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Hergé's Adventures of Tintin

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Country of origin
  
Belgium

First episode date
  
1957

Number of seasons
  
7

Program creator
  
Hergé

7.2/10
TV

Directed by
  
Ray Goossens

Original language(s)
  
French English

Final episode date
  
1964

Number of episodes
  
102

Hergé's Adventures of Tintin httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb1

Genre
  
Animated Series Adventure

Created by
  
Hergé Greg (adaptation)

Voices of
  
Dallas McKennon and Paul Frees (US Version) Peter Hawkins (UK Version)

Cast
  
Larry Harmon, Paul Frees, Dal McKennon, Peter Hawkins

Similar
  
The Adventures of Tintin, Laurel and Hardy, Puffin Rock, Danger Mouse, Word Party

Hergé's Adventures of Tintin (French: Les Aventures de Tintin, d'après Hergé) is the first animated television series based on Hergé's popular comic book series, The Adventures of Tintin. The series was produced by Belvision Studios and first aired in 1957. After two books were adapted in black and white, eight books were then adapted in colour, each serialised into a set of five-minute episodes, with 103 episodes produced (twelve in black and white and ninety-one in colour).

Contents

Changes from the books

Most stories in the television series varied widely from the original books, often changing whole plots.

In Black Island, Captain Haddock plays a leading part, which he did not in the original book. Professor Calculus makes a cameo. Puschov accuses Tintin of robbing him, but in an airport. Tintin and Haddock hide in post office bags to get to Sussex, but Haddock gets in the wrong bag, and they are separated. Tintin later finds Haddock in England examining the plane. Dr. Müller is older and white-haired, and has a goatee. Ranko doesn't break his arm in this version, and even aids Tintin, Haddock and Snowy.

In The Crab with the Golden Claws, Tintin sees Herbert Dawes being drowned and decides to investigate. In this version, Tintin and Haddock already know each other, whilst in the original book, it is their first meeting. Haddock is drugged with narcotics, rather than whiskey. Instead of opium, diamonds are smuggled in the tins. The main characters have slightly different exploits in the desert. They are attacked by a desert raider named Ahmed the Terrible, and later by the pilot of the seaplane. The ending has also been re-written.

In The Star of Mystery (The Shooting Star), Professor Phostle is replaced with Professor Calculus. In line with this change, the phostlite is renamed "calculite". Professor Philippulus is Calculus' assistant, and he predicts the end of the world, but his predictions are wrong. Calculus accompanies Tintin on the meteorite, and the Peary captain and a crewman chase Tintin and Calculus on the meteorite, but are chased off by the giant spider. Captain Chester has been removed from the storyline, and Thomson and Thompson accompany them on the voyage, whereas in the book they only appeared in one panel.

In The Secret of the Unicorn, Barnaby and Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine are completely missing from the storyline. Marlinspike Hall has been renamed "Hudson Manor". Max Bird escapes in his car, but in this version, he is pursued by Tintin, Haddock, and Thomson and Thompson. They fight him on a pumpkin farmer's truck and pursue him with help from a pilot. Aristides Silk (the pickpocket) has been renamed "Herbert Knill".

In Red Rackham's Treasure, they already know Calculus, who is not hard of hearing. Max Bird follows them, and attacks Tintin underwater and is nearly killed by an octopus. Haddock is the one who meets a shark underwater instead of Tintin. There are natives on the desert island, who bear a strong resemblance to the Arumbayas from The Broken Ear. Thomson and Thompson are saved from losing their heads when Haddock pretends he is the Idol of Sir Francis Haddock speaking, similar to The Broken Ear. The group is captured by natives, but escape when a volcanic eruption sinks the Island (similar to Flight 714 to Sydney). Max Bird meets them at the Marlinspike Hall after they find the treasure, but they overpower him.

In Objective Moon (Destination Moon & Explorers on the Moon), the trip to the moon was all about rescuing Snowy, who was trapped in the (now white) test rocket. Captain Haddock's whiskey is replaced with coffee, and when he is pulled into orbit, he is not drunk, but his feet are hurting, so he takes his metal boots off. The tank is replaced with a hovering car called "the moon mobile". Professor Calculus, Haddock, and Thomson and Thompson explore the dark side of the moon in it but get trapped by a cave-in caused by a meteor shower. Snowy rescues them by giving them dynamite. Colonel Jorgen and Frank Wolff survive, and at the end, the rocket crashes in the mountains.

The Calculus Case (The Calculus Affair) was the most altered series, the changes amounting to a completely different story altogether. Jolyon Wagg was entirely removed, and Calculus' ultrasound weapon is called "Silly the Silent" (or "No-Sound Nellie" in the US English version). Thomson and Thompson's roles have been expanded, and Haddock is captured with Calculus in "Darkol Prison". Alfredo Topolino and Colonel Sponsz have been renamed "Professor Bretzel" and "Colonel Brutel".

More generally, Tintin's home is located in New York, Captain Haddock does not have a penchant for whiskey (and prefers drinking coffee instead), Professor Calculus does not have hearing problems, Thomson and Thompson's moustaches are identical, and Snowy has a red collar.

The first episode, Objective Moon, makes reference to other earlier stories through Tintin reminiscing. It mentions Tintin in the Congo, Land of Black Gold and The Red Sea Sharks.

Broadcasts and releases

  • The series was produced by Raymond Leblanc, who launched Belvision as well as Tintin magazine.
  • The first two seasons were in black and white, with minimal animation, and they were released in both French and English. These episodes were adapted from The Broken Ear and King Ottokar's Sceptre. They starred Gerald Champion as Tintin and Peter Hawkins as the additional characters.
  • This series aired in syndication in the United States from 1963 to 1971 and was broadcast in the UK from 1962 by the BBC.
  • The series was directed by Ray Goossens and written by comic artist Greg, who later became the editor of Tintin magazine.
  • A limited edition DVD box set was released in the UK in 2006 featuring The Calculus Case (renamed to The Calculus Affair), Prisoners of the Sun, and Mystery at Shark Lake, all as feature-length films.

    • English

  • Larry Harmon – Tintin, Professor Calculus (Objective Moon and The Crab With the Golden Claws)
  • Dallas McKennon – Tintin, Professor Calculus, Other characters (except as noted)
  • Paul Frees – Captain Haddock, Thomson and Thompson, Other characters
  • Lee Payant – Tintin, Professor Calculus, Other characters (The Calculus Case)
  • Peter Hawkins – Other characters

    • French

  • Georges Poujouly – Tintin
  • Jean Clarieux – Captain Haddock
  • Robert Vattier – Professor Calculus
  • Hubert Deschamps – Thomson and Thompson
  • René Arrieu – Other characters

    • Episodes

    Season 1 : Objective Moon (22 episodes)

    1. Espionage
    2. Space Pirates
    3. The Big Departure
    4. Attention… Meteor!
    5. Drifting
    6. Man in Orbit
    7. Lunar Landing
    8. Explorers on the Moon
    9. Mystery on the Moon
    10. Lost
    11. Sabotage
    12. Moon Sickness
    13. Trapped
    14. Operation Rescue
    15. Buried
    16. Explosion
    17. Prisoners
    18. Destination Earth
    19. Dramatic turn of Events
    20. More Control
    21. Freefall
    22. Crash Landing

    Season 2 : The Crab with the Golden Claws (17 episodes)

    1. Suspicions
    2. Mystery at Sea
    3. Mutiny on the Karaboudjan
    4. Escape
    5. Adrift at Sea
    6. Attack from the Air
    7. Crack-Up
    8. Thirst
    9. Raiders in the Desert
    10. Prisoners
    11. Desert Dilemma
    12. Duel in the Desert
    13. Mystery in Morocco
    14. Blind Alley
    15. Mystery Underground
    16. Return of the Karaboudjan
    17. Homeward Bound

    Season 3 : The Secret of the Unicorn (10 episodes)

    1. Model Mystery
    2. Pirate Attack
    3. Battle of Red Rackham
    4. Kidnap
    5. Trapped
    6. Ambushed
    7. Battle of Hudson Manor
    8. The Crash
    9. Captured
    10. Duel on the Highway

    Season 4 : Red Rackham's Treasure (17 episodes)

    1. Red Rackham's Treasure
    2. Killer Shark
    3. Jail Break
    4. Stowaway
    5. Shipwreck
    6. Jungle Jitters
    7. Head Hunters
    8. Gunfire
    9. Operation Rescue
    10. Shark Bait
    11. Duel in the Deep
    12. Demon of the Deep
    13. The Eagle's Cross
    14. Savage Surprize
    15. Vanishing Island
    16. Red Rackham's Riddle
    17. Treasure Chest

    Season 5 : The Star of Mystery (11 episodes)

    1. Star of Mystery
    2. Star in the Night
    3. Doomsday
    4. Bombs Away
    5. Man Overboard
    6. Torpedoed
    7. Time Bomb
    8. Crash Landing
    9. Web of the Spider
    10. Marauding Monster
    11. Operation Rescue

    Season 6 : Black Island (12 episodes)

    1. Forced Landing
    2. Miscarriage of Justice
    3. Escape
    4. Intrigue
    5. Mad Men
    6. Trapped
    7. Murderous Müller
    8. Inferno
    9. The Ghost of Black Island
    10. Fright in the Night
    11. The Beast of Black Island
    12. The Battle of Black Island

    Season 7 : The Calculus Case (13 episodes)

    1. Frightening Lightning
    2. Z Rays
    3. Kidnapped
    4. Midnight Fright
    5. Steel Shark
    6. Tracked
    7. Operation Opera
    8. Bordurian Bullets
    9. Dead End
    10. Doomed
    11. The Big Blast
    12. Surprise in the Skies
    13. Tank Attack

    Legacy

    Despite the series' low popularity with Tintin purists, it is well known throughout the United Kingdom, as well as the United States. The "Hergé's Adventures of Tintin!" speech at the beginning of each episode has become an iconic trademark of the franchise in the UK.

    References

    Hergé's Adventures of Tintin Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA