Also Known As: Winter Olympics
Original Air Date: September 12, 1983
Starring: Don Adams, Frank Welker
Directed by: Bruno Bianchi, Bernard Deyriès, Toshiyuki Hiruma

Synopsis: Inspector Gadget (voiced by Don Adams) is a bungling detective with robotic capabilities who is unknowingly aided in solving mysteries by his niece Penny (voiced in this pilot episode by Mona Marshall) and their dog Brain (voiced by Frank Welker). In this pilot episode (in which Gadget sports a mustache for the only time) they attend the Winter Olympics but their fun time is spoiled by the evil Dr. Claw (memorably voiced by Frank Welker).

Cartoon Cat: Dr. Claw works for an evil organization known as M.A.D. and his sidekick is a large, fat cat named M.A.D. Cat (voiced again by Frank Welker).

M.A.D. Cat plays the supportive role as most villainous sidekick cats which snicker and laugh at their master’s plans. In one shot M.A.D. Cat is backlit by lightning to appear more evil.

As with many such villains, Dr. Claw has a string of really bad luck, as all of his attempts here (and in future episodes) to destroy Gadget are thwarted, either by Penny and Brain’s running interference or by Gadget’s own bungling.

In one shot M.A.D. cat is snickering (in the fashion of many cartoon bad cats and dogs) when a device blows up into his face.

There is also a strange moment when M.A.D. Cat is licking Dr. Claw’s metal hand. Dr. Claw actually clobbers the cat on the head!

But moments later Dr. Claw lets M.A.D. Cat turn a dial and even later is seen petting the animal.

M.A.D. Cat seems freaked out by the Yeti Snow Robot that Dr. Claw sends after Gadget.

In the end Dr. Claw and M.A.D. Cat escape in a rocket, living to fight another day.

Final Mewsings: You have to be pretty evil to hit your own cat sidekick!

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