Watch Cool McCool

Cool McCool was a popular animated television show from the 1960s that aired on NBC from 1966 to 1969. Produced by King Features Syndicate and Total Television, the show was an early example of a superhero spoof cartoon, lampooning the popular James Bond film franchise while also borrowing elements from classic detective fiction and superhero stories.

The series followed the adventures of Cool McCool, a bumbling secret agent who, despite his ineptitude, always managed to save the day, aided by his trusty assistant, Number One. Each episode saw Cool and Number One undertaking a new mission, pitting them against a variety of colorful villains, ranging from Dr. Madcap, an evil genius with a robotic arm, to Jack-in-the-Box, a criminal mastermind and toy maker.

As a parody of the spy genre, much of the comedy in Cool McCool came from the show's use of parody and satire. The show frequently lampooned the tropes and conventions of spy fiction, with Cool and Number One encountering gadgets and gizmos that were always more trouble than they were worth, and villains who were often more interested in monologuing than in getting down to business.

One of the show's defining features was its animation style, which was unique for its time. Cool McCool was produced using "limited animation," a technique that involved using fewer frames per second than traditional animation. While this allowed the show to be produced more quickly and cheaply than most other cartoons at the time, it also gave the show a distinctive look and feel, with characters moving in a jerky, stylized fashion that became a hallmark of the series.

The show was also notable for its voice cast, which included several well-known actors and voiceover artists from the era. Bob McFadden, who had previously lent his voice to characters like Milton the Monster and Frankenberry, voiced Cool McCool, with Chuck McCann providing the voice of both Number One and most of the show's villains. The two actors' performances were pitch-perfect, with McFadden's cool-under-pressure delivery and McCann's knack for over-the-top characterizations adding to the show's comedic appeal.

Despite its popularity, Cool McCool only ran for three seasons, with the final episode airing in 1969. However, the show had a lasting impact on the animation industry, influencing other shows that would follow in its footsteps, such as Inspector Gadget and The Tick.

In the years since its original run, Cool McCool has become something of a cult classic, with fans nostalgic for its unique brand of humor and distinctive animation style. The show's influence can still be seen in spoof films and TV shows to this day, and its legacy remains as a reminder of the lighter side of the spy genre.

Cool McCool is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (17 episodes). The series first aired on September 10, 1966.