Téléfrançais!

Téléfrançais! is a Canadian French language children's television series, produced by TVOntario from 1984 until 1986. The series of 30 ten-minute episodes has become a popular teaching tool, and is used by many educators (especially in Canadian and American schools) to teach French as a second language to elementary and middle school children. The show's name is a portmanteau for télévision and français.

Téléfrançais!
The three main characters, Jacques, Sophie and Ananas in the junkyard
GenreChildren's
Created byKen Sobol
Starring
  • Jacques Dell
  • Colombe Demers
  • René Lemieux
Theme music composer
  • Bruce Ley
  • Jed MacKay
Country of originCanada
Original language(s)French
No. of episodes30
Production
Executive producer(s)Ruth Vernon
Producer(s)
  • Jennifer Harvey
  • David Moore
Editor(s)Hank Mol
Running time10 minutes[1]
Release
Original networkTVOntario
Original release1984 (1984) –
1986 (1986)

The show follows the adventures of two children named Jacques (Jacques Dell) and Sophie (Colombe Demers) before she moved in the show, and Ananas (René Lemieux), a talking pineapple who resides in a junkyard. Other recurring characters are Pilote, Ginette, the Annonceur, Monsieur Pourquoi (le Superdétective), Louis Questionneur, Brigitte Banane, and the comic skeletal musical group Les Squelettes. The programs were produced by Jennifer Harvey and directed by David Moore. The theme and all of Les Squelettes' songs were written by the team of Bruce Ley and Jed MacKay. Julie Beaulieu, who appeared in PBS' Bridge to Terabithia, also appeared.[1]

All the characters and scripts were created by Ken Sobol.

The series was on air, on TVO, until at least 1996.[2]

Cultural references

In Ryan North's Dinosaur Comics, the Téléfrançais theme song is God's ring tone.[3]

A clip from the series served as the music video for Mounties' 2013 single "Headphones".[4]

The yé-yé song "La Ballade de Téléfrançais" by Vowl Sounds references Ananas along with the movie Chungking Express and the Serge Gainsbourg song L'Anamour.[5]

References
  1. Adilman, Sid (11 October 1984). "Peanut butter boy cracks a new role". Toronto Star. p. F3.
  2. "Téléfrançis". Broadcast Week. The Globe and Mail. 3 February 1996. p. 39.
  3. "Dinosaur Comics!". www.qwantz.com.
  4. "A new band for Hawksley Workman". The Globe and Mail, January 29, 2013.
  5. "La Ballade De Téléfrançais".


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