| Widget | |
|---|---|
 Widget | |
| Genre | Animated comedy |
| Created by | Peter Keefe[1] |
| Directed by | Tom Burton |
| Presented by | Calico Creations Zodiac Entertainment |
| Voices of | Russi Taylor Jim Cummings Kath Soucie Dana Hill |
| Theme music composer | Dale Schacker |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 65 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Peter Keefe |
| Producer | Tom Burton |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Calico Creations Zodiac Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication USA Network |
| Release | 29 September 1990 (1990-09-29) – 25 April 1992 (1992-04-25) |
Widget (also known asWidget the World Watcher) is an animatedchildren's television series created byPeter Keefe, and directed and produced by Tom Burton ofZodiac Entertainment, which debuted insyndication on September 29, 1990.[2] The series ran for two seasons; in the first season (1990), it aired once a week (usually on Saturday or Sunday), and in the second season (1991-1992), the series expanded to weekdays. The show featuredenvironmentalist themes and was recognized by theNational Education Association as recommended viewing for children.[3]
The show focused on a short purple extraterrestrial from the planet Widget who couldshapeshift by spinning like aspinning top into different forms. He and a group of young human friends - brothers Kevin and Brian, and their veterinarian friend Kristine - protect the natural environment from those who wish to plunder or harm it. Later on they are joined by fellow shapeshifter Half-Pint, Widget's mischievous and overly-curious cousin. Widget is frequently accompanied by the Mega Brain, an intelligent but somewhat clumsy being who appears as a floating head (with a transparent cranium) and floating hands.[4]
The show was produced byCalico Creations to teach children about the dangers of pollution. Each episode would have Widget contending with a villain from either Earth or outer space wishing to exploit Earth's environment or natural resources, like Dr. Dante, Mega Slank, and his evil twin, Ratchet. In this respect, Widget, the World Watcher is similar toCaptain Planet and the Planeteers andToxic Crusaders, as all those heroes attempt to save the Earth from ecological disaster. As in those series, Widget occasionally fought against malicious entities spawned by copious pollution. For example, in one episode Widget battled a fellow shapeshifter, asentient but hostile life form, disguised as a toxic ooze/slick, who was contaminating Earth's beaches and oceans.
The TV series ran for 65 episodes: 13 in the first season, and 52 in the second season. The animation for the show was produced by South Korean studioSei Young Animation.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Widget's Great Whale Adventure" | 29 September 1990 (1990-09-29) | |
Widget reluctantly travels to Earth and he saves a whale caught by some poachers. | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Gorilla My Dreams" | 6 October 1990 (1990-10-06) | |
On a school trip, Kevin and Brian adopt a gorilla named Johnny Africa. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Kona, the Captive Whale" | 13 October 1990 (1990-10-13) | |
On a trip with Kevin, Brian, and Kristine, Widget assumes the zookeeper of a baby whale named Kona is hurting her, while really the zookeeper is just doing his job. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Widget of the Jungle" | 20 October 1990 (1990-10-20) | |
Widget travels to the jungles of Africa where evil poachers, Bob and Betty try to capture an elephant for his tusks. | ||||
| 5 | 5 | "Widget's Walkabout" | 27 October 1990 (1990-10-27) | |
Widget travels to Australia to ensure itsred kangaroos enjoy their new habitat. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Amazon Adventure" | 3 November 1990 (1990-11-03) | |
Construction men are building a giant highway through the rainforest, cutting down special trees used by the natives as medicine. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Mediterranean Adventure" | 10 November 1990 (1990-11-10) | |
A trip to theMediterranean Sea gets Kevin, Brian, Kristine, and Mega Brain captured by fishermen, while Widget has to help out a cattle farmer. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "Slime Sleuths" | 17 November 1990 (1990-11-17) | |
Dr. Dante presumably has invented a machine to solve the issue of toxic waste disposal. Widget wonders about that when problems arise when the barrels containing the waste are reused. | ||||
| 9 | 9 | "Rock 'n' Roll Widget" | 24 November 1990 (1990-11-24) | |
Kristine takes Widget, Brian and Kevin to a rock concert which is seemingly a charity for marine life, little knowing the concert was being run by Mr. Beetlebug. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Teacher's Pets" | 1 December 1990 (1990-12-01) | |
Widget gets to be the children's substitute teacher of biology and zoology after their regular substitute teacher Mr. Scramblejank keeps having car trouble. But Samantha soon becomes a tattletale. | ||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Carnival Kids" | 8 December 1990 (1990-12-08) | |
A carnival is being thrown by Doctor Clang, seemingly for building an animal shelter. But what are Dr. Clang's true intentions for the carnival? | ||||
| 12 | 12 | "Mega-Slank from Titanium" | 15 December 1990 (1990-12-15) | |
The evil Mega Slank steals animals to bring back to his planet. | ||||
| 13 | 13 | "That's the Spirit" | 22 December 1990 (1990-12-22) | |
While planning to demolish a town's fountain for a mall, the mayor is visited by three Ghosts. | ||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Two Times Widget Equals Trouble" | 23 September 1991 (1991-09-23) | |
A careless mistake by Mega Brain sends Ratchet, Widget's alter ego, out to trash. | ||||
| 15 | 2 | "You Talkin' to Me?" | 25 September 1991 (1991-09-25) | |
Mega Brain invents a machine which supposedly cleans the air, but it actually makes animals talk like humans, leaving Widget to no longer be the only one who could understand them. | ||||
| 16 | 3 | "Sort It Out" | 27 September 1991 (1991-09-27) | |
Widget teaches the city people how to recycle after seeing recyclables at the dump. | ||||
| 17 | 4 | "Watcher's Warning" | 30 September 1991 (1991-09-30) | |
Widget, Mega Brain, Kevin and Brian travel to Planet Scraboolee which is completely polluted and used to be beautiful. Widget wants to get proof of its pollution to ensure the same thing does not happen to Earth, but it's not going to be an easy task. | ||||
| 18 | 5 | "The Great Brain Robbery" | 1 October 1991 (1991-10-01) | |
Ratchet captures Mega Brain and turns him into a mindless trasher. | ||||
| 19 | 6 | "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" | 2 October 1991 (1991-10-02) | |
After a video recording of Widget is sent into space, ringmaster brothers Film Flam McSham capture Widget to be in their intergalactic circus. | ||||
| 20 | 7 | "Bonkrz" | 7 October 1991 (1991-10-07) | |
Widget travels to an award show to help Squappy the Sapsimian, who is seemingly endangered, but Widget finds out the air on the planet had acid rain. | ||||
| 21 | 8 | "Glacier Grabber" | 10 October 1991 (1991-10-10) | |
Widget, Mega Brain, Kevin, and Brian find that Dr. Dante is in the arctic with a supposedly harmless machine. Widget finds out that the machine is melting all the glaciers. | ||||
| 22 | 9 | "Where's the Beef?" | 11 October 1991 (1991-10-11) | |
Mega Slank goes to Australia and hypnotizes animals to run his fast food company. | ||||
| 23 | 10 | "Micronauts" | 14 October 1991 (1991-10-14) | |
Widget and friends try to stop mysterious rain that mutates anything into giant monsters. | ||||
| 24 | 11 | "Watcher from Wayback" | 15 October 1991 (1991-10-15) | |
Widget travels toTibet and unexpectedly meets an old World Watcher named Zodi. | ||||
| 25 | 12 | "Betty and the Beasts" | 17 October 1991 (1991-10-17) | |
Bob and Betty are capturing animals to make a movie. | ||||
| 26 | 13 | "Maller Crawlers" | 22 October 1991 (1991-10-22) | |
Widget goes to an intergalactic shopping mall, and finds out the mall is no ordinary mall. | ||||
| 27 | 14 | "Never Cry Woof" | 24 October 1991 (1991-10-24) | |
Brian is accidentally turned into a wolf by Mega Brain. | ||||
| 28 | 15 | "All Day Suckers" | 25 October 1991 (1991-10-25) | |
A race of lollipop people seek water and goes to a greedy businessman who is draining out Earth's water. | ||||
| 29 | 16 | "Fifty Foot Ants" | 29 October 1991 (1991-10-29) | |
It's Kevin's birthday, and Mega Brain tells a story about giant ants and Flim Flam McSham trying to capture one. | ||||
| 30 | 17 | "Half-Pint" | 30 October 1991 (1991-10-30) | |
Here, we are introduced to Half Pint, Widget's little cousin, who is rather hyperactive. | ||||
| 31 | 18 | "Air For Sale" | 1 November 1991 (1991-11-01) | |
Mr. Beetlebug opens Domeworld and starts polluting the air using a supercomputer named Macro Brain in order to sell air for money. | ||||
| 32 | 19 | "Intergalactic Garage Sale" | 5 November 1991 (1991-11-05) | |
Evil Mega Slank steals many of Earth's most magnificent landmarks for his Intergalactic Garage Sale. | ||||
| 33 | 20 | "The Great Brain Drain" | 6 November 1991 (1991-11-06) | |
The Watcher Elders inform Widget that Bizarro Brain is causing mayhem in the time of the dinosaurs by trying to capture the Whaleosaurus and Mega Brain is afraid to help. | ||||
| 34 | 21 | "Dr. Mega-Slank's Pet Palace" | 7 November 1991 (1991-11-07) | |
Mega Slank is capturing animals from the vet to run his machine. | ||||
| 35 | 22 | "Murtle & Zurtle" | 11 November 1991 (1991-11-11) | |
Widget time travels to reunite aGalapagos turtle couple from a group of pirates. | ||||
| 36 | 23 | "Ratchet Hood" | 14 November 1991 (1991-11-14) | |
Ratchet and his minions steal money intended for the Clean the Earth foundation and Ratchet keeps the money to himself. | ||||
| 37 | 24 | "Crazy 8" | 15 November 1991 (1991-11-15) | |
Mega Brain suggests that Half Pint could have fun at an intergalactic carnival, but when they get there, it is full of strange people and things. | ||||
| 38 | 25 | "Half-Pint's Ransom" | 18 November 1991 (1991-11-18) | |
When Half Pint goes to stay with Widget, he gets into lots of mischief with his Teleportation Device when he is taken by Bob and Betty. | ||||
| 39 | 26 | "Whatsit to You?" | 19 November 1991 (1991-11-19) | |
Mega Slank builds a bunch of Widget robots to pollute Earth and frame Widget the World Watcher for the mess. | ||||
| 40 | 27 | "Widget and the Sqizzlebonk" | 22 November 1991 (1991-11-22) | |
Film Flam McSham tries to enslave the Squizzlebonk, a gluttonous monster, and Widget does his best to protect the Squizzlebonk due to it being the last of its kind. | ||||
| 41 | 28 | "Chaos in Kali-Ko" | 25 November 1991 (1991-11-25) | |
Dr. Dante is building a giant park at Kali-Ko, and hypnotizes Widget into thinking he works for him. | ||||
| 42 | 29 | "Head Game" | 27 November 1991 (1991-11-27) | |
Ratchet challenges Mega Brain to a set of games against a giant brain in which is not too bright. | ||||
| 43 | 30 | "Mac Bluff" | 29 November 1991 (1991-11-29) | |
Widget and Half Pint go to a planet where a war is about to occur, and are willing to stop it, but things get harder when their king puts on a play. | ||||
| 44 | 31 | "Great Barrier Thief" | 2 December 1991 (1991-12-02) | |
Poachers Bob and Betty are capturing sea life in theGreat Barrier Reef and kidnap Mega Brain. Widget enlists the help of some singing aquatic sea animals. | ||||
| 45 | 32 | "The Brain Who Would Be King" | 4 December 1991 (1991-12-04) | |
Widget the World Watcher and Mega Brain time travel to the time of the dinosaurs and find out that the dinosaurs died out due to the asteroid polluting the air, and then travel to the time of the cave persons, with the cave persons making Mega Brain their king until they decide he is cosmically uncool. | ||||
| 46 | 33 | "The Uncontrollable Urg" | 6 December 1991 (1991-12-06) | |
On a Watcher Scout trip; Widget, Half Pint, and Brian hear the story of the Urg, an always angry shapeshifting monster that lives on Widget's home planet that limits his vocabulary to his name. | ||||
| 47 | 34 | "Intergalactic Grudge Match" | 9 December 1991 (1991-12-09) | |
In order to stop Ratchet from polluting Earth, Widget agrees to an intergalactic grudge match against Garbantua, a giant alien wrestler, with one catch; Widget mustn't shapeshift at any point. | ||||
| 48 | 35 | "Teeny, Weeny, Widget" | 10 December 1991 (1991-12-10) | |
Widget suggests that Kevin and Brian visit the agricultural fair, held by Flim Flam McSham. Widget is separated from the others when he is shrunken to the size of a mouse. | ||||
| 49 | 36 | "Scraboolee Jubilee" | 12 December 1991 (1991-12-12) | |
The Scrabooleeans kidnap Mega Brain for their Scraboolee Jubilee and have their own fun with him. What can Widget do to save his brainy friend? | ||||
| 50 | 37 | "Culture Crooks" | 17 December 1991 (1991-12-17) | |
Ratchet and his mutant minions have stolen an ancient artefact from the museum and travels back in time to steal some more. It is up to Widget, Mega Brain, and Half Pint to time travel to get it back. | ||||
| 51 | 38 | "The Library Card" | 19 December 1991 (1991-12-19) | |
Widget, Mega Brain, Kevin, and Brian are at the library, and Widget is to get a library card, and while waiting for it, Widget and friends read the stories and imagine themselves as part of those stories. | ||||
| 52 | 39 | "Bonkula" | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | |
A no-good prankster vampire named Bonkula befriends Kevin and becomes a bad influence to him. | ||||
| 53 | 40 | "Ratchetland" | 25 January 1992 (1992-01-25) | |
Ratchet has stolen everybody's trash cans and waste to make his own amusement park in the waste dump and even turning the visitors into pigs. Can Widget and Mega Brain find out what's making the visitors enjoy the garbage-filled theme park? | ||||
| 54 | 41 | "Rose Colored Glasses" | 8 February 1992 (1992-02-08) | |
Widget, Mega Brain and Half Pint travel to Planet Narcissis where a war is occurring, and Widget soon realises it's because of the Narcissians wearing rose-coloured glasses. | ||||
| 55 | 42 | "Crashing Planets" | 15 February 1992 (1992-02-15) | |
A planet is on a collision course with Earth, and Widget the World Watcher and Mega Brain are trying their best to change the planet's course. | ||||
| 56 | 43 | "Robo-Zonk" | 22 February 1992 (1992-02-22) | |
Mega Brain creates a robot named Robo-Zonk, who instantly befriends Half Pint. When Half Pint creates more robots, they go against him and it is up to Widget to stop them. | ||||
| 57 | 44 | "Ghost of a Chance" | 29 February 1992 (1992-02-29) | |
In an environmental takeoff ofA Christmas Carol, Widget is visited by three ghosts, a Viking who engaged indeforestation, an American pioneer who participated in the buffalo slaughter, and a British big game hunter who contributed to extinction of some animals. The ghosts tell Widget that they are punished until they teach a living person of their wrong acts, and Widget sees their chance for atonement when the city's mayor is making a secret deal for a polluting factory to be built. | ||||
| 58 | 45 | "Rock Around the Cosmos" | 7 March 1992 (1992-03-07) | |
A parody ofStar Wars, Widget goes after Flim Flam after an evil plan staged by Bizarro Brain spirals out of control. They are helped by Princess Aleian (Widget has a crush on her), who is used against her will by Bizarro Brain to destroy Earth. | ||||
| 59 | 46 | "The Wishing Stone" | 14 March 1992 (1992-03-14) | |
Widget travels to Africa and meets a woman named Cleo, who tells them that Professor Geekman is planning to steal a stone that grants wishes. | ||||
| 60 | 47 | "Time Trippers" | 21 March 1992 (1992-03-21) | |
Widget and Mega Brain try to travel to the year 9901 after seeing an old news report on how Ratchet made his mutants and turned Planet Pallinia into Planet Pollutia, but after realizing they'd travelled to the year 1066, Widget hopes to stop Ratchet from his scheme. But Widget changing into a dimwitted neanderthal makes it hard. | ||||
| 61 | 48 | "Bungle of the Jungle" | 28 March 1992 (1992-03-28) | |
Bob and Betty build a robotic elephant in order to destroy a jungle and find a priceless artefact. | ||||
| 62 | 49 | "Machine Planet" | 4 April 1992 (1992-04-04) | |
Widget and Half Pint travel to a Machine Planet and try to save the machines that are ready for destruction. | ||||
| 63 | 50 | "Awesome African Adventure" | 11 April 1992 (1992-04-11) | |
Widget and Mega Brain go to the African rain forest to aide the last dinosaur of its kind from a poacher. | ||||
| 64 | 51 | "Beast Side Story" | 18 April 1992 (1992-04-18) | |
A fox that lives on the streets is captured by a gang of weasels and Widget must save them when Mr. Beetlebug plans to destroy their home; An abandoned apartment building. | ||||
| 65 | 52 | "Mother Slank's Intergalactic Vacation Paradise" | 25 April 1992 (1992-04-25) | |
Mega Slank's mother takes an underwater vacation atLake Titicaca, and their submarine is ruining it. | ||||
Widget was produced byZodiac Entertainment, aStudio City, California-based firm backed by British media companyCentral Independent Television. Zodiac President Kevin Morrison stated that in 1990,Widget was being broadcast on 80% of independent U. S. television stations and that in 1991, the show started being shown five times a week.[3]
It also aired onTVO andLe Canal Famille in Canada and later onITV,The Children's Channel,Sky One andChannel 4 in the UK,TV3 in Sweden,RTÉ1 andRTÉ2 in Ireland,Sjónvarpið in Iceland,Fun Channel in Chile,Bop TV,SABC1 andM-Net in South Africa,Saudi 2 in Saudi Arabia,Dubai 33 in the United Arab Emirates,KBS,KBS2 andAmerican Forces Korea Network in Korea,Syndication,USA Network andUniMás (with the Spanish-dubbed version aired onToonturama weekend morning block) in United States,TV1 andTV3 in Malaysia,Channel 55 in Bahrain,Canal+ andFR3 in France,ZBC TV in Zimbabwe,Channel One in Russia,Channel 5 in Singapore,KUAM-TV in Guam,NBC in Namibia,Swazi TV in Eswatini,TVP1,[5]TVP2 andTVP Polonia[6] in Poland,TV2 andTV3 in New Zealand,ProSieben andArmed Forces Network (with the original English recorded version) in Germany,TV3 in Estonia,IBC in the Philippines,RTB in Brunei,Canale 5 in Italy,Channel 2 in Israel, theABC in Australia,Canal Panda in Spain andANT1 in Greece.
The series spawned two video games.Widget was released on theNES in 1992 andSuper Widget on theSNES in 1993, both published byAtlus.
The series was released on VHS in multiple countries. 2 in the US, one featuringWidget's Great Whale Adventure andGorilla My Dreams, and the other featuringWidget of the Jungle andKona the Captive Whale.
The series had five VHS releases in Australia by ABC Video, and thus, a clip fromWidget's Walkabout was featured in anABC For Kids VHS promo from 1993-1997.
The episode "Sort it Out" won anEnvironmental Media Award.
