Danger Mouse (1981 TV series)
A British animated spy parody series.
Danger Mouse is a British animated television series produced by Cosgrove Hall Productions for Thames Television. It originally ran from 28 September 1981 to 19 March 1992 on the ITV network, featuring the eponymous Danger Mouse as a secret agent and parody of British spy fiction, particularly the Danger Man series and James Bond. The series spawned a spin-off show, Count Duckula, and a revival aired on CBBC from 2015 to 2019.
- field
- Animated television series
- nationality
- British
- network
- ITV
- original_run
- 28 September 1981 – 19 March 1992
- production_company
- Cosgrove Hall Productions
- creators
- Mark Hall and Brian Cosgrove
Lore & Background
The show was created by Mark Hall and Brian Cosgrove for Cosgrove Hall Films, based on Patrick McGoohan's lead role in Danger Man. The pilot episode had a more serious tone, but Mike Harding, who wrote the music, gave Cosgrove and Hall the idea to make the series silly. Danger Mouse is a white mouse with an eyepatch, voiced by David Jason, who works as a secret agent with the British Secret Service alongside his sidekick Penfold, a timid hamster voiced by Terry Scott. They are ordered by Colonel K to save the world, operating from a red pillar box underneath Scotland Yard on Baker Street. Their arch-enemies are Baron Silas Greenback, a toad, and his criminal organization, who attempt world domination through unconventional means.
Reader's Guide
Danger Mouse is significant as a long-running British animated series that parodied spy fiction, influencing later animation with its blend of adventure and comedy. The show's characters, including the off-screen narrator Isambard Sinclair, became iconic in British popular culture. Its success led to the spin-off Count Duckula, and the series was revived on CBBC from 2015 to 2019, demonstrating its enduring appeal. The series is noted for its voice performances, particularly David Jason's portrayal of Danger Mouse, which combined forcefulness, humour, and gentleness. The show's production history, including the shift from a serious tone to a silly one, highlights the creative decisions that shaped its identity.
Did You Know?
- Danger Mouse was originally going to be brown, but the creators thought he and Penfold needed to be different colours.
- Penfold's character design was based on Brian Cosgrove's brother Denis, who worked for the Sunday Express.
- In the US broadcast on Nickelodeon, Stiletto Mafiosa's Italian accent was changed to a Cockney accent to avoid offending Italian-Americans, but later releases restored the original accent.
- The character Nero, Greenback's pet caterpillar, is actually the mastermind of Greenback's schemes, as revealed in special features.
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