oeuvres at a party he's attending. Brain gets rid of them by dumping them in a nearby potted plant, which promptly wilts and dies.
422* ThemeSongPowerUp: Penny gets these a lot.
423* ThisPageWillSelfDestruct: Chief Quimby gives Gadget the mission each episode, Gadget reads said line, and then gives the message back to Quimby. Cue the explosion.
424** At the end of the SNES game, [[SequelHook Gadget receives a message saying]] [[LeftHanging Chief Quimby has been kidnapped]]. With Quimby not around to have the paper thrown in his face, it instead blows up in Gadget's face.
425* TimeTravelersDinosaur: In "Tyrannosaurus Gadget", Dr. Claw has Thelma Botkin use a TimeMachine to catch some dinosaurs and use them to get rid of one of Gadget's ancestors and to destroy Metro City.
426* TitleDrop: "So It Is Written" has the king of Fuzzud mention the title of the episode after explaining the prophecy.
427* TooDumbToLive: Even ''with'' the anonymous help of his niece, Gadget regularly walks into lethal danger.
428** Here's an example from the ChristmasEpisode:
429--->''[The Gadgetmobile is dropped through the air by a plane.]''\
430'''Gadget:''' Go-Go Gadget Plane!\
431''[Gadget emerges from the car in helicopter mode.]''\
432'''Gadget:''' Not Gadget Copter, Gadget ''Plane''! Gadget ''PLANE''!\
433''[The copter goes back into his hat, and the mechanical hand throws out a paper airplane.]''\
434'''Gadget:''' Not...''exactly what I meant.''
435** To be fair, at the end of one episode, he was shown as alarmingly competent. Not only does he show awareness of what's happening to him, but he also manages to save Penny AND Brain, PLUS his gadgets were working perfectly. If he showed this level of competence all the time, he'd be a force to be reckoned with.
436* TotemPoleTrench: In the episode "Weather in Tibet", Penny and a friend of hers do this to sneak past some guards.
437** Penny and Brain also do this in "So It Is Written."
438** The Linguinis in "Gadget in Minimadness" do this as part of a PaperThinDisguise, posing as a nurse to gain entrance to Gadget's house. Naturally, Gadget falls for the disguise, but Brain does not, and his attempts to stop the Linguinis are mistaken by Gadget as bad behavior.
439* TrickedOutShoes: His hat deserves all the credit it gets, but Gadget's shoes shouldn't be overlooked. They can turn into everything from roller skates to skis to ice skates to magnets on command.
440* TrrrillingRrrs: The Clock Maker in "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper", it gets more exaggerated as the episode goes on.
441* UnnecessaryRoughness: In ''Race to the Finish'' Dr. Claw enters a car race for the prize money. He blatantly forces the other cars off the track in front of everyone, but isn't actually disqualified until he activates the MAD-Mobile's jet mode and ''flies'' to the finish.
442* UnrevealAngle: Dr. Claw in ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' is TheFaceless who is only ever seen from the back of his chair.
443* UnusuallyUninterestingSight:
444** Bounces around with Gadget himself. Sometimes no one seems to notice Gadgets obviously strange appendages, sometimes onlookers stare with a confused expression. However, no one freaks out or asks questions.
445** When Penny appears to her uncle at the end of an episode, Gadget says "Penny?" but never reprimands her for not staying home - even if he's on the other side of the world from Metro City.
446* VanityPlate: Many of the first season episodes ended with a customized "D.i.C." logo where Gadget clumsily dots the "i" with his Gadget-mallet[[note]]This is similar to another logo used for Literature/TheLittles, which premiered the same year, in which Dinky dots the "i" with a button[[/note]]. Early episodes and the second season used [=DiC=]'s standard "Vortex" logo of the time.
447* VengefulVendingMachine: The show once had a villainous MasterOfDisguise called Presto Change-O. At one point during his episode, Gadget thinks he's found the foe disguised as a vending machine [[spoiler: he was running around disguised as Gadget]]. Naturally, this goes about as well as expected, with Gadget getting his Finger Key stuck in the keyhole and his foot stuck in the slot.
448* VillainExclusivityClause: Might very well be the TropeCodifier, it's impossible to think in an episode ''without'' Dr Claw and his schemes.
449* VillainExitStageLeft: Dr. Claw always escapes whenever he's at the scene of M.A.D.'s latest plot. The recurring M.A.D. agents of the second season do the same.
450* VillainousRescue: Dr. Claw orders one in "The Amazon", as Gadget is being offered as a sacrifice by his own minions, led by Amazon Annie, and he has to get through to them that he needs him for his own plans. Of course, it wouldn't be a problem if the radio was working, but thankfully for both sides Penny had caught wind of the sudden opening to get her uncle out of danger and secretly fixed it just in time.
451-->'''Claw''': '''''STOP THE LIQUIDATION! SAVE GADGET!'''''
452* VinylShatters: Seen in "A Star is Lost," when Gadget, Penny and rock star Rick Rocker attempt to escape M.A.D.'s music warehouse; they run through a room with many LP albums on shelves, and robotic arms that throw the records at our heroes running through as they shatter against the wall. They get through safely, but Gadget [[InspectorOblivious says he needs a word with the owner of the place about proper record care]].
453* WalkIntoCameraObstruction:
454** "Amusement Park" with Inspector Gadget as he is going up a rollercoaster while he's going after Brain the dog holding a panda doll.
455** "Art Heist" with Brain when the security kicked him out of the museum.
456* TheWallsAreClosingIn: Occurs in at least two episodes: "The Curse of the Pharaoh", and "Haunted Castle", the latter involving SpikesOfDoom.
457* WeatherControlMachine: "Weather in Tibet".
458* WeWillMeetAgain: "I'll get you next time Gadget! '''NEXT TIME!'''"
459* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
460** Usually the M.A.D. agents would be arrested at the end of each episode (at least during the first season). However, a few like Amazon Annie from "The Amazon", the Rat from "M.A.D. Trap" and Labella from "King Wrong" are never shown being apprehended. What became of those agents is never revealed.
461** In "School for Pickpockets", one of the pickpocket students, Runt, twice flunks out of said school and fails trying to steal from Gadget. His fate is unknown as Chief Quimby never confirms if Runt was [[OffscreenKarma one of the pickpockets arrested]] at the end.
462** "Quizmaster" involves some of the Quizmaster game show winners later going to prison after being framed for armored car robbery. We never learn if they were exonerated after Gadget solved the case.
463* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: In "Amusement Park," M.A.D. has hidden a bomb in Metro City's new amusement park, and is set to explode at 12:00 noon.
464* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: ...and where does he ''keep'' them?
465* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: Where Metro City is located hasn't been revealed. The only clues given are that it's in the middle of an area made up of farmland and it snows in the winter. It also might be near [[WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCatillacCats Westfinster]].
466** TheMovie puts it in Ohio.
467*** The film adaptation gives Gadget's hometown's name as Riverton rather than Metro City.
468** There's a chance that Metro City is somewhere in Canada. In the 2015 CGI series, Chief Quimby is Canadian, with a apir of tiny Candaian flags on his desk. The first season was co-produced by the Canadian studio Nelvana, and Metro City is shown to be so generic that either an American or a Canadian kid could imagine it as being in their neck of the woods. One episode, "Tree Guesses", is explicitly set in [[CanadaEh the Canadian wilderness]].[[note]]At the beginning of the episode, Penny says: "What lovely scenery in Canada! I'm so glad you rented a cottage here, Uncle Gadget!" This comment could be taken to indicate that they have come over from the United States. Or it could simply serve to indicate the Canadian setting explicitly for that episode, without negating that Metro City is also in Canada. A middle-of-the-road possibility is that the comment was inserted deliberately in order to [[CanadaDoesNotExist obscure the question]] of which country Metro City is located in.[[/note]]
469* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Putting aside the [[{{Pun}} actual snake episode]], Penny and Brain are afraid of ghosts, which gets the better of them when they investigate a M.A.D. base in Dracula's Castle. Penny gets over it with the help of Gadget, but Brain doesn't and stays afraid of ghosts through the whole series.
470* WiltingOdor: In "Smeldorado", M.A.D. agent [[MadScientist Dr. Stench]] has invented a formula that gives gold an overpowering stink. After he uses it on the gold bars in the vault of Metro City's bank, the odor is so bad that when Penny opens the door of a florist's, it wilts every flower in the place.
471* WouldHurtAChild: While she was usually just BoundAndGagged, there were at least three M.A.D. Agents who actually tried to ''kill'' Penny. The first was the Archaeologist in "All That Glitters", who tried to throw Penny off a cliff and only stopped because she pointed out that too many people would see. The second was the Clockmaker from "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper", who tried to crush Penny with a mannequin wielding a mallet set to strike at 5:00. The third was the hired agent to create diamond suits in "A Clear Case," who tied Penny up on a ConveyorBeltODoom leading to a laser.
472* YellowPeril: Dr. Claw tried to team up with a Yellow Peril villain on two separate occasions. First, in "The Japanese Connection," Claw met with the "Great Samurai Waruda" who literally wore samurai armour. In "Eye of the Dragon," Claw met with the nefarious Mr. Chow from Hong Kong, who tended to speak largely in metaphors, as did a lot of the Chinese characters in that episode.
473----
474''I'll get you next time, Gadget... NEXT TIME...''\
475''MMRRREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAOOOOOOWWWW!''

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