The series originally ran from 28 September 1981 to 19 March 1992 on the ITV network. It is a parody of British spy fiction, particularly the Danger Man series and James Bond. The series spawned a spin-off show, Count Duckula, which aired between 1988 and 1993, and an updated series of the same name, began airing in September 2015 on CBBC.