ten youth programs to watch on television

Film, animated series, ballet… From seasonal tales to historical tales and stop-motion fables, “Télérama” has selected ten programs for 4-14 year olds that evoke Christmas, winter and the daydreams of childhood.

From 4 years old

For a kitten story: “MacPat the singing cat”

This slightly slick 3D musical film tells the charming story of Paddy MacPat, a London tabby cat. He sings alongside Fred, a traveling musician. One day, a thief causes panic and the two friends lose sight of each other. Taken in by Socquette, a pretty kitten who takes him in with his owners, MacPat starts a family made up of three kittens. But London has surprises in store for him. A modern adaptation of the works of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler on the art of family.

Short animated film (26 mins), Sat. December 28, 9 a.m., France 5 and Okoo.

From 5 years old

For Noah's Ark: “Zoobox”

The waters are rising, it's time for all the animals to board big boats! Kerala, an impatient kangaroo child, waits her turn but, once on board, can no longer find her parents. Despite welcoming a family of colorful platypuses, she sets out to find them. His adventurous quest, served by colorful and playful stop motion, rhymes with new friendships. She takes with her a happy band of animals, all different, who will learn to live together. A very human fable.

Short animated film (26 mins), Wed. January 1, 9 a.m., Sat. January 4, 9:30 a.m., France 5.

From 7 years old

For a princess adventure: “Ellian and the spell”

The adventure of a reckless princess determined to break the curse that transformed her parents into clumsy monsters will delight children. Imagined by the creator of Toy Story and the co-director of Shrek, this sweet fantasy in smooth 3D and saturated colors does not skimp on unbridled creativity, between magical settings and creatures with improbable shapes and hues. Musical and sung, this fable is not only visual and playful. In the background, she discusses the impact that divorce can have on young people.

q Film d’animation (1h45), Netflix.

From 8 years old

For the bird’s eye view of New York: “A Christmas story, or almost”

A little owl lost without her dad in New York and a disabled little girl help each other get home for Christmas. Unexpected, this tender short film offers a warm surprise for the holidays. In slick 3D settings, playing on material effects such as feathers or wood, the story of Moon and Luna unfolds all the magic and spirit of Christmas, contrasting the dark serenity of the benevolent forest with the the colorful excitement of Rockefeller Center. A tender parenthesis on friendship and kindness of soul.

Animated short film (24 mins), Disney+.

For a poetic universe: “The River upside down”

The Upside Down River is the story of the meeting of Tomek and Hannah on the way to the Qjar River. Hannah hopes to collect a magic drop to save her bird. Tomek joins the adventure in search of a lost memory. Their quests intersect, follow one another and finally complete each other. Set in times that resemble the Middle Ages, populated by enchantments and imaginary characters, this superb free adaptation of the work of Jean-Claude Mourlevat is an ode to freedom, carefreeness, friendship, a initiatory journey into childhood in the heart of incredible lands. The challenge was huge, and it was met boldly. The sometimes dark settings and the stylized animation serve an imaginary and beautifully dreamlike story embodied by endearing characters. A grandiose adventure with many twists and turns.

Animated series (8 × 22 mins), daily at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., full at 8:30 p.m. on January 4, Canal+ Kids.

For the endearing Violette: “Château Life”

The resilient adventures of Violette, who became an orphan after the death of her parents in attacks, continue with her uncle Régis, a handyman at the Palace of Versailles. Introduced in 2020 by a sensitive medium-length film which serves as the first episode, this story of fragile childhood, between melancholy, anger and great joys, is delicately woven around the themes of mourning and family. While Violette grows up in the company of her friends and the great figures of the castle, the gruff Régis learns with patience and love his role as a parent. Neither dark nor painful, this modest tale, with naive and aesthetic drawings, tells a tender and luminous story.

Animated series (6 × 26 mins), Okoo.

To dream with the family: “The Most Beautiful Stories of Quentin Blake”

These six films told by Alexandra Lamy feature lively stories of pleasure, friendship and above all adventure imagined by the famous illustrator and collaborator of Roald Dahl. Imaged in a light sketch in colors oscillating between pastel and more intense tones, this collection imagines a trip to an exotic island aboard a frigate from ancient times, or the adventure of an endearing bird called Petit Cabbage. We find a British charm and the touch of Quentin Blake in these old-fashioned stories.

Animated short films (6 × 26 mins), Saturdays at 8:35 p.m., France 4 and Okoo.

For the world of Dickens: “A Christmas Carol”

The classic by Charles Dickens – a moral tale about social injustices – gives rise to a whirlwind transposition on stage of the story of the greedy Ebenezer Scrooge in ballet form. Carried by many young artists, this dance show is overflowing with generosity and magnificently costumed paintings, to music alternating festive Christmas carols and darker notes.

Ballet (2h), Arte.tv

From 11 years old

For his emotions and his dances: “Samuel”

Samuel, 10 years old, has a problem with his friend Basile, who repeatedly told Julie that he loved her. The emotional world of CM2 students, almost middle school students, is not all rosy. Stuck between the first love affairs and the new anxieties of a childhood that has vanished, the endearing hero imagined by Émilie Tronche recounts in an almost distanced voice, with his words or his swear words, his life and his relationships with others. Like a graphic novel taking shape, its story comes to life in black and white, punctuated with music and dance. Twenty-one chapters of irresistible delicacy.

Animated series (21 × 4:30 mins), Monday to Friday, 8:50 p.m., Arte.

From 12 years old

For the rebellious youth of the 19th century^e century: “The Army of the Romantics”

The intersecting destinies of Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Eugène Delacroix and George Sand take us to the teeming pre-Haussmann Paris from 1830 to 1870. Magnificently mixing animation and engraving, music and text, this remarkable historical fresco with forty characters and two thousand settings paints a portrait of artists engaged in a politically troubled century. Recognizable by their colorful jackets and long hair, the romantics dreamed of notoriety and social justice before being classified as heritage. A documentary story accessible to a wide audience and captivating like fiction.

Animated documentary series (4 × 52 mins), Sat. December 21, 8:50 p.m., Arte and Arte.tv.