Hergé's Adventures of Tintin
Hergé's Adventures of Tintin 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.
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 role, while he was absent in the original comic 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. This is the only story in the entire series that also exists in a black-and-white form, in animation mode.
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 Star of Mystery , 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 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. Max Bird meets them at the Marlinspike Hall after they find the treasure, but they overpower him.
In Objective Moon , the trip to the moon was all about rescuing Snowy, who was trapped in the 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 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". 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, Professor Calculus does not have hearing problems, Thomson and Thompson are brothers and their 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, The Crab with the Golden Claws 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 Campion 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, Prisoners of the Sun, and Mystery at Shark Lake, all as feature-length films.
Voice artists
English
- Larry Harmon – Tintin, Professor Calculus
- Dallas McKennon – Tintin, Professor Calculus, Other characters
- Paul Frees – Captain Haddock, Thomson and Thompson, Other characters
- Lee Payant – Tintin, Professor Calculus, Other characters
- Gerald Campion – Tintin in and
- Peter Hawkins – Other characters in and
French
- Georges Poujouly – Tintin
- Jean Clarieux – Captain Haddock
- Robert Vattier – Professor Calculus
- Hubert Deschamps – Thomson and Thompson
- René Arrieu – Other characters
Episodes
- Espionage
- Space Pirates
- The Big Departure
- Attention… Meteor!
- Drifting
- Man in Orbit
- Lunar Landing
- Explorers on the Moon
- Mystery on the Moon
- Lost
- Sabotage
- Moon Sickness
- Trapped
- Operation Rescue
- Buried
- Explosion
- Prisoners
- Destination Earth
- Dramatic turn of Events
- More Control
- Freefall
- Crash Landing
- Suspicions
- Mystery at Sea
- Mutiny on the Karaboudjan
- Escape
- Adrift at Sea
- Attack from the Air
- Crack-Up
- Thirst
- Raiders in the Desert
- Prisoners
- Desert Dilemma
- Duel in the Desert
- Mystery in Morocco
- Blind Alley
- Mystery Underground
- Return of the Karaboudjan
- Homeward Bound
- Model Mystery
- Pirate Attack
- Battle of Red Rackham
- Kidnap
- Trapped
- Ambushed
- Battle of Hudson Manor
- The Crash
- Captured
- Duel on the Highway
- Red Rackham's Treasure
- Killer Shark
- Jail Break
- Stowaway
- Shipwreck
- Jungle Jitters
- Head Hunters
- Gunfire
- Operation Rescue
- Shark Bait
- Duel in the Deep
- Demon of the Deep
- The Eagle's Cross
- Savage Surprise
- Vanishing Island
- Red Rackham's Riddle
- Treasure Chest
- Star of Mystery
- Star in the Night
- Doomsday
- Bombs Away
- Man Overboard
- Torpedoed
- Time Bomb
- Crash Landing
- Web of the Spider
- Marauding Monster
- Operation Rescue
- Forced Landing
- Miscarriage of Justice
- Escape
- Intrigue
- Mad Men
- Trapped
- Murderous Müller
- Inferno
- The Ghost of Black Island
- Fright in the Night
- The Beast of Black Island
- The Battle of Black Island
- Frightening Lightning
- Z Rays
- Kidnapped
- Midnight Fright
- Steel Shark
- Tracked
- Operation Opera
- Bordurian Bullets
- Dead End
- Doomed
- The Big Blast
- Surprise in the Skies
- Tank Attack