Telecat (1983)
A wildly inventive Belgian-French surrealist parody series where a tomcat and an ostrich anchor the strangest news broadcast ever conceived.
Telecat - Series Information
- Original Title: Téléchat
- First Air Year: 1983
- Last Air Year: 1986
- Created by: Roland Topor, Henri Xhonneux
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Kids, Comedy, Family
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode (5 minutes)
- Number of Seasons: 3
- Number of Episodes: 234
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: French
- Spoken Languages: French
- First Air Date: October 3, 1983 (France - NR)
- Networks: La Une, Antenne 2
- Production Companies: Antenne 2, Chanowski Productions, YC Alligator Film
- Production Countries: Belgium, France
- Alternative Titles: Die Sendung mit der Katze (DE)
Telecat - Plot
Created by French surrealist artist Roland Topor and director Henri Xhonneux, Telecat is a news show parody hosted by a tomcat named Groucha (who always had his arm in plaster) and an ostrich named Lola. It featured a variety of sentient objects and revolved around the idea that the real-life elementary particles known as gluons were "the souls of objects".
Telecat - Cast & Crew
Creator(s)
- Roland Topor
- Henri Xhonneux
Main Cast
- Jean-François Devaux
- Philippe Dumat
- Maria Laborit
- Valérie Kling
- François Jérosme
Writers
- Roland Topor
- Henri Xhonneux
Telecat - FAQs
What is Telecat about?
Telecat is a surrealist parody of television news programs, hosted by Groucha, a tomcat with his arm perpetually in a cast, and Lola, an ostrich. The show features sentient objects and revolves around the philosophical idea that gluons — real elementary particles — are the souls of everyday objects.
Who created the Telecat series?
Telecat was created by Roland Topor, the celebrated French surrealist artist and writer, and Henri Xhonneux, a Belgian director. Their collaboration brought a distinctly absurdist and satirical sensibility to children's and family television in the early 1980s.
When did Telecat first air?
Telecat first aired on October 3, 1983, in France. The series ran until 1986, spanning three seasons and a remarkable 234 short episodes, each averaging around five minutes in length.
How many seasons and episodes does Telecat have?
Telecat ran for three seasons, each containing 78 episodes, for a total of 234 episodes. Given that each episode runs approximately five minutes, the format was perfectly suited to short-form children's programming on French and Belgian television.
Who are the main voice actors in Telecat?
The principal voice cast includes Jean-François Devaux as Groucha the tomcat, Maria Laborit as Lola the ostrich, Philippe Dumat voicing multiple characters including Durallô and Albert le dictionnaire, Valérie Kling as Micmac and Sophie la cuillère, and François Jérosme as Grégoire de la Tour d'Ivoire.
Is Telecat a surrealist or absurdist show?
Very much so. Telecat is steeped in surrealist and absurdist tradition, reflecting the artistic sensibility of co-creator Roland Topor. The show blends puppet animation with satirical news parody, sentient household objects, and a pseudo-scientific mythology built around gluons as the souls of things.
What shows are similar to Telecat?
Fans of Telecat's offbeat humor may enjoy Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, At Last the 1948 Show, or The Amazing World of Gumball for their shared love of absurdist comedy. For animated family fare with a quirky edge, The Cuphead Show! and Looney Tunes Cartoons are worth exploring.
On which networks did Telecat originally air?
Telecat originally broadcast on Antenne 2 in France and La Une in Belgium. The co-production between Belgian and French broadcasters reflected the show's cross-border creative origins, with production companies including Chanowski Productions and YC Alligator Film.
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