Toonhound - DangerMouse (1981-1987 / 1991-1992)

   "DangerMouse is not just a cartoon show.
      It's a way of life, a religion..."
                                                     - Marvin Kitman/ Newsday

    DangerMouse is the strongest, the quickest, the greatest super agent in the
    world. He's a super-cool, eyepatch wearing hero who operates out of a London
    post box with his hamster sidekick Penfold. This dynamic duo are given
    death-defying missions from Colonel K of the Secret Service, most of which
    lead down a well-trodden path to the door of that most fiendish of villains,
    Baron Silas Greenback.

    Greenback aims to take over the world by any means necessary. To assist
    him he has Stiletto, a mock-Italian crow of extreme incompetence. And then
    there's Greenback's pet Nero, who's akin to a big white furry caterpillar. He
   chatters and grumbles disaffectedly on his master's arm, like a good evil
    minion should.

    Every episode of this dynamic series is  bookended with the help of an
    additional off-screen character, The Narrator - a fearless, heroic individual
    ready to expound and expactorate until the cows come home, evil is
    defeated, and our heroes are tucked up safely in bed...

         Greenback, Stiletto and Nero - Boo! - Hiss!       'Pay attention, DM...' - It's Colonel 'K'

     Many viewers assume that the DangerMouse character is based upon
     James Bond, but this is not so. DM, as he's known, has more in common
     with sixties TV-hero Danger Man, played by Patrick McGoohan. The Bond
     associations are more applicable to Colonel K who's just like "Q", and that
     rasping rascal Greenback, who shares much with super Bond villain Blofeld,
     complete with white cat(erpillar). According to series director Brian Cosgrove,
     Nero's chattering was created by speeding up voice recordings of actor
     David Jason. Which makes you want slow down your tape and see what's
     actually being said!

  "DangerMouse" arrived in 1981 and quickly outgrew its kids tv slot to become
     a classic show for adults too. The series was a worldwide success, and was
     sold to over 50 countries. More importantly it broke America and was the very
     first British cartoon to be syndicated coast-to-coast over there, via Nickelodeon.
     Here in the UK we originally had "cliffhanger" style 5-minute episodes, with four
     or five episodes for each tale. On Nickelodeon these were reedited into two
     cliff-hanging episodes of 10-12mins duration. Later seasons in the UK featured
     10-minute episodes and in the early 1990's we saw the format extended into
     a Saturday-Morning style half-hour. Confusing, eh?



     "DangerMouse" licensing abounded in the early eighties. And at the turn
     of the millenium, a new wave of DM merchandise passed through stores,
     including fantastic talking toys, fridge magnets and stationery...

      Pay attention DM

     » Trivia Hounds will note that the episode titled "The Four Tasks of
         DangerMouse" included the first-ever TV appearance of that vegetarian
         vampire Count Duckula.

     » In the original series pilot, Penfold speaks in a Welsh accent. It was only
         in the series proper that Terry Scott took over his voice. This piece of history
         is confirmed when one flicks through "The DangerMouse Files", a tie-in
         publication from 1982. Penfold's real name is revealed as Wilbraham
         Keith Benedict. Apparently, he's the only son of Arthur Wigglesworth and
         Bronwen Merionedd Ysptty Ystwyth Penfold (nee O'Herlihy). Also, Brian
         Cosgrove has revealed that our favourite spectacled hamster is loosely
         designed on his own brother!

    » "The DangerMouse Files" also informs us that DM was educated at Eton,
         Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, the Sorbonne and Wurternberg, and this
         clever fellow holds a B.A., B.Sc., M.A., M.Sc., and P.H.D.

     » Stiletto's real name is, apparently, Nasaccio Mafiosa Cornetto. Meanwhile,
         Nero is revealed to be of the species Creepio Nastissimus. His full title is
         Instar Emperor Nero the Second of Chorlton-Cum-Hardy. Chorlton-Cum-Hardy
         being the real-life address of Cosgrove Hall's studios.

     » DM fell foul of the devastating fallout from the awful events of 9/11.
         The DVD "Tower of Terror" sported a sleeve depicting our dynamic duo
         fleeing a trembling skyscraper. The release was hastily repackaged
         and titled as "The Great Bone Idol", although that original art still
         features in a Kult Kidz DVD box set.

     » You might not know that there was another equally-heroic, but less
          familiar DangerMouse in print each week in the pages of "Smash" comic,
         way back in 1966 - You'll find him indexed here on Fleetway Street...

    In the news

    The Hound: February 2002
     Speculation about a CGI DangerMouse...

    The Hound: October 2001
     DVD title change after September 11th...

     Current promos/tie-ins



     DM Figures
     To celebrate DM's 25th anniversary, Tony Leetham sculpted
     six fab resin figures for fans to collect. Tony talked to Toonhound
     about the project here. More importantly, though, you can still buy
     these directly from his company web site, Concept 2 Creation...

    • DangerMouse car   • Greenback and Nero
    • Colonel K              • Stiletto
    • Boom!                  • Frog's Head Flyer


     Original art/Giclee prints
     So you reckon you're a huge DM fan, right? The biggest going?
     So you've got one of these? And this? And this, too? You see,
     our friends at The Animation Art Gallery in London have a
     mind-boggling array of original series artwork for fans to salivate
     over. Plus those signed giclees, hand painted limited editions
     and more. And boy, these are p'urty and oh-so-desirable.....

     DangerMouse on DVD



     Now pay attention. You can currently get your paws on every single
     DangerMouse episode ever produced, all incorporated into one mighty
     DVD box set from Fremantle Home Entertainment. However, some
     folks may just want to dip their toes into DM-infested waters, so
     you'll be just as pleased to hear that there are also six individual
     releases for your consideration. Below are links to them all...



     The DangerMouse Collection
     Region 2 / 12 disc box set / Fremantle / September 2006

     DangerMouse 1 - Rogue Robots
     DangerMouse 2 - The Spy Who Stayed in With a Cold
     DangerMouse 3 - Hickory Dickory Docks Dilemma
     DangerMouse 4 - The Ultra Secret Secret
     DangerMouse 5 - Statue of Liberty Caper
     DangerMouse 6 - Rhyme and Punishment

     Fremantle's new releases supercede a bunch of earlier escapees.
     If you're that dedicated a fan (and let's face it, all too many folks are!),
     you might still want to track 'em down:

     DangerMouse - Volume 1
   DangerMouse - Volume 2
     DangerMouse - The Great Bone Idol
     DangerMouse - Project Moon
   DangerMouse - Viva DangerMouse
   DangerMouse - Who Stole The Bagpipes?



     In America it's far less complicated. A&E have released the series
     as one crumb-tastic box set or, for those on a tighter budget, as
     four neat and nifty series sets...

     DangerMouse: The Complete Series
     Region 1 / nine discs / A& E Home Video / August 2007

   DangerMouse - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2
   DangerMouse - The Complete Seasons 3 & 4
   DangerMouse - The Complete Seasons 5 & 6
     DangerMouse - The Final Seasons

       director:       Brian Cosgrove
       producers:    Brian Cosgrove, Mark Hall
       creators:       Mike Harding, Brian Trueman
       writer:           Brian Trueman
       music:           Mike Harding
       voices:          David Jason (DangerMouse, Narrator)
                        Terry Scott (Penfold)
                        Edward Kelsey (Greenback, Colonel K)
                        Brian Trueman (Stiletto)
                        Jimmy Hibbert (Dr Crumhorn)

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			DangerMouse (1981-1987 / 1991-1992) producers: Cosgrove Hall Productions for Thames Television animation: cel animation 90 x 5mins 50 x 10mins 19 x 25mins
		"DangerMouse is not just a cartoon show. It's a way of life, a religion..." - Marvin Kitman/ Newsday DangerMouse is the strongest, the quickest, the greatest super agent in the world. He's a super-cool, eyepatch wearing hero who operates out of a London post box with his hamster sidekick Penfold. This dynamic duo are given death-defying missions from Colonel K of the Secret Service, most of which lead down a well-trodden path to the door of that most fiendish of villains, Baron Silas Greenback. Greenback aims to take over the world by any means necessary. To assist him he has Stiletto, a mock-Italian crow of extreme incompetence. And then there's Greenback's pet Nero, who's akin to a big white furry caterpillar. He chatters and grumbles disaffectedly on his master's arm, like a good evil minion should. Every episode of this dynamic series is bookended with the help of an additional off-screen character, The Narrator - a fearless, heroic individual ready to expound and expactorate until the cows come home, evil is defeated, and our heroes are tucked up safely in bed... Many viewers assume that the DangerMouse character is based upon James Bond, but this is not so. DM, as he's known, has more in common with sixties TV-hero Danger Man, played by Patrick McGoohan. The Bond associations are more applicable to Colonel K who's just like "Q", and that rasping rascal Greenback, who shares much with super Bond villain Blofeld, complete with white cat(erpillar). According to series director Brian Cosgrove, Nero's chattering was created by speeding up voice recordings of actor David Jason. Which makes you want slow down your tape and see what's actually being said! "DangerMouse" arrived in 1981 and quickly outgrew its kids tv slot to become a classic show for adults too. The series was a worldwide success, and was sold to over 50 countries. More importantly it broke America and was the very first British cartoon to be syndicated coast-to-coast over there, via Nickelodeon. Here in the UK we originally had "cliffhanger" style 5-minute episodes, with four or five episodes for each tale. On Nickelodeon these were reedited into two cliff-hanging episodes of 10-12mins duration. Later seasons in the UK featured 10-minute episodes and in the early 1990's we saw the format extended into a Saturday-Morning style half-hour. Confusing, eh? "DangerMouse" licensing abounded in the early eighties. And at the turn of the millenium, a new wave of DM merchandise passed through stores, including fantastic talking toys, fridge magnets and stationery... Pay attention DM » Trivia Hounds will note that the episode titled "The Four Tasks of DangerMouse" included the first-ever TV appearance of that vegetarian vampire Count Duckula. » In the original series pilot, Penfold speaks in a Welsh accent. It was only in the series proper that Terry Scott took over his voice. This piece of history is confirmed when one flicks through "The DangerMouse Files", a tie-in publication from 1982. Penfold's real name is revealed as Wilbraham Keith Benedict. Apparently, he's the only son of Arthur Wigglesworth and Bronwen Merionedd Ysptty Ystwyth Penfold (nee O'Herlihy). Also, Brian Cosgrove has revealed that our favourite spectacled hamster is loosely designed on his own brother! » "The DangerMouse Files" also informs us that DM was educated at Eton, Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, the Sorbonne and Wurternberg, and this clever fellow holds a B.A., B.Sc., M.A., M.Sc., and P.H.D. » Stiletto's real name is, apparently, Nasaccio Mafiosa Cornetto. Meanwhile, Nero is revealed to be of the species Creepio Nastissimus. His full title is Instar Emperor Nero the Second of Chorlton-Cum-Hardy. Chorlton-Cum-Hardy being the real-life address of Cosgrove Hall's studios. » DM fell foul of the devastating fallout from the awful events of 9/11. The DVD "Tower of Terror" sported a sleeve depicting our dynamic duo fleeing a trembling skyscraper. The release was hastily repackaged and titled as "The Great Bone Idol", although that original art still features in a Kult Kidz DVD box set. » You might not know that there was another equally-heroic, but less familiar DangerMouse in print each week in the pages of "Smash" comic, way back in 1966 - You'll find him indexed here on Fleetway Street... In the news The Hound: February 2002 Speculation about a CGI DangerMouse... The Hound: October 2001 DVD title change after September 11th... Current promos/tie-ins DM Figures To celebrate DM's 25th anniversary, Tony Leetham sculpted six fab resin figures for fans to collect. Tony talked to Toonhound about the project here. More importantly, though, you can still buy these directly from his company web site, Concept 2 Creation... • DangerMouse car • Greenback and Nero • Colonel K • Stiletto • Boom! • Frog's Head Flyer Original art/Giclee prints So you reckon you're a huge DM fan, right? The biggest going? So you've got one of these? And this? And this, too? You see, our friends at The Animation Art Gallery in London have a mind-boggling array of original series artwork for fans to salivate over. Plus those signed giclees, hand painted limited editions and more. And boy, these are p'urty and oh-so-desirable..... DangerMouse on DVD Now pay attention. You can currently get your paws on every single DangerMouse episode ever produced, all incorporated into one mighty DVD box set from Fremantle Home Entertainment. However, some folks may just want to dip their toes into DM-infested waters, so you'll be just as pleased to hear that there are also six individual releases for your consideration. Below are links to them all... The DangerMouse Collection Region 2 / 12 disc box set / Fremantle / September 2006 DangerMouse 1 - Rogue Robots DangerMouse 2 - The Spy Who Stayed in With a Cold DangerMouse 3 - Hickory Dickory Docks Dilemma DangerMouse 4 - The Ultra Secret Secret DangerMouse 5 - Statue of Liberty Caper DangerMouse 6 - Rhyme and Punishment Fremantle's new releases supercede a bunch of earlier escapees. If you're that dedicated a fan (and let's face it, all too many folks are!), you might still want to track 'em down: DangerMouse - Volume 1 DangerMouse - Volume 2 DangerMouse - The Great Bone Idol DangerMouse - Project Moon DangerMouse - Viva DangerMouse DangerMouse - Who Stole The Bagpipes? In America it's far less complicated. A&E have released the series as one crumb-tastic box set or, for those on a tighter budget, as four neat and nifty series sets... DangerMouse: The Complete Series Region 1 / nine discs / A& E Home Video / August 2007 DangerMouse - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 DangerMouse - The Complete Seasons 3 & 4 DangerMouse - The Complete Seasons 5 & 6 DangerMouse - The Final Seasons director: Brian Cosgrove producers: Brian Cosgrove, Mark Hall creators: Mike Harding, Brian Trueman writer: Brian Trueman music: Mike Harding voices: David Jason (DangerMouse, Narrator) Terry Scott (Penfold) Edward Kelsey (Greenback, Colonel K) Brian Trueman (Stiletto) Jimmy Hibbert (Dr Crumhorn) On the web Cosgrove Hall Films The official CH site.... Mike Harding Next in line is the official site for DangerMouse co-creator Mike Harding which features all the info you could need about this famous radio and TV personality - including info on his involvement with DM and Cosgrove Hall... Cosgrove Hall Ate My Brain Nyanko's energetic, attractive fan site. A splendid guide, not only for DM but for all things Cosgrove Hall related... Epguides An episode and transmission guide from Alan Morton, with storylines for every episode... Club DM Meanwhile, Aquila's stylish site is a splendid shrine. Stop by for DM news, reviews of the DVD's, and more... Altera Altera gives us a "What is DangerMouse?" section, info on the characters and creators and plenty of WAV files... Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia provides a useful, condensed introduction to the series. (Don also indexes Duckula...) index » previous » next »

© Cosgrove Hall / Pearson Television / F2008