Canine Caper was the forty-ninth episode of the 1991 animated television series, James Bond Jr, produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation. Written by Francis Moss and Ted Pedersen, the episode first aired on US television on 21st November 1991. The story was subsequently adapted into Caryn Jenner's 1993 children's book, Tunnel of Doom.
Plot[]
The episode begins with defence expert, Bernard Chaplan, being chased by the criminal organisation, S.C.U.M., whilst walking his dog. Before they can abduct him he fastens microfilm to the animal's collar and sends him away. The dog subsequently follows a reluctant James Bond Jr. back to Warfield Academy; where his friends quickly take a liking to the animal. Their attempts to hide the dog, who they have named "Charlie", fail and Bond incurs the wrath of Principal Milbanks. With the help of Buddy Mitchell, the students discover the microfilm and determine it to be security plans for Scotland Yard. They decide to return to the point of his abduction and use Charlie (who has been outfitted with a tracking device by I.Q.) to search for him.
There is a seemingly false alarm, as the dog enthusiastically runs up to a blonde lady named Heather; who mysteriously pulls out a two-way radio after the students leave. Shortly afterwards, Charlie follows a scent to a van driven by Skullcap and is abducted. Bond, Gordo and I.Q. jump into his sports-car and use the tracking device to follow the van to London. Realising that the microfilm is missing, mad scientist, Dr. Derange, orders his henchmen to release Charlie - hoping to lure Bond and the film back to his lair in the London Underground. His intuition proves correct and the students fall for the trap. Derange intends to use the plans to break into Scotland Yard and destroy it using an acid bomb. They are taken captive and held in a locked railway carriage alongside Chaplan.
Locked inside the carriage, Bond uses a holographic projection to distract the guards and pulls a brake lever outside with his Electromagnetic Belt-Buckle. The carriage slides backward along the track and crashes through a wall; freeing the prisoners. At the same time, Heather - Chaplan's daughter and an undercover police officer - arrives with police reinforcements. His plans foiled, Derange attempts to exact vengeance upon Bond by trying to melt the students with a large beaker of acid; but is prevented by Charlie, who makes him drop the container. Derange flees and it is revealed that the dog's real name is "Regis". Back at Warfield, Bond admits that the animal has grown on him.
Cast & Characters[]
Trivia[]
- The episode features a narrow jump across the rising Tower Bridge, harking back to Bond's firetruck leap across a San Francisco bridge in A View to a Kill (1985).
- Canine Caper marked the first of two back-to-back episodes (the second being "Weather or Not") featuring Dr. Derange and Skullcap in London.