What do you think of the bad guy in cartoons always being able to observe what is happening anywhere in the city or world? They randomly have live-feed cameras installed wherever the hero happens to be, connected directly to huge viewscreens in the comfort of their lair.

It's weird enough in 80s and 90s cartoons like Ninja Turtles, but this trope has even appeared in older and live-action series, like Get Smart -- which I just watched, inspiring this thread.

What is your favorite, goofiest, or earliest -- or newest! -- example of this trope?

Wasn't this a regular thing with Inspector Gadget? I seem to remember Dr. Claw petting his cat and watching Gadget on a huge screen.

Lex Luthor.

quote :
Lex Luthor had cameras everywhere. It didn't matter if Jayna was on the toilet or if Superman was 3 galaxies away enjoying a bowl of cereal, Lex Luthor could put it up on the big screen if he wanted. Sometimes, if you were too lucid while you were watching the show, you'd notice, but most times you didn't care that Luthor was watching a tight closeup of a couple Super Friends fixing a satellite. Luthor had to have had the hugest collection of blackmail tapes. Why did he go through with all the complicated mind control bullshit when he could have quietly extorted money from every country's government without the Super Friends even knowing? And if they did find out, just threaten to release the tapes of Wendy and Cyborg's Titanium Pleasure Arm. -end quote 

From what I remember, I think Limburger from Biker Mice from Mars had a remote eye on the heroes from the tv screens in his tower. 

It's not something you think about, but... YEAH! What's up with that? Why is it that the bad guys always have access to the best spy cameras and tech?

Skeletor was always watching the inner workings of the Palace of Eternia on his crystal ball bone table thingy. Guess they had to pass the time doing something when they weren't getting their butts handed to them by He-Man.

Vaporman87 wrote :

It's not something you think about, but... YEAH! What's up with that? Why is it that the bad guys always have access to the best spy cameras and tech?

Skeletor was always watching the inner workings of the Palace of Eternia on his crystal ball bone table thingy. Guess they had to pass the time doing something when they weren't getting their butts handed to them by He-Man.
-end quote

I don't get why Skeletor is in charge. Beast-Man seems to be the one handling everything with his abilities!

vkimo wrote :

I don't get why Skeletor is in charge. Beast-Man seems to be the one handling everything with his abilities!
-end quote

I always thought that Plundor posed the greatest threat to Eternia.

vkimo wrote :

Wasn't this a regular thing with Inspector Gadget? I seem to remember Dr. Claw petting his cat and watching Gadget on a huge screen. -end quote

Yup, that's pretty much all he ever did.

Vaporman87 wrote :
Skeletor was always watching the inner workings of the Palace of Eternia on his crystal ball bone table thingy. 
-end quote

And he only saw He-Man, never Adam!

@Shakin: And he never saw the transformation? Right

There was an episode of "Underdog" where the King of the Flying Sorcerers used a weird television to spy on the inhabitants of other planets.  He had Sweet Polly kidnapped after catching her afternoon cooking show.