Dangermouse

DANGERMOUSE
Made by: Cosgrove Hall
Shown on: ITV
Years shown: 1981-83 and onwards

Theme tune: “London: home of the cockney, the winkle stall, the Thames gas board and, in a quiet Mayfair pillar-box, the world’s greatest detective, Dangermouse, and his faithful assistant, Penfold”…
and ”Dangermouse….amazing! Dangermouse…astounding!”

This terribly British cartoon, made on a very low budget, starred David Jason as London’s most famous rodent sleuth, Dangermouse. The show was a clever pastiche of the Patrick McGoohan series, Dangerman, other British detective shows like The Avengers and The Man from UNCLE, Sherlock Holmes himself, and all those Marvel comic books.

Dangermouse or DM, as he was known by his friends, was a white mouse with an eye-patch, who lived under a post-box on Baker Street. He was aided by his speccy mole sidekick in ill-fitting suits, Penfold (voiced by Terry Scott), whose catch phrase was always “Crumbs, DM!”, whenever they got into a tight spot. They worked for Colonel K, and fought against Baron Greenback, a toad, and the International Conference of Evil-doers, who, I suppose, were at least honest about their intentions. Unfortunately for Greenback, he was reliant on his henchman, Stiletto the crow, and a white furry thing called Nero.

Dangermouse had that magic cross-over appeal to adults, with its quick wit and accurate parody, despite the blatant use of stock animation material to save time and money.

SQUARE EYES RATING: 7/10

(Thanks to www.internationalhero.co.uk for the borrowed pic)