Babar (TV series)

Babar
Title card
GenreSlice of life
Based onBabar the Elephant
by Jean de Brunhoff
Laurent de Brunhoff
Directed by
Voices of
Theme music composerMilan Kymlicka
ComposerMilan Kymlicka
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • France
Original languages
  • English
  • French
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes78 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
Running time23 minutes
Production company
Original release
Network
ReleaseJanuary 3, 1989 (1989-01-03) 
July 24, 1991 (1991-07-24); March 31, 2001
Related
Babar: The Movie
Babar and the Adventures of Badou

Babar (UK: /ˈbæbɑːr/, US: /bəˈbɑːr/; French pronunciation: [babaʁ]) is an animated television series co-produced by Canadian animation studio Nelvana Limited and The Clifford Ross Company. It premiered in 1989 on CBC in Canada, and on HBO in the United States. The series is based on Jean de Brunhoff's original Babar books, and was Nelvana's first international co-production. The show has been dubbed in 30 languages in over 150 countries.

The show was the first to be based on the Babar books; previously, two Babar specials narrated by Peter Ustinov were produced by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez for NBC: The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant on October 21, 1968, and Babar Comes to America on September 7, 1971.

In 2010, a computer animated sequel/spin-off series of Babar titled Babar and the Adventures of Badou premiered on YTV in Canada and Disney Junior in the United States. The new series takes place several years after the original and focuses on Badou, Babar's grandson and Pom's son as well as introducing new characters.