I would have to agree with the other reviews I've read of this particular episode. As a kid, I saw episodes from the second season of "Inspector Gadget" before I had the chance to see some of the first season episodes. I would guess that it was roughly late 1989 when I was introduced to the show on Nickelodeon. I had "Bad Dreams Are Made of This" on a tape called "The Daffy Detective" that also included "N.S.F. Gadget", "Magic Gadget", "The Great Wambini's Seance", and "Wambini Predicts". I would argue that the quality of the animation of the second season of "Inspector Gadget" was at least as good as the first season, as were the sound effects and music. I've purchased the second season of "Inspector Gadget" on Amazon Prime Video, as it's currently unavailable on DVD. For those interested in purchasing the second season from Amazon, it's referred to as the fourth season for whatever reason.
3 Reviews
MAD Dreams Are Made of This
stopthemachine16 January 2010
Ah, "MAD Dreams Are Made of This"--I remember when INSPECTOR GADGET returned with new episodes in 1985, this was the first new episode that I saw, and it's been one of my favorites ever since. Notice too my choice for the title's episode; this episode is often credited as "Bad Dreams Are Made of This," but I have an episode on tape that lists it as "MAD Dreams Are Made of This." (I prefer "MAD" over "Bad," but both make sense, honestly.) Dr. Spectrum begins his three-episode story arc with his nightmare machine that makes the citizens of Metro City too tired to function in the morning by inflicting bad dreams waves all over the city; with everyone sleeping during the day, MAD has full reign over the city. Of course, it's up to Gadget to stop MAD's plot.
This episode has it all--great music, animation, writing, and directing with a fun cameo of Hector and Wordsworth of the Catillac Cats. Penny and Brain are actively involved in the episode (which happens in all the best episodes), and Brain has some humorous disguises.
The voice acting is fun with added enjoyment of Louis Nye as MAD agent Dr. Spectrum. Townsend Coleman makes his animation debut in this episode as pitchman (and MAD agent) Sweetley--(to Dr. Claw) "Yes yes yes yes! More bad dreams for them, more profits for MAD! I just love the way you think!" I just watched this episode a few weeks ago, and I find it to be just as funny and exciting as it was in 1985. Personally, I enjoy the 1985 episodes of INSPECTOR GADGET. For the record too, GADGET wasn't "cancelled" because of low ratings of the 1985 season. I have read several times that DiC Animation felt they had more than enough episodes with the additional 21 episodes--bringing the total count of episodes to 86--so they felt they would move on to other projects, and they did. (DiC used the same maneuver when making its 86 episodes of HEATHCLIFF AND THE CATILLAC CATS in its two seasons.) In fact, if you'll notice, most animation companies did not make over 65 episodes unless a network agreed to pick it up for additional episodes (such as THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS).
For those who are unsure about the second season, I recommend watching this episode, "Gadget and Old Lace," and "Gadget Meets the Clan" as some of this season's best episodes. The second season of GADGET is still better than anything else GADGET to follow (with the exception of INSPECTOR GADGET SAVES Christmas, which is worth a watch).
Let's hope DiC will release a volume 2 of GADGET episodes soon. Otherwise, it will be a long time before great episodes like this see the light of day.
This episode has it all--great music, animation, writing, and directing with a fun cameo of Hector and Wordsworth of the Catillac Cats. Penny and Brain are actively involved in the episode (which happens in all the best episodes), and Brain has some humorous disguises.
The voice acting is fun with added enjoyment of Louis Nye as MAD agent Dr. Spectrum. Townsend Coleman makes his animation debut in this episode as pitchman (and MAD agent) Sweetley--(to Dr. Claw) "Yes yes yes yes! More bad dreams for them, more profits for MAD! I just love the way you think!" I just watched this episode a few weeks ago, and I find it to be just as funny and exciting as it was in 1985. Personally, I enjoy the 1985 episodes of INSPECTOR GADGET. For the record too, GADGET wasn't "cancelled" because of low ratings of the 1985 season. I have read several times that DiC Animation felt they had more than enough episodes with the additional 21 episodes--bringing the total count of episodes to 86--so they felt they would move on to other projects, and they did. (DiC used the same maneuver when making its 86 episodes of HEATHCLIFF AND THE CATILLAC CATS in its two seasons.) In fact, if you'll notice, most animation companies did not make over 65 episodes unless a network agreed to pick it up for additional episodes (such as THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS).
For those who are unsure about the second season, I recommend watching this episode, "Gadget and Old Lace," and "Gadget Meets the Clan" as some of this season's best episodes. The second season of GADGET is still better than anything else GADGET to follow (with the exception of INSPECTOR GADGET SAVES Christmas, which is worth a watch).
Let's hope DiC will release a volume 2 of GADGET episodes soon. Otherwise, it will be a long time before great episodes like this see the light of day.
The best Gadget short EVER!!
tme10247513 December 2007
Yes, the second season of "Inspector Gadget" may be considered blasé and formulaic with its loyal fan base (hence leading to the show's abrupt cancellation in early 1986), but this short is the undisputed best adventure that Gadget, Penny, and Brain face! Dr. Spectrum, the diminutive MAD inventor from "Busy Signal" and "Ghost Catchers", was a deftly ingenious, hi-tech villain to join Dr. Claw's ranks. In this episode, his dream-wave machine, a towering electromagnetic invention engineered to generate nightmare-inducing rays that are subsequently propagated throughout the night on the resting denizens of Metro City, is part of an elaborate plot to exploitatively sell another gizmo of Dr. Spectrum's, a "Dream-Away" machine that filters out the nightmare waves, to the sleepy public for MAD's profit. These "Dream-Away" boxes are fabricated via another cool machine of Spectrum's, a 3-story-tall laser welder! Besides these fantastic set pieces, everything about this short is just absolutely impeccable for a Gadget short: the story, crime, music, soundFX all seamlessly come together in harmony! They just don't make them like this anymore...kudos to DIC animation!!!
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