Belle und Sebastian

This is not the animated series that many readers may know, and which is still being broadcast around the world, but the original live action TV-series about little Sébastien and his dog.

I can't remember anything about the story. What I do remember is being glued to the television screen every time an episode was on, as a young kid. It is a typical French children's story in the tradition of Hector Malot's novel Sans Famile, so expect some very emotional moments.

Young Mehdi El Glaoui, who played the leading role, was/is the adopted son of co-director and writer Cécile Aubry. He also sings the title song l'Oiseau.

I look forward to watching the series again, as it appears that it was recently published on DVD.

Fabulous evocative of a fictional France that everybody wanted to exsist but probably never did. An French equivalent of the Ealing Comedies

A DVD is now available (at least for the first series), although apparently not from Amazon. The video and audio quality is just as good as I recall when watching it some 30+ years ago after Blue Peter. The music sends shivers down my spine, and even my "GameBoy-generation" children don't mind the "dated" black & white imagery (which incidentally allows some fascinating glimpses of French mountain life in the 1960s). The story is moving and has its heart in the right place, although modern viewers might find it a little simplistic: the oh-so-cute Sébastien (Mehdi: BTW not an adopted son, but Aubry's own son from her marriage to the pasha of Marrakech) has little to do but keep proclaiming that he loves Belle. A bonus on the DVD is that the French soundtrack is also included, although all the actors on the English soundtrack also have quite strong French accents -- including the unnamed 'narrator' who introduces each episode to us.

Hello ! I am leading some university researches on this TV show (Belle et Sébastien) and I have notice some mistakes on this page. First nor the story neither the shooting location takes place in the Pyrenées but in the Alpes (I know the name of the town). But it's true Belle is a Pyrenean dog, played by a male 18-months-old dog named Flanker. In addition Mehdi is not adopted, but it's true that he is Cécile Aubry's son as she married the marocan Pascha 's son (but she divorced pretty quickly as far as I know). well I will add a comment on my own feelings on the show later because at the time I am very late in writing my master thesis paper_ and also a bit boring about the show which totally spoiled my summer holiday lol Have a good day

Bubu ps: I didn't see the English DVD and it may include some changes but in the original french serials the narrator (seen on the beginning of each episode) is Cécile Aubry herself.

I would love to find a copy of the Belle and Sebastian animated television program, in English. It was one of our all time favourites.

This is a show I watched with my children when they were little, in the 1980's. They are all grown up now, and on their own. We talk a lot about watching Belle and Sebastian. Some of the quotes are timeless and still make us laugh, "You're like a rat in a trap, so there! Sure!"

Watching the show was so much fun, that it now seems to symbolize something from that time. We rushed home to watch it everyday. It was like a children's soap opera in a way, waiting to see whether young Sebastian would find his mother, what adventures he would encounter.

Its awesome that there are enough people out there who remember Belle and Sebastian, to have a message board dedicated to them.

I would love to find a copy of the animated TV series, in English...Does anyone know if there are any series sets being sold?

Any other fans out there know if it is still being broadcast, or if it is being sold?