Danger Mouse: Complete Seasons 1 & 2 [DVD] [1981] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Who's behind these nefarious deeds but none other than that prince of pandemonium, Baron Von Greenback? I toad you so. That's not a real bit from the show, but if that sort of humor evinces a wince and a groan, you'll probably like Danger Mouse. For at last on DVD, here are 17 episodes (seasons one and two) of Britain's intrepid rodent, Danger Mouse, and his sidekick hamster, Penfold. This surrealistic serial, for the deprived who haven't seen it, combines one part Monty Python, one part James Bond, one part Dr. Who and many more random bits in an entirely original, animated cartoon that gets it right, using its limited animation budget to design unforgettable characters, with minimalist, cut-out paper backgrounds.

But we must backtrack, because 17 episodes is a misnomer. The first season consisted of eleven long, single episode stories, sometimes shown with another Brit toon, "Bananaman." Launching in the UK in 1981, DM appeared three years later stateside on Nickelodeon. But the second season moved to the cliff-hanger format, with six shows consisting of five five minute segments per show (here called an "episode"). Each segment recaps all the other segments so far, which works well on the show but on the DVD is slightly annoying. Nevertheless, it's a brilliant limited animation move, allowing the producers to reuse bits over and over, and landing the show securely in the long, distinguished line of episodic, cliff-hanger cartoons from Crusader Rabbit and Ruff and Reddy to The King and Odie and the kings of the cliff-hanger (which even showed them falling off a cliff), Rocky and Bullwinkle.

But as the daffy, depraved fans who have seen it know, DM's other great draw is narrator David Jason who, starting off small in season one, really gets going in season two. Once again, this puts DM in a great lineage of limited animation 'toons driven by great narrators, from Gary Owens of "Laugh In" in Roger Ramjet to William Conrad reporting the saga of Moose and Squirrel. The last episode of season two also introduces Count Duckula, who had his own spinoff cartoon on Nick. A bar in New York had a sign urging silence during the Huckleberry Hound Show. What must it be like in a UK pub during Danger Mouse?

I've searched and I've waited for years, and finally my prayers have been answered -- Danger Mouse has hit the U.S. on DVD! As I sat watching, captivated and grinning like an idiot, I simply felt that I needed to do my part to spread the joy of Danger Mouse.

So what makes DM so special? Plenty! Though the episodes are very short which limits the depth of the stories, the show compensates in countless ways. For one, the characters remember their past. For instance, when Agent 57 and Buggles the Pigeon return in later episodes, DM and Penfold mention in adequate detail the last time they saw them. This adds a feeling of continuity to the series and, ironically, makes the characters seem more "real".

Then there's the humor, where the brilliance of the show truly shines through. Ridiculous slapstick at one moment can be followed immediately with a clever (and sometimes subtle) pun or cultural reference in the next. I believe this is why the show appeals to all ages.

The show's greatest strength, however, has to be in the dialog. It's nothing short of brilliant. If you have a "punny" sense of humor, then every episode will give you something to laugh about. The characters (especially Penfold and Colonel K) also tend to take things out of context and respond in hilarious though completely understandable ways. It may take a moment to realize just how Penfold interpreted the statement to which he's responding, leading to a little "ah ha!" experience followed by a fit of laughter.

I simply cannot praise this show enough. It has stuck with me in my memory and in my vocabulary for over 15 years. To me, that's a testament to this brilliant and unforgettable cartoon.

Although this cartoon has been available as a DVD set in England for several years, the PAL format is all but unwatchable here in the United States. And up to now all WE'VE had available are some poorly-packaged episodes on VHS ... and honestly, who bothers buying VHS anymore? But at last this beloved cartoon (which ran on Nickelodeon back in the early 1980s) has been given its U.S. DVD release, and I couldn't be happier.

"Danger Mouse" is a British cartoon about the world's greatest secret agent. With the help of his timid hamster assistant, Penfold, Danger Mouse is constantly saving the world from the villainous toad, Baron Silas Greenback, who in turn is assisted by his crow henchman, Stiletto, and his cute but mischievous pet caterpillar, Nero. The humor here is often very British and very dry. Example:

Danger Mouse: "Penfold, do you know how angry I am with that toad?"
Penfold: "No, but if you'll hum a few bars, I'll join in on the second chorus."

Fans who used to watch this cartoon on Nickelodeon may find the voice of Stiletto a bit puzzling. This DVD collection has Stiletto's original Italian accent. Apparently Nickelodeon was concerned that Italian-Americans might be somewhat offended by a "Mafioso" stereotype, so the voice of Stiletto was re-dubbed with a cockney accent for the U.S.

Not much in the way of extras here, just some character files and the unseen pilot episode, which is interesting but not particularly valuable.