# The Inspector
**The Inspector** is a series of 34 theatrical animated short films produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises between 1965 and 1969 and released through [United Artists](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-artists), starring an unnamed French police detective modeled on [Peter Sellers](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-sellers)' Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther films.[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) The character is never called Clouseau in the cartoons, but he wears the trench coat and hat, speaks with a French accent, and shares the live-action detective's unfounded ego and disaster-prone methods.[2](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/tv/the-inspector/) The character first appeared in the animated title sequence of *[A Shot in the Dark](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-shot-in-the-dark-1964-film)* (released June 23, 1964), where he was clearly intended to represent Clouseau.[3](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Studio and run | DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, 34 theatrical shorts, December 21, 1965 to May 14, 1969[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) • [3](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm) |
| First short | *The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation*, December 21, 1965, screened before the James Bond film *Thunderball*[2](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/tv/the-inspector/) • [4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) |
| Lead voice | Pat Harrington Jr. voiced both the Inspector and Sergeant Deux-Deux[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) |
| Theme music | Henry Mancini's "A Shot in the Dark", borrowed from the 1964 film of the same name[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) |
| Television | All 34 shorts appeared in *The Pink Panther Show*, exclusively during its first two seasons and intermittently in later incarnations until 1979[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) |
| Comic book | Gold Key published *The Inspector* for 19 issues, July 1974 through February 1978[3](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm) |
## Origins
When Warner Bros. closed its theatrical animation studio in 1963, longtime Warner animator [Friz Freleng](https://www.edgepedia.org/friz-freleng) and studio executive David DePatie formed DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. Their first assignment was animating the title sequence for [Blake Edwards](https://www.edgepedia.org/blake-edwards)' film *The Pink Panther* (1963), and audience response led the Mirisch Company, which produced the film and held partial rights to the character, to commission a series of Pink Panther cartoons; the first, *The Pink Phink*, won an Academy Award in 1964.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) Because *A Shot in the Dark*, the second Clouseau film, had featured an animated [Inspector Clouseau](https://www.edgepedia.org/inspector-clouseau) rather than the Panther in its opening credits, a series built on the bumbling French detective was a natural follow-up for the studio.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/)
The series opened strongly: *The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation*, released December 21, 1965, was chosen to play before *Thunderball*, the top worldwide box-office film of 1966.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/)
## Characters and voices
Each short typically opens with the Inspector's voice-over explaining how "the whole affair started," followed by a briefing at the Paris Sûreté from his boss, the [Commissioner](https://www.edgepedia.org/commissioner) (also called the Chief), who dispatches him against some villainous scheme.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) His partner is Sergeant Deux-Deux (pronounced "Doo Doo"), a laid-back, reticent Spanish officer in the French National Police who frequently mutters that he would rather be safe at home in bed.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) The series' recurring joke has the [Inspector](https://www.edgepedia.org/inspector) imploring Deux-Deux to "Say, 'Oui,' not, 'Si,'" and Deux-Deux replying, "Si, I mean, 'Oui.'"[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/)
[Pat Harrington Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/pat-harrington-jr), later known for playing Schneider on *One Day at a Time*, voiced both the Inspector and Deux-Deux, giving the proud, outwardly calm Inspector and the bewildered sidekick distinctly different personalities.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) The Commissioner was voiced primarily by [Paul Frees](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-frees), with [Larry Storch](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-storch), Marvin Miller, and Mark Skor also providing the voice at times; Miller also played both lead roles in the wraparound bumpers made for the first season of *The Pink Panther Show*.[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) Other voice performers included June Foray, Hal Smith, and Lennie Weinrib.[3](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm)
The cartoon Inspector differs from the film character in an important way: while Sellers' Clouseau is sometimes portrayed as completely inept, the cartoon Inspector, though prone to bad judgment, is generally a competent policeman, and the comedy comes from the surreal situations he faces rather than from physical slapstick alone.[5](https://episode.ninja/series/the-inspector) Criminals often get the better of him, and he must contend with an ill-tempered Commissioner who holds him in contempt.[5](https://episode.ninja/series/the-inspector) Villains were frequently non-human, among them Spider Pierre, Captain Clamity, and the Blotch, literally a blotch of color.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/)
## Production and style
Friz Freleng directed only the first short; the series' directors also included Robert McKimson, Gerry Chiniquy, and George Singer, with Chinquy handling most of the directing from 1967 on.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) Stories were written by John W. Dunn, Jim Ryan, and David Detiege.[6](https://www.blu-ray.com/The-Pink-Panther-and-Friends-The-Inspector/148605/)
The shorts display the DePatie-Freleng house style at its most detailed: dense, impressionistic backgrounds saturated in deep purples, blues, reds, and greens, in contrast to the more pastel Pink Panther cartoons.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) The title music was [Henry Mancini](https://www.edgepedia.org/henry-mancini)'s "A Shot in the Dark" theme, and additional scores were composed first by William Lava and later by Walter Greene; two shorts, *Napoleon Blown-Aparte* and *Cock-A-Doodle Deux-Deux*, received their own versions of the theme.[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) The humor mixes violent Warner Bros.-style slapstick, with plentiful gunplay and explosions, and verbal puns that mangle French and English.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) • [7](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/70488/inspector-the/)
## Television run and home video
The Inspector never received his own television series, but all 34 shorts ran as the middle segment of *The Pink Panther Show*, which paired two Pink Panther cartoons with one Inspector cartoon when the show debuted in 1969.[3](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm) • [8](https://toonopedia.com/pink.htm) The Inspector segments appeared exclusively during the show's first two seasons and then intermittently in later incarnations until 1979; a laugh track was added for the NBC broadcasts.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) When *The New Pink Panther Show* replaced the segment, the Inspector slot went to *The Ant and the Aardvark*.[8](https://toonopedia.com/pink.htm)
[Home video](https://www.edgepedia.org/home-video) releases collected the series in stages. MGM's *The Pink Panther and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection: Vol. 6 – The Inspector* (2008) gathered the first 17 shorts, most of them appearing on DVD for the first time, with 1.33:1 transfers and English mono audio.[4](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/) Kino Lorber later issued the complete 34 shorts on a two-disc, 237-minute DVD and Blu-ray set in 2016, with select audio commentaries and featurettes.[2](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/tv/the-inspector/)
## Later appearances
The character design from the shorts was used in the opening credits of the 1968 live-action film *Inspector Clouseau*, starring [Alan Arkin](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-arkin).[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) The Inspector appeared in the animated titles of later Pink Panther features, redesigned to resemble Sellers more closely and, in the 2006 remake's titles, [Steve Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-martin).[1](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29) • [3](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm) He also made guest appearances alongside the Pink Panther on television in the 1990s.[3](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm)
## References
1. [The Inspector (Series), The Pink Panther Wiki](https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/The_Inspector_%28Series%29)
2. [The Inspector (1965–69) Review, Video Librarian (Sean Axmaker, 2016)](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/tv/the-inspector/)
3. [Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Inspector](https://toonopedia.com/inspectr.htm)
4. [The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection: Vol. 6 – The Inspector, DVD Talk (Paul Mavis, 2008)](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32508/pink-panther-classic-cartoon-collection-vol-6-the-inspector-the/)
5. [The BEST episodes of The Inspector | Episode Ninja](https://episode.ninja/series/the-inspector)
6. [The Pink Panther and Friends: The Inspector (1965–1969), Blu-ray.com](https://www.blu-ray.com/The-Pink-Panther-and-Friends-The-Inspector/148605/)
7. [The Inspector DVD review, DVD Talk (2006)](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/70488/inspector-the/)
8. [Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Pink Panther](https://toonopedia.com/pink.htm)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Animated television series (individual series)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license