Click above for the mp3 of the genuine Belle and Sebastien theme music
Click below for the original start with narration
Belle and Sebastien
Belle and Sebastien first appeared on on British Television in late 1967. This wonderful black and white dubbed French adventure (Thirteen episodes of around 25 mins in Season One) soon became an essential ingredient of school holiday television. It was shown on the BBC2 channel early in the mornings which was sometimes a little too early for a lazy seven year old with no TV in his bedroom. The first transmission is shown in the table below taken directly from the Radio times.
BBC Radio Times program transmission and details – Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian |
Transmission Date/Time |
Episode Description |
|
|
|
Episode 1 The Meeting |
BBC One |
News comes to a small village in the French Alps that an enormous
white dog is running wild in the mountains. Sebastian is determined that it
shall come to no harm. |
Episode 2 The Refuge Hut |
BBC One |
Cesar takes Sebastian higher up the mountain pass than he
has ever been before, and shows him the way to the Italian frontier. |
Episode 3 The Hunt |
BBC One |
Because they don't understand Belle, the villagers are
terrified of her, and determined to hunt her down. But Sebastian intervenes. |
Episode 4 The Stranger |
BBC One |
A sinister newcomer to the village gets work locally, and
insinuates himself into Cesar's household. |
Episode 5 Norbert’s Suitcase |
BBC One |
Sebastian is suspicious of Norbert, especially when he
sees him meeting a strange car. |
Episode 6 The Customs Patrol |
BBC One |
Much to the disquiet of Angelina and her grandfather,
Norbert begins to exercise a bad influence over Jean. |
Episode 7 The |
BBC One |
Jean tricks Sebastian and takes Belle for training up to
the Grand Baou in accordance with Norbert's instructions. |
Episode 8 Christmas Eve |
BBC One |
The two customs men become suspicious about Belle's activity. |
Episode 9 Christmas Day |
BBC One |
Angelina's plans for a happy Christmas appear to be ruined,
and Sebastian goes up into the mountains in search of Belle. |
Episode 10 The Fire |
BBC One |
The Commissioner from |
Episode 11 The Avalanche |
BBC One |
Norbert takes to flight, and Jean is involved in the
Commissioner's investigations. |
Episode 12 The Enquiry |
BBC One |
Has Sebastian escaped the avalanche? And where is Belle? |
Episode 13 The Proof |
BBC One |
Jean tries to find the evidence which will prove his
innocence. |
'Belle, Sebastian and the Horses', BBC1, 5.30, Monday, Sep 16, 1968. Last episode Monday, Dec 23, 1968.
'Belle, Sebastien and the Horses', Telefis Eireann, 7pm, Tuesday, Dec 30, 1969 to Thursday, Feb 05, 1970.
'Belle and Sebastian' repeated BBC1, 5.20pm, Monday, Feb 23, 1970 to Monday, May 18, 1970.
'Belle, Sebastian and the Horses' repeated BBC1, 5.20pm, Monday, Jun 14, 1971 to Monday, Aug 23, 1971
'Belle, Sebastian and the Horses' repeated Tuesday, Aug 07, 1973 through the week in the mornings, ending on Thursday, Aug 23, 1973.
'Belle and Sebastian' repeated BBC1, 10.05am, Monday, Jul 26, 1976, then daily till Wednesday, Aug 11, 1976.
'Belle and Sebastian' repeated BBC1, 10.35am, Tuesday, Jul 25, 1978, then daily till Wednesday, Aug 09, 1978.
The adventure written by Cecile Aubry, concerned a small boy named Sebastien who befriends Belle a huge white dog who roams the mountains near to where Sebastien and his family live. The small village is set in the French Alps in the mountain village of Saint-Martin, near the Italian border. No matter how many times I saw this series, I never ever got to watch the last episodes as my Grandparents would hoist me off to the seaside for a day. Hopefully this first episode will enable former kids like me to recall those lazy days of Summer with images and a guide of the first ever episode. More episodes will follow in time.
The book Belle and Sebastien was published and can be picked up from time to time depending on where you look for it. Published in 1967 copyright British Broadcasting Corporation, from the original screenplay, Belle et Sebastien by Cecile Aubry.
Characters
Belle |
Sebastien |
Cesar |
Angelina |
Jean |
Doctor Guillaume |
Berg |
Geo (or is he really Captain Scarlet) |
Norbert |
Celestine |
Episode Presenter |
The Story
Episode One - The Meeting (original BBC transmission 2nd October 1967)
Our story beings six years in the past. Two custom's (Albere and Geo) men are patrolling the mountains. It has been a night of very heavy snow and the last thing they expect to see are any people. However they are surprised when they see the shape of a young woman battling with the snow as she struggles to find her footing. She sees an old abandoned shelter and makes for it but she is so weak that she collapses in the snow clutching a precious bundle to her chest. The custom's men rush to help her and are soon joined by a mountain hunter called Cesar. The three men take her to the shelter but realise that they are too late to help her and that she is dying. They are too far away to fetch any help. They do what they can to make her comfortable but it would be too long before the doctor could arrive. By the time the doctor arrives, the child is alive but alas the baby's mother (we assume this is the boy's mother) is dead. As it is Saint Sebastien's day, Cesar decides to call him Sebastien. On the same day that Sebastien came into the world, a young pup called Belle was born.
Belle was a puppy sold to many masters, abandoned by some and given away by others she began to mistrust adults until one day she had had enough. She was tied up by her new master and when released she attacked her master and ran and hid in the mountains. In these same mountains a young Sebastien was growing up. Sebastien is a typical young boy getting into mischief whenever he can. The local young boys always chase him and call him a gypsy. He goes to the village with his brother Jean and runs errands for his sister Angelina who we learn likes the village Doctor. We also hear that the local police have put out a notice about a dangerous dog in the mountains and that all people are warned to shoot to kill.
Sebastien runs off shouting that he won't let anyone kill the dog. He runs into the Doctor who tries to persuade him to go to school in the Spring. Sebastien refuses point blank as the local boys are always taunting him. He eventually agrees and then heads off home. On his way he decides to go for a walk in the mountains where he meets Belle. He tries to persuade her to come down for some food but Belle heads off back into the snow. Back at the house Sebastien gets into trouble for taking walks without permission especially as there is a vicious dog on the loose. He confides with Cesar that he does not want the dog killed and Cesar promises they won't kill Belle.
The next day the whole village is filled with gossip about sightings of the dog. Sebastien is totally miserable in the house and ask his grandfather if he can go with him into the hills. His grandfather agrees. Here ends episode 1 of Bell and Sebastien...
Episode Two - The Refuge Hut....coming soon.
Credits
Production of RTF and Gaumont Television
Sebastien | Pierre Medhi |
Cesar | Edmund Beauchamp |
Doctor Guillaume | Jean Michel Audin |
Jean | Dominique Blondeau |
Angelina | Paloma Matta |
Celestine | Helen Dieudonne |
Rene Blancart | |
Geo Beuf | |
Jean Combol | |
Maryse Christophe | |
Pierre Cavallo | |
Guy Di Rigo | |
Michael Garnier | |
Nane Germon | |
Jean Pierre Lorrain | |
Claude Rossignol | |
Written and Adapted by | Cecile Aubry |
Music | Daniel White |
Jaques Bourdon | |
Paul Fabian | |
Jaques Ledoux | |
Tutti | |
Albert Weill | |
R Pype | |
J Boutiron | |
Gabriel Paris | |
Executive Producer | Ettienne Laroche |
Producer | Helene Gagarine |
Director | Jean Guillaume |