Madeline (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Madeline |
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| Genre | Children's television series |
| Directed by | Stanley Phillips |
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| Narrated by | Christopher Plummer |
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| Country of origin |
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| Original language(s) | English French |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 59 (and 6 specials) |
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| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | DIC Entertainment, L.P. Cinar (Specials 2–6) France Animation (Specials 2–6) |
| Distributor | United States DIC Entertainment Internationally ABC Distribution Company (Seasons 1-2) Buena Vista International Television (Season 3) |
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| Original network | United States HBO (Pilot) The Family Channel (Remaining 5 specials and Season 1) ABC (Season 2) Disney Channel (Playhouse Disney) (Season 3) Canada Global Television Network Radio-Canada Canal Famille TFO France Canal+ (Pilot) France 3 (Specials 2–6) TF1 |
| Picture format | 4:3 (SDTV) |
| Original release | September 12, 1993 – February 28, 2001 |
Madeline is a fun animated TV series that started in 1993. It's based on the popular children's books by Ludwig Bemelmans. The show follows the adventures of a brave and curious girl named Madeline and her friends. They live in a boarding school in Paris, France, with their kind teacher, Miss Clavel.
The series was made by companies from France, Canada, and the United States. It first aired as six TV specials between 1988 and 1991. Later, it became a full TV series, running from 1993 to 2001.
Contents
How the Madeline TV Show Started
Before the main TV series, the Madeline stories were first shown on TV in 1960. This was a special one-hour episode for the NBC show The Shirley Temple Show. In this early version, Gina Gillespie played Madeline. It was the first time Madeline appeared on television, and you can even find this episode on DVD!
Meet the Characters of Madeline
The Madeline TV series features many memorable characters. Here are some of the main ones:
- Madeline: The main character, a small but very brave and clever girl. She often leads her friends on exciting adventures.
- Miss Clavel: The kind and caring teacher who looks after Madeline and the other girls. She's always there to help them.
- Chloe, Nicole, Marie, Danielle: Madeline's friends, who live with her at the boarding school. They often join her on her adventures.
- Pepito: The mischievous boy who lives next door to the girls' school. He's sometimes a friend and sometimes causes trouble.
- Genevieve: A loyal dog who becomes a beloved pet to Madeline and her friends.
- Lord Cucuface: The owner of the boarding school where Madeline and the girls live.
- Narrator: The person who tells the story of Madeline's adventures.
Who Voiced the Characters?
Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters over the years.
- Madeline was voiced by Tracey Lee Smythe (Season 1), Andrea Libman (Seasons 2–3), and Marsha Moreau (specials).
- Miss Clavel was voiced by Judith Orban (specials) and Louise Vallance (Seasons 1–3).
- Pepito had several voice actors, including A.J. Bond (Season 1), David Morse (Season 2), and Kyle Labine (Season 3).
- The famous actor Christopher Plummer was the Narrator for most of the series (specials, Seasons 1–2). Later, Christopher Gaze took over for Season 3.
Madeline's TV Specials (1988–1991)
The Madeline TV journey began with six special animated episodes.
- In 1988, DIC Enterprises and Cinar created the first special for HBO. It was based on the very first Madeline book.
- This first special was nominated for an Emmy Award, which is a big award for TV shows! It featured music by Joe Raposo and lyrics by Judy Rothman, who wrote many of the songs for the series.
- Between 1990 and 1991, more specials were made. Christopher Plummer continued to narrate, and Marsha Moreau voiced Madeline. Each special included new songs.
| Ep | Episode title | Original release | Production Code |
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| 1 | Madeline (original special) | April 9, 1988 | 101 |
| 2 | Madeline's Christmas | December 25, 1990 | 102 |
| 3 | Madeline and the Bad Hat | March 3, 1991 | 103 |
| 4 | Madeline and the Gypsies | April 9, 1991 | 105 |
| 5 | Madeline's Rescue | June 6, 1991 | 104 |
| 6 | Madeline in London | November 28, 1991 | 106 |
The Main TV Series (1993–2001)
After the success of the specials, DIC decided to make a full Madeline TV series.
- The first season, with 20 episodes, aired in 1993. Christopher Plummer returned as the narrator. The classic song "I'm Madeline" was used as the theme song.
- In 1995, 13 more episodes were made for ABC. These were called The New Adventures of Madeline. A new theme song, "Hats Off to Madeline," was introduced.
- For these new adventures, the voice cast changed. Andrea Libman became the voice of Madeline, and S. Louise Vallance voiced Miss Clavel and Genevieve.
- From 2000 to 2001, 26 more episodes were produced for Disney Channel. The show won a Daytime Emmy Award for being an outstanding animated children's show!
Episode Guides by Season
Season 1 (1993–1994)
| Ep | Episode title | Original release |
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| 1 | Madeline and the 40 Thieves | September 12, 1993 |
| 2 | Madeline and the Dog Show | September 19, 1993 |
| 3 | Madeline and the Easter Bonnet | September 26, 1993 |
| 4 | Madeline and the New House | October 3, 1993 |
| 5 | Madeline and the Soccer Star | October 10, 1993 |
| 6 | Madeline and the Toy Factory | October 17, 1993 |
| 7 | Madeline at Cooking School | October 24, 1993 |
| 8 | Madeline at the Ballet | October 31, 1993 |
| 9 | Madeline and the Singing Dog | November 7, 1993 |
| 10 | Madeline's Winter Vacation | November 14, 1993 |
| 11 | Madeline in Hollywood | November 21, 1993 |
| 12 | Madeline and the Pirates | November 28, 1993 |
| 13 | Madeline's Birthday at the Zoo | December 5, 1993 |
| 14 | Madeline at the Louvre | December 12, 1993 |
| 15 | Madeline and the Missing Clown | December 19, 1993 |
| 16 | Madeline and the Costume Party | December 26, 1993 |
| 17 | Madeline and the Old Violin | January 2, 1994 |
| 18 | Madeline and the Mean, Nasty, Horrible Hats | January 9, 1994 |
| 19 | Madeline and the Talking Parrot | January 16, 1994 |
| 20 | Madeline in New York | January 23, 1994 |
Season 2 (1995)
| Ep | Episode title | Original release |
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| 1 | Madeline and the Lost Crown | September 9, 1995 |
| 2 | Madeline on the Orient Express | September 16, 1995 |
| 3 | Madeline and the Dinosaur Bone | September 23, 1995 |
| 4 | Madeline and the Magic Carpet | September 30, 1995 |
| 5 | Madeline and the Treasure Hunt | October 7, 1995 |
| 6 | Madeline and the Mummy | October 14, 1995 |
| 7 | Madeline's Detective School | October 21, 1995 |
| 8 | Madeline and the Hunchback of Notre Dame | October 28, 1995 |
| 9 | Madeline and the Big Cheese | November 4, 1995 |
| 10 | Madeline and the Science Project | November 11, 1995 |
| 11 | Madeline and the Haunted Castle | November 18, 1995 |
| 12 | Madeline and the Wild West | November 25, 1995 |
| 13 | Madeline's Holiday with Mr. Grump | December 2, 1995 |
Season 3 (2000–2001)
| Ep | Episode title | Original air date |
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| 1 | Madeline's Halloween | September 8, 2000 |
| 2 | Madeline and the Spider Lady | September 15, 2000 |
| 3 | Madeline and the Can Can Cliques | September 22, 2000 |
| 4 | Madeline at Cannes | September 29, 2000 |
| 5 | Madeline and the Show Off | October 6, 2000 |
| 6 | Madeline and the Wedding | October 13, 2000 |
| 7 | Madeline on Safari | October 20, 2000 |
| 8 | Madeline at the North Pole | October 27, 2000 |
| 9 | Madeline and Santa | November 3, 2000 |
| 10 | Madeline and the New Girl | November 10, 2000 |
| 11 | Madeline at Versailles | November 17, 2000 |
| 12 | Madeline at the Hotel Riche | November 24, 2000 |
| 13 | Madeline on Stage | December 1, 2000 |
| 14 | Madeline and the Marionettes | December 8, 2000 |
| 15 | Madeline and the Ice Skates | December 15, 2000 |
| 16 | Madeline and the Giants | December 23, 2000 |
| 17 | Madeline and the Fashion Show | December 30, 2000 |
| 18 | Madeline's Manners | January 3, 2001 |
| 19 | Madeline and the Magic Show | January 10, 2001 |
| 20 | Madeline's Valentine | January 17, 2001 |
| 21 | Madeline and the Perfume Factory | January 24, 2001 |
| 22 | Madeline at the Eiffel Tower | January 31, 2001 |
| 23 | Madeline and the Tea Party | February 7, 2001 |
| 24 | Madeline and the White Lie | February 14, 2001 |
| 25 | Madeline and the Dog Who Cried Wolf | February 21, 2001 |
| 26 | Madeline at the Flea Market | February 28, 2001 |
Madeline Movies
Besides the TV series, Madeline also starred in a few movies!
Madeline: Lost in Paris (1999)
In 1999, a movie called Madeline: Lost in Paris was released. In this film, Madeline gets caught up in a tricky situation with someone who claims to be her "Uncle" Horst. She learns a lot about what family truly means. Andrea Libman continued to voice Madeline in this movie.
My Fair Madeline (2002)
Another movie, My Fair Madeline, came out in 2002. Madeline is wrongly accused of misbehaving during a trip to the Louvre museum. She gets sent to a special school in London. While there, she tries to stop two thieves! Chantal Strand voiced Madeline in this movie, and even Whoopi Goldberg voiced Miss Clavel!
Madeline in Tahiti (2005)
The last Madeline film, Madeline in Tahiti, was made in 2005. Madeline and her friends go on a vacation to Tahiti. They want to stop Miss Clavel from retiring. They also have to stop a bad plan to make the Tahiti-nui Volcano erupt!
Sing-a-Long Videos
In 2001, two special sing-a-long videos were released. They were called Sing-a-Long with Madeline and her Friends and Sing-a-Long Around the World with Madeline. These videos featured songs and clips from the TV series, perfect for singing along!
Where to Watch Madeline at Home
Over the years, the Madeline series and specials have been released on VHS and DVD.
- Early episodes were released by Sony Wonder.
- Later episodes and movies were released by Lions Gate Home Entertainment and Trimark Home Video.
- In 2015, a big collection called Madeline: The Complete Collection was released on DVD. This set includes all six original specials and all 59 episodes of the TV series!
