# Babar (1989)

> An animated family series that follows the young elephant Babar's early life and the lessons he learns, adapted from the Brunhoff picture books.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1154

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 78
- Episode runtime: 26 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, family
- Network: CBC Television, K2, NBC, Canal+
- Cast: Gordon Pinsent, Dawn Greenhalgh, Gavin Magrath, Tara Strong, Stuart Stone, Jeff Pustil, Elizabeth Hanna, Chris Wiggins
- TMDB rating: 6.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156200/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: subtle
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: gentle, wholesome, sentimental, earnest, soothing

## What critics say

Audiences find the series a gentle, sweetly earnest animated adaptation of the Babar books, though some viewers judge its lessons heavy-handed and preachy.

## Synopsis

Babar (1989-1995) is a French and Canadian animated family series created as a co-production for CBC Television and NBC, adapted from Jean de Brunhoff and Laurent de Brunhoff's beloved children's picture books. The story follows the young elephant Babar, voiced by Gordon Pinsent as the adult king and by Gavin Magrath as the young prince, as he grows up and learns important lessons about responsibility, friendship and right conduct. Queen Celeste, voiced by Dawn Greenhalgh, and the wise Old Lady, voiced by Elizabeth Hanna, anchor a household of animal characters who face everyday problems in a gentle storybook world. Each of the six seasons, thirteen episodes apiece across seventy-eight episodes, is built from self-contained stories that resolve with a clear lesson rather than a continuing plot. The show runs at a measured pace with a soft, sweetly sentimental register. Its earnest, didactic style, which reviewers call preachy, makes it a gentle choice for young children. Fans of Paddington, Bluey and The Tale of Peter Rabbit will find the same wholesome storybook warmth and animal-world sincerity.

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