Widget the World Watcher

September 29, 1990 – December 12, 1991

Widget (also known as Widget the World Watcher) is an animated television series created by Voltron creator Peter Keefe, directed and produced by Tom Burton of Zodiac Entertainment, which debuted in syndication on September 29, 1990. 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), the series expanded to weekdays. The show featured environmentalist themes and was recognized by the National Education Association as recommended viewing for children.

Storyline

The show focused on a short purple extraterrestrial from the planet Widget who could shapeshift by spinning like a spinning top into different forms. He and a group of young human friends - brothers Kevin and Brian, and their teenage sister 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.

Overview

The show was produced by Calico 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 very similar to Captain Planet & the Planeteers and Toxic 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; a sentient 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 studio; Sei Young Animation.

It also aired on TVO, CFA and Le Canal Famille in Canada and later on ITV, The Children's Channel, Sky One and Channel 4 in the UK, TV3 in Sweden, RTÉ1 and RTÉ2 in Ireland, Sjónvarpið in Iceland, Fun Channel in Chile, Bop TV, SABC1 and M-Net in South Africa, Saudi 2 in Saudi Arabia, Dubai 33 in the United Arab Emirates, KBS, KBS2 and American Forces Korea Network in Korea, Syndication, USA Network and UniMás (with the Spanish-dubbed version aired on Toonturama weekend morning block) in United States, TV1 and TV3 in Malaysia, Canal+ and FR3 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, TVP2 and TVP Polonia in Poland, TV2 and TV3 in New Zealand, ProSieben and Armed 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, the ABC in Australia and ANT1 in Greece.

Sound Effects Used

This classic 90s cartoon TV series uses Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Trax Volume 1/2, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, Turner Entertainment Co., The Premiere Edition Volume 1, The Premiere Edition Volume 9, Series 1000, Series 2000, Series 4000, and Universal Studios sound effects.

• Anime Boink Sound 2
• Cartoon Suction Sound
• Cartoon Swish 43
• Disney Poof Sound
• GNP Crescendo, Photon Torpedo (3 Blasts)/Sound Ideas, SCI FI - SPACE TORPEDO
• H-B BOING, CARTOON - HOYT'S LITTLE BOING
• H-B BOING, CARTOON - LITTLE BOING
• H-B PICK, CARTOON - FIDDLE PICK AND RISE, MEDIUM 04
• H-B ZIP, CARTOON - LOW WHISTLE ZING OUT
• H-B ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP IN, HIGH/Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - RICCO ZIP IN 01 (R & B)/ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP IN
• Hollywoodedge, Bass String Pluck CRT047102/H-B HIT, CARTOON - SMALL BONK 01/02/03
• Hollywoodedge, Big Single Gulp ie Dr CRT026803/Sound Ideas, GULP, CARTOON - BIG GULP, HUMAN
• Hollywoodedge, Boing Box Bing CRT2010806/OMI, Cartoon FX - Boing 01
• Hollywoodedge, Bounce Jews Harp CRT015806/Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - FLAT BONK
• Hollywoodedge, Chimpanzee Screeche PE026201
• Hollywoodedge, Dolphin Chirps Vocal PE024601/Hollywoodedge, Dolphins Chirping TE015902
• Hollywoodedge, Funny Rapid Slaps CRT041406
• Hollywoodedge, Police Wailer Siren PE080801
• Hollywoodedge, Radio Beeps Static CRT051408/Sound Ideas, SPIN, CARTOON - SPIN COMMOTION
• Hollywoodedge, Rapid Spin Object CRT041601
• Hollywoodedge, Sm Heavy Metal Door Sl PE185001
• Hollywoodedge, Twangy Boings 7 Type CRT015901
• Hollywoodedge, Wet Snarly Blurps CRT040501
• Hollywoodedge, Wheezy Honk Cymbal PE941302/OMI, Cartoon FX - Drum and Horn Hit/Sound Ideas, BOING, CARTOON - SINGLE TIMP DOING/HIT, CARTOON - HEAVY RISING HIT/HIT, CARTOON - DRUM RISE
• Hollywoodedge, Wubble Wobble Spring PE940704/OMI, Cartoon FX - Warble
• OMI, Cartoon FX - Record Scratch
• RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 24 (First heard in "Gorilla My Dreams".)
• RICOCHET - SLICK RICCO 03/Sound Ideas, GUN, RICOCHET - SINGLE RICOCHET, BULLET 06 (First heard in "Gorilla My Dreams".)
• Sound Ideas, AIRPLANE, JET - FAST PASS BY, LONG/SHORT
• Sound Ideas, BELL, TREE - GLISS, MUSIC, PERCUSSION 04
• Sound Ideas, BIRD, SEAGULLS - CHIRPING, ANIMAL
• Sound Ideas, BOING, CARTOON - HOYT'S BOING
• Sound Ideas, BOING, CARTOON - HOYT'S LONG RISE
• Sound Ideas, BOINK, CARTOON - BOINK 01
• Sound Ideas, BOINK, CARTOON - DOINK 01
• Sound Ideas, CARTOON, BOING - JEW'S HARP BOING, MEDIUM
• Sound Ideas, CARTOON, SQUEAK - SHORT WOOD SQUEAK (First heard in "Widget's Great Whale Adventure".)
• Sound Ideas, CARTOON, WHISTLE - SLIDE WHISTLE, UP, LONG
• Sound Ideas, ELEPHANT - TRUMPETS, VARIOUS, ANIMAL/Valentino Bull Elephant Trumpeting
• Sound Ideas, GUN, RICOCHET - SINGLE RICOCHET, BULLET 07/RICOCHET - RICCO AND WHINE 07 (First heard in "Gorilla My Dreams".)
• Sound Ideas, HEAD SHAKE, CARTOON - XYLO HEAD SHAKE
• Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - BRAKE DRUM AND BULB HORN HIT
• Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - FLBONK
• Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - GEDUNK
• Sound Ideas, JUNGLE, AMBIENCE - VARIOUS BIRDS
• Sound Ideas, MAGIC - TINKERBELL BY
• Sound Ideas, PICK, CARTOON - FIDDLE PICK AND RISE, HIGH 02
• Sound Ideas, PICK, CARTOON - FIDDLE PICK AND RISE, LOW
• Sound Ideas, POOF, CARTOON - FOOF
• Sound Ideas, POP, CARTOON - HOYT'S POP
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 01 (First heard in "Gorilla My Dreams".)
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 03
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 07
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - SLICK RICCO 01/GUN, RICOCHET - SINGLE RICOCHET, BULLET 01
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - SLICK RICCO 02/GUN, RICOCHET - SINGLE RICOCHET, BULLET 05/RICOCHET - THIN RICCO 01 (First heard in "Gorilla My Dreams".)
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - TUBE ARRIVE 02/SCI FI - TUBE ARRIVE 02
• Sound Ideas, RUN, CARTOON - TEMPLE BLOCK RIOT, LONG/MEDIUM/SHORT
• Sound Ideas, SCI FI - POP ON
• Sound Ideas, SCI FI - ROCKET START BLAST
• Sound Ideas, SCI FI - SPACE LASER SHOT 01/02/03
• Sound Ideas, SCI FI - STARFIRE ROCKET BY
• Sound Ideas, SCI FI - SUPERMAN TAKE OFF/SCI FI - PLASTIC MAN: STRETCH FORWARD
• Sound Ideas, SLIDE, CARTOON - FAST SLIDE UP AND DOWN 02
• Sound Ideas, SLIDE, CARTOON - FIDDLE SLIDE UP, SHORT 01
• Sound Ideas, SPACE, WHOOSH - LEFT TO RIGHT, THEN RIGHT TO LEFT
• Sound Ideas, SQUEAK, CARTOON - FUNNY HEAD SCRATCH SQUEAKS
• Sound Ideas, SWISH, CARTOON - FAST TWIRLING SWISH, LONG/MEDIUM/SHORT 01/SHORT 02
• Sound Ideas, SWISH, CARTOON - SINGLE SWISH
• Sound Ideas, SLIDE, CARTOON - FIDDLE SLIDE UP, LONG
• Sound Ideas, TAKE, CARTOON - WHISTLE TAKE
• Sound Ideas, TOY - SQUEEZE TOY, SQUEAKING 01
• Sound Ideas, WHISTLE, SLIDE - SLIDE, DOWN AND UP, COMEDY 02
• Sound Ideas, WHISTLE, SLIDE - SLIDE, UP, COMEDY
• Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - BIG WHISTLE ZING OUT
• Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP OUT
• Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP OUT, HIGH
• Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - SHARP ZIP
• Star Trek Door Sound

Image Gallery

• Widget the World Watcher/Image Gallery