Germany’s ZDF Takes Belle and Sebastian

PARIS: German public-service broadcaster ZDF has signed on to air Gaumont Television’s animated series Belle and Sebastian.

The 2D/HD Belle and Sebastian is based on an original 1960s live-action series from Cecile Aubry. The deal with ZDF follows recent sales for the series to M6 and Piwi+ in France, Radio-Canada in Canada, VRT and RTBF in Belgium and RTS in Switzerland. The 52×13-minute show is intended for children aged 6 to 8 and centers on a little boy named Sebastian and his big white dog, Belle.

“From day one, reaction to this project has been extremely positive,” commented Pierre Belaïsch, Gaumont Television’s president of animation. “It is a series filled with humor, adventure, and captures a unique story of friendship. Basically it’s a boy and his extraordinary dog against the world, in a beautiful Alpine setting. We are thrilled to have ZDF on board.”

“Belle and Sebastian features the wonderful friendship of a boy and a dog in a rural area,” added Nicole Keeb, the head of international co-productions and acquisitions at ZDF. “Their adventures take place far away from big cities in the wild countryside of the Alps. We believe that this is what children of today, who are mostly living in a domestized environment, dream of and really like to see on television. Belle and Sebastian, with its classical appeal in the best sense, fits perfectly into ZDF’s portfolio, which includes Lassie, Heidi, Wickie and Robin Hood, among others.”

Belle and Sebastian is a co-production between Gaumont Television and Canadian producer PVP Group.