View source for The Adventures of Tintin (TV series)

{{short description|Animated television series}}
{{Distinguish|Hergé's Adventures of Tintin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = The Adventures of Tintin (TV).jpg
| caption              = <!--Title cards don't need captions. See Template:Infobox television-->
| genre                = {{Plainlist|
*  [[Action fiction|Action]]
* [[Adventure film|Adventure]]
* [[Mystery fiction|Mystery]]
* [[Comedy drama]]
}}
| runtime              = 22 minutes (approx. per episode)
| creator              = 
| based_on             = {{Based on|Characters|[[Hergé]]}}
| developer            = Stéphane Bernasconi
| executive_producer   = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael Hirsh (producer)|Michael Hirsh]]
* [[Patrick Loubert]]
* [[Clive A. Smith]]
* Phillipe Gildas
* Pierre Bertrand-Jaume
* Simon Hart
}}
| producer             = Robert Rea
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
* Ray Parker 
* Tom Szczesniak
}}
| composer             = {{Plainlist|
* Ray Parker
* Jim Morgan
* Tom Szczesniak
}}
| voices               = {{Plainlist|
*  '''(English version)'''
* [[Colin O'Meara]]
* [[David Fox (actor)|David Fox]]
* [[Wayne Robson]]
* [[John Stocker (voice actor)|John Stocker]]
* [[Dan Hennessey]]
* [[Susan Roman]]
* '''(French version)'''
* Thierry Wermuth
* Christian Pelissier
* [[Henri Labussiere]]
* [[Yves Barsacq]]
* Jeanas Pierre Moulin
* [[Susan Roman]]
}}
| company              = {{Plainlist|
*  [[Nelvana|Nelvana Limited]]
* [[Ellipse Programme]]
}}
| country              = {{Plainlist|
*  France
* Belgium
* Canada
}}
| language             = {{Plainlist|
*  French
* English
}}
| network              = {{Plainlist|
*  [[France 3|FR3/France 3]] (France)
* [[Global Television Network]] (Canada)
* [[Nickelodeon]]/[[HBO]] (United States)
}}
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1991|10|02|df=yes}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1992|09|28|df=yes}}
| num_seasons          = 3
| num_episodes         = 39 (13 in each season)
}}
'''''The Adventures of Tintin''''' is an [[Animated series|animated television series]] co-produced and animated by French animation studio [[Ellipse Programmé|Ellipse Programme]] and Canadian studio [[Nelvana Limited]]. The series is based on [[The Adventures of Tintin|the comic book series of the same name]] by Belgian cartoonist [[Hergé]] ({{IPA|fr|ɛʁʒe}}).<ref>{{cite news|last=Elsworth|first=Peter C. T.|date=24 December 1991|title=Tintin Searches for a U.S. Audience|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/24/news/tintin-searches-for-a-us-audience.html?scp=4&sq=babar%20hbo&st=cse|access-date=25 August 2010}}</ref> 39 half-hour episodes were produced over the course of three seasons, originally airing in France, Canada and the United States between 1991 and 1992. Beginning in 1992, the series was syndicated to various other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, Brazil and Indonesia.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Adventures of Tintin |date=1991-11-04 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179552/ |type=Animation, Action, Adventure |publisher=Ellipse Animation, Nelvana, Fondation Hergé |access-date=2022-04-20}}{{better source needed|date=August 2022}}</ref>

== History ==
The television series was directed by French director Stéphane Bernasconi, with [[Peter Hudecki]] as the Canadian unit director. Hudecki was the primary director but could not be credited due to co-production restrictions. It was produced by [[Lé Studio Ellipse|Ellipse]] (France) and [[Nelvana Limited|Nelvana]] (Canada) on behalf of the [[Hergé Foundation]].<ref name=Perlmutter>{{cite book |last1=Perlmutter |first1=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1538103739 |pages=428–429}}</ref> The series' writers included Toby Mullally, Eric Rondeaux, Martin Brossolet, Amelie Aubert, Dennise Fordham, and Alex Boon. It was the second television adaptation of Hergé's books, following the Belgian animation company [[Belvision Studios|Belvision's]] ''[[Hergé's Adventures of Tintin]]''.

== Production ==
The series used traditional animation techniques<ref>{{cite news|title= Popular Belgian comic-strip character 'Tintin' to get mega-boost on U.S. cable TV|work= The Baltimore Sun|url= https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-11-25-1994329050-story.html|access-date=25 August 2010}}</ref> and adheres closely to the original books, going so far as to transpose some frames from the original books directly to the screen.<ref name=Erickson>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1-4766-6599-3 |pages=851–852}}</ref> In the episodes "[[Destination Moon (comics)|Destination Moon]]" and "[[Explorers on the Moon]]", [[3-D computer graphics|3-D]] animation was used for the moon rocket — an unusual step in 1991. Each frame of the animation was then printed and recopied onto [[celluloid]], hand painted in [[gouache]], and then laid onto a painted background.

Artistically, the series chose a constant style, unlike in the books. In the books, the images had been drawn over the course of 47 years, during which Hergé's style developed considerably. However, later televised episodes, such as the "Moon" stories and "[[Tintin in America]]", clearly demonstrate the artists' development throughout the production of the television series. The series' original production language was English, but all visuals (road signs, posters, and settings) remained in French. Backgrounds in the show were more detailed and more cinematic shots were featured than in the original books.

== Reception ==
Along with fans, critics have praised the series for being "generally faithful" to the originals, with compositions having been actually taken directly from the panels in the original comic books.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Pocket Essential Tintin|last1=Lofficier|first1=Jean-Marc|author1-link=Jean-Marc Lofficier|last2=Lofficier|first2=Randy|date=2002|publisher=Pocket Essentials|isbn=1-904048-17-X|page=90}}</ref>

== Hergé's cameo appearances ==
[[Hergé]], the creator of Tintin, makes cameo appearances reminiscent of [[List of cameo appearances by Stan Lee|Stan Lee]] and [[List of cameo appearances by Alfred Hitchcock|Alfred Hitchcock]] in each episode of the cartoon series, as he often did in the original books. Most of the time, he is just a passing figure in the street, such as when he is a passerby checking his watch in "The Blue Lotus", a reporter in "The Broken Ear", or a technician in "Explorers on the Moon". His letterbox can be seen next to Tintin in "The Crab with the Golden Claws". He also appeared as a gangster in "Tintin in America" and an asylum inmate at the in "Cigars of the Pharaoh", along with his fellow artist and collaborator [[Edgar P. Jacobs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tintinologist.org/guides/lists/hergecameos.html |title=Hergé's cameo appearances |publisher=Tintinologist.org |date=2009-03-27 |access-date=2016-09-11}}</ref>

== Music ==
The underscore music and the main title theme for the series were written by Ray Parker and Tom Szczesniak, and recorded by engineer James Morgan. Excerpts from the score were released by [[Lé Studio Ellipse]] on CD and cassette in conjunction with [[Universal Music Group]] on the [[StudioCanal]] label. It is now out of print in both formats.

== Releases ==
=== Online platforms ===
Since its remastering into 1080p widescreen [[High-definition video|high definition]], [[Amazon Prime]] and [[Netflix]] have both made the series available in certain territories.

=== Home video ===
In 2012, [[Shout Factory]] released all 3 seasons of the show on DVD.

== Voice artists ==
=== English (''The Adventures of Tintin'') ===
* [[Colin O'Meara]] as [[Tintin (character)|Tintin]], Lieutenant Kavitch, additional voices
* [[Susan Roman]] as [[Snowy (character)|Snowy]]
* [[David Fox (actor)|David Fox]] as [[Captain Haddock]], Sir Francis Haddock
* [[Wayne Robson]] as [[Professor Calculus|Professor Cuthbert Calculus]]
* [[John Stocker (voice actor)|John Stocker]] as [[Thomson and Thompson|Thompson]], additional voices
* [[Maureen Forrester]] as [[Bianca Castafiore]]
* Vernon Chapman as Nestor
* [[Denis Akiyama]] as Mitsuhirato, Bunji Kuraki, Tharkey
* [[Harvey Atkin]] as Emir Mohammed Ben Kalish Ezab
* Ho Chow as Mr. Li, Cheng Li-Kin
* [[Keith Knight (actor)|Keith Knight]] as Gustav Bird, additional voices
* [[Julie Lemieux]] as Chang Chong-Chen
* [[Peter Meech]] as Radio Announcer
* [[Chris Wiggins]] as Wang Chen-Yee
* [[Peter Wildman]] as Hector and Alfred Alembick

Additional voices were provided by:
* [[Yank Azman]]
* [[Barbara Budd]]
* Robert Cait
* Graeme Campbell
* Liz Dufresne
* [[Paul Haddad]]
* Graham Haley
* [[Keith Hampshire]]
* David Huband
* Marvin Ishmael
* Tom Kneebone
* Michael Lamport
* Ray Landry
* Neil Munro
* Frank Perry
* Frank Proctor
* Mario Romano
* [[Ron Rubin (voice actor)|Ron Rubin]]
* [[August Schellenberg]]

=== French (''Les Aventures de Tintin'') ===
* [[:fr:Thierry Wermuth|Thierry Wermuth]] as Tintin
* [[Susan Roman]] as Milou
* [[:fr:Christian Pelissier|Christian Pelissier]] as Capitaine Haddock
* [[Henri Labussiere]] as Professeur Tryphon Tournesol
* [[Yves Barsacq]] as Dupont, Wronzoff, Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, Mohammed Ben Kalish Ezab, Ridgewell, Wang Jen-Ghié, le colonel Alvarez, le professeur Philémon Siclone, le docteur Rotule, le Grand Précieux, Calys, Kronick, Gino the photographer, additional voices
* Jean-Pierre Moulin as Dupond, le maharadjah de Rawhajpoutalah, Muskar XII, Chaubet, Boris, Sanders, Philippulus le prophète, Manolo, le photographe japonais, Bohlwinkel, Miller, Walther (voix 1), Jean-Loup de la Batellerie,  additional voices
* [[:fr:Michel Ruhl|Michel Ruhl]] as Nestor, le professeur Hornet, Walther (voix 2),  additional voices
* Marie Vincent as Bianca Castafiore
* Michel Gudin as le général Alcazar
* [[Serge Sauvion]] as Rastapopoulos
* Marc Moro as Allan Thompson, Maxime Loiseau, le colonel Jorgen, le colonel Sponsz, Ranko, Pedro, Al Capone, Dawson, Ramon Bada, Bab El Ehr, Hippolyte Calys, Hippolyte Bergamotte, Chiquito, Huascar, Barnabé, Pablo, Hans Boehm, Paolo Colombani, Gino the pilot, Yamato, le général Haranochi, Ivan, Zlop, Himmerszeck, Ragdalam, Isidore Boullu, Matéo, additional voices
* Michel Tureau as Müller, Szut, Bobby Smiles, Rackham le Rouge, Mitsuhirato, Baxter, Igor Wagner, Gustave Loiseau, Aristide Filoselle, Nestor Halambique, Alfred Halambique, Marc Charlet, Tharkey, Kavitch, le docteur Krollspell, Tom, lieutenant Delcourt, Walter Rizotto, le fakir, le docteur Finney, Alfredo Topolino, Walter, additional voices
* [[Henri Lambert]] as Frank Wolff, le Grand Inca, Sirov, le général Tapioca, Alonzo Perez, le professeur Cantonneau, Mac O'Connor, Foudre Bénie, Spalding, Stephan, Kurt, Mik Ezdanitoff, Herbert Dawes, additional voices
* David Lesser as Tchang Tchong-Jen
* Serge Lhorca as Oliveira da Figueira
* Sophie Arthuys as Abdallah, Irma, le fils du maharadjah de Rawhajpoutalah
* [[Patricia Legrand]] as Zorrino, Lobsang
* Jean-Pierre Leroux as Bunji Kuraki, Omar Ben Salaad
* Georges Berthomieu as Séraphin Lampion
* William Coryn as Didi
* Daniel Brémont as Laszlo Carreidas

== Episodes ==
Running order of the TV series as per original broadcast schedule.

=== Season 1 ===
{{Episode table|background=#79E|overall=|title=|director=|writer=|country=Canadian|episodes={{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 1–2
| Title           = [[The Crab with the Golden Claws]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = J. D. Smith, Robert Rea and Christophe Poujol
| Aux2       = Stéphane Bernasconi
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 3–4
| Title           = [[The Secret of the Unicorn]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Christophe Poujol
| Aux2       = Bernard Deyries
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 5
| Title           = [[Red Rackham's Treasure]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Alex Boon
| Aux2       = Francois Hemmen
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 6–7
| Title           = [[Cigars of the Pharaoh]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Aaron Barzman
| Aux2       = Christian Choquet
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 8–9
| Title           = [[The Blue Lotus]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Laurel L. Russwurm and Robert Rea
| Aux2       = Raymond Jafelice and Gilles Cazaux
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 10–11
| Title           = [[The Black Island]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Peter Meech
| Aux2       = Christian Choquet and Bernard Deyries
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 12–13
| Title           = [[The Calculus Affair]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Toby Mullally and Eric Rondeaux
| Aux2       = Pascal Morelli
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
|aux2=|aux2T=Storyboard by}}

=== Season 2 ===
{{Episode table|background=#79E|overall=|title=|director=|writer=|country=Canadian|episodes={{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 1
| Title           = [[The Shooting Star]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Peter Meech, J. D. Smith and Robert Rea
| Aux2       = Raymond Jafelice, Stéphane Bernasconi and Franck Ekinci
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 2–3
| Title           = [[The Broken Ear]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Alex Boon, J. D. Smith and Robert Rea
| Aux2       = Raymond Jafelice and Jean-Charles Finck
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 4–5
| Title           = [[King Ottokar's Sceptre]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = E. Shipley Turner, Martin Brossollet and Robert Rea
| Aux2       = Raymond Jafelice and Gilles Cazaux
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 6–7
| Title           = [[Tintin in Tibet]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Bruce Robb and Christophe Poujol
| Aux2       = Raymond Jafelice, Franck Ekinci and Damien Millereau
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 8–9
| Title           = [[Tintin and the Picaros]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Bruce Robb and Amelie Aubert
| Aux2       = Jean-Charles Finck
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 10–11
| Title           = [[Land of Black Gold]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Dennise Fordham and Eric Rondeaux
| Aux2       = Raymond Jafelice, Damien Millereau and Philippe Fernandez
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 12–13
| Title           = [[Flight 714 to Sydney|Flight 714]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = David P. Scherer and Eric Rondeaux
| Aux2       = Raymond Jafelice, Philippe Fernandez, Damien Millereau
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
|aux2=|aux2T=Storyboard by}}

=== Season 3 ===
{{Episode table|background=#79E|overall=|title=|director=|writer=|country=Canadian|episodes={{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 1–2
| Title           = [[The Red Sea Sharks]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Christophe Poujol
| Aux2       = Jean-Charles Finck
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 3–4
| Title           = [[The Seven Crystal Balls]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Eric Rondeaux and Robert Rea
| Aux2       = Damien Millereau
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 5–6
| Title           = [[Prisoners of the Sun]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Christophe Poujol
| Aux2       = Frank Nissen
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 7–8
| Title           = [[The Castafiore Emerald]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Eric Rondeaux and Martin Brossollet
| Aux2       = Gilles Cazaux
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 9–10
| Title           = [[Destination Moon (comics)|Destination Moon]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Eric Rondeaux and Christophe Poujol
| Aux2       = Damien Millereau
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 11–12
| Title           = [[Explorers on the Moon]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Christophe Poujol
| Aux2       = Gilles Cazaux
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 13
| Title           = [[Tintin in America]]
| DirectedBy      = Stéphane Bernasconi
| WrittenBy       = Eric Rondeaux and Robert Rea
| Aux2       = Stéphane Bernasconi
| LineColor       = #79E
}}
|aux2=|aux2T=Storyboard by}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Animation|Comics|Belgium|France|Canada|Television}}
* [[List of French animated television series]]
* ''[[The Adventures of Tintin (film)|The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn]]''
* ''[[Blake and Mortimer (TV series)|Blake and Mortimer]]''

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.citel-video.com/catalogue/animation/tintin/?cat=animation ''Tintin'' at Citel Video]
* {{IMDb title|id=0179552|title=The Adventures of Tintin}}
* [https://www.tintinologist.org/guides/screen/ Guide to screen adaptions of "Tintin"] at tintinologist.org

{{Tintin and Hergé}}
{{HBONetwork Shows}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures Of Tintin, The}}
[[Category:1990s Canadian animated television series]]
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[[Category:1991 Canadian television series debuts]]
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