Belle and Sebastian (1965 TV series)

Belle and Sebastian is a 1965 French TV children's serial based on the 1965 novel Belle et Sébastien by Cécile Aubry. It was 13 episodes long and starred Aubry's son Mehdi as Sebastien, whilst Aubry appeared as the episode host and co-directed episodes with Jean Guillaume.

This article is about the 1965 French live-action television series. For other uses, see Belle and Sebastian (disambiguation).

Belle and Sebastian
GenreChildren
Created byCécile Aubry
Based onBelle et Sébastien
by Cécile Aubry
Starring
  • Pierre Medhi
  • Edmund Beauchamp
  • Jean-Michel Audin
  • Dominique Blondeau
  • Paloma Matta
  • Hélène Dieudonné
ComposerDavid White
Original languageFrench
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerEttiene Laroche
Running time25 minutes[1]
Production companyGaumont France
Release
Original networkORTF
First shown inFrance
Original releaseSeptember 26, 1965 (1965-09-26)

Synopsis

Six-year-old orphan Sebastian and his friend, six-year-old Pyrenean bitch Belle, live in the French Alps with the villagers of Belvédère.

Production

It was filmed as a live-action show in black-and-white in France under its original name in 1965. In 1967 it was dubbed and the title was anglicised. It first appeared in the UK on BBC1 on Monday afternoons, running from 2 October 1967 to 1 January 1968. Shown in the time slot after Blue Peter, it was repeated several times and became an important ingredient of school holiday television.[2] Filmed in and around the village of Belvédère in Alpes-Maritimes, its authentic locations, sensitive writing, and winning performances by the actors, makes it an enduring classic. Its deep theme is the power and importance of love. The part of Sebastian was played by Mehdi El Glaoui, Cécile Aubry's son from her marriage to a Moroccan man.[3]

Reception

The serial spawned two further 13 part colour film sequels 'Sébastien parmi les hommes' (Sebastian Among Men) (1968) retitled 'Belle, Sebastian and the Horses' by the BBC and 'Sébastien et la Mary-Morgane' (Sebastian and the Mary Morgan) (1970) which was not broadcast by the BBC.

The Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian took their name from the TV series.[4][5]

Cast
  • Flanker the dog as Belle[6]
  • Mehdi El Glaoui[6] [credited as Pierre Medhi][1] as Sebastien
  • Edmund Beauchamp as Cesar
  • Jean-Michel Audin as Doctor Guillaume
  • Dominique Blondeau as Jean
  • Paloma Palma[6] [credited as Paloma Matta] as Angelina
  • Hélène Dieudonné as Celestine

References
  1. Lewis, Richard (2002). "B". The Encyclopaedia of Cult Children's TV (first ed.). pp. 42–43.
  2. "Little Gems - Belle and Sebastien". www.thechestnut.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013.
  3. "Obituary: Cécile Aubry". Scotsman. Edinburgh. 27 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  4. Strong, Martin Charles (2004), The Great Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track Recorded By More Than 1200 Artists, Canongate U.S., p. 122, ISBN 1-84195-615-5
  5. Wilson, Dave (2005), Rock Formations: Categorical Answers to How Band Names Were Formed, Cidermill Books, p. 105, ISBN 0-9748483-5-2
  6. "Personnages" [Characters]. belle-et-sebastien.e-monsite.com (in French). Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
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