Inspector Gadget is one of those weird franchises that has quietly had a few shows through out the decades without anyone really noticing them, in fact a lot of these shows I didn’t even know existed. Let’s take a loot at the theme songs of all these shows, since we know that the original show had the now classic opening theme and see if any of the future shows were able to match it.
The original show’s theme is a classic, it seems the 80’s really did bring out some of the best and catchiest theme songs available. The dramatic “Go Gadget Go” can make this show appear much more epic than it could ever wish for, hell I’d say it’s that one line that makes me want to re-watch this show. The live-action movie even did a decent interpretation of it
The Inspector Gadget got a sequel show in the early 2000’s with Gadget and the Gadgetinis; It must’ve aired rather quietly since I have no memory of this but then again I wasn’t the target audience anymore. Sadly this was the age of quick 30 second intros so it just can’t achieve much with it. Oddly enough it doesn’t have any real references to the classic theme which is rather odd but in it’s defense the theme while not amazing does grow on you and you can see it had something going for it, even if it can’t match the original.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lL9guIMtbo
In 2015 Inspector Gadget got a new show and it looks rather interesting but the theme is just awful and reeks of the mid 00’s punk-rock themes some shows were getting. The intro tries to match as much iconography of the original opening but the music kills it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP59sBzOXP4
Gadget Boy (& Heather / Adventures in History) is somewhat of a reboot and/or related spin-off, it’s not really clear if Gadget Boy is meant to be the Inspector but besides the name being similar, him having a hat that acts the same and that he’s from the same company there really is no evidence. Released in the mid 90’s, this theme is really bad and reeks of a generic cartoon of that decade.
Like with TMNT, a fan has re-created the original theme in CGi. The CGi is rather nice, if a bit wonky in a few places, it’s rather well done for a fan project besides a few kinks and whistles and at least it’s better than the awful 2015 Inspector Gadget theme.
Finally we have the opening of Inspector Gadget’s field trip spin-off which was sort of an edutainment show like Carmen Sandiego where they try to teach you Geography. But done in an Inspector Gadget meets Muppet Babies kind of way. The theme is ok and actually sounds like Gadget Boy’s theme though done in a much better way.
