The New Adventures of Lucky Luke is a 2001 French-Canadian cartoon based on the eponymous comics, made by the Xilam studio (they also did Space Goofs and Ratz). It features all new stories based on the character. It is also notable for having the background and characters change colors in certain situation, something that wasn't done in the previous cartoon, but which actually originates from the original comics.
It ran for 52 episodes from 2001 to 2003 and features a wide cast of characters, one-shots and recurring ones. A movie centered around Lucky Luke made by the same studio, Go West!, was released in 2007. Xilam also made a series about Rantanplan titled Rintindumb and one about the Dalton Brothers titled The Daltons.
The New Adventures of Lucky Luke provides examples of:
- All Asians Know Martial Arts: Many Chinese characters in "Liki Liki" know martial arts, including Tchin-Tchin himself, Luke's ally.
- Amoral Attorney: A corrupt lawyer strikes a deal with the Daltons and not only lies through his teeth to get them acquitted from the crimes they obviously committed, but he also bribes a judge to declare Luke guilty and imprison him. His lies were too good to last though... and he has to deal both with Luke's revenge plan and the Dalton's threat over his person once they don't need him anymore.
- Bilingual Bonus: A lot of names of characters and towns reference things that evaded a lot of French viewers. For example in "War of the Medics", one of the background characters is called "Big Dick Narrowmind", needless to say, the only reason this part wasn't censored in France can be attributed to the bad English of French viewers.
- Bottomless Magazines: Played straight a third of the time where two revolvers with six shots can fire as much as 20 shots but averted in most of the episodes where the characters have to reload after firing six times.
- Experimental Archeology: In "A Bone for the Daltons", the archaeologist decides to move an entire penitentiary using the same technique apparently used to build the pyramids.
- Historical Domain Character: Historical figures that haven't appeared previously include General Custer, Ulysses S. Grant and even Queen Victoria.
- Gratuitous English: The opening song's lyrics are a mix of French and deliberately badly pronounced English.
- Lightning Can Do Anything: In "Jackpot for the Daltons", lightning (and by extension electricity) turns Averell and Rantanplan into hyper-competent geniuses.
- Mythology Gag: In "War of the Medics", when Luke is examined by Dr. Titfeather, she asks him "So, you're an ex-smoker, are you?", a reference to how he used to smoke in the comics and the first two animated movies before replacing his cigarettes with pieces of straw.
- The Napoleon: General Custer and Colonel Oswald in "A Cannon for the Daltons" are both of small heights and have delusions of grandeur for the former and share an authoritarian personality.
- The New Adventures: The New Adventures of Lucky Luke.
- Politically Incorrect Villain:
- The main antagonist in "The Return of Liki Liki" is a former slave trafficker who built the town the episode is set in and is firmly opposed to any black man setting foot there.
- Most military commanders, especially General Custer who apparently has a compulsive need to chase any indians he sees, are firmly anti native americans.
- A sheriff in "The Daltons' Ghosts" is apparently affiliated with the Klu Klux Klan.
- Snake Oil Salesman: Doctor Doxey, a villain from the comics returns in "War of the Medics", having been released from prison and having created a new potion, selling it to sick miners under the pretense that it can heal their fever. According to Doctor Wititfeather, the formula is only sugar and vitriol.
