What's the first foreign TV programme you remember watching?
Posted by CBWeather@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 124 comments
I thought at first it was Tales of the Riverbank but that was a British show based on a Canadian pilot. So I think The Lone Ranger would have been the first I remember.
Sad-Wrap6555@reddit
The Flashing Blade (though lord knows why - probably the joy of only having 2 channels and a part time one back then)
ctid69@reddit
There was a whole heap of foreign kids progs back then, Singing ringing tree, White horses, Heidi. These were all European dubs, never thought of American shows back then as being foreign as they spoke English!
shortandscruffy@reddit
Love the theme song for that.
Sad-Wrap6555@reddit
best part of the show that was
from what i (vaguely) remember of the story they might have been best just playing that bit each week 😁
Euphoric_Rough_5245@reddit
A Team, Knightrider and Airwolf are some that I remember. I don’t know which was first.
FunnyVehicle7664@reddit
Champion the wonder horse, or 100 white horses.
Successful_Banana901@reddit
Sesame Street
ghotiboy77@reddit
The Banana Splits or Sesame Street
Silent_Yesterday_671@reddit
Remember watching French tv series Belle and Sebastian early 1970s, but can't remember if it was badly dubbed or subtitles - any similar oldies on here know?
G4HDU@reddit
White horses as a kids program but the favourite was the man from uncle.
Unable-You-9902@reddit
Dubbed, probably The Flashing Blade. Non-UK, probably The Beachcombers. Or that Aussie one about shipwrecked kids on an undiscovered island.
PaleOnion6177@reddit
Belle and Sebastian
Did_OJ_Simpson_do_it@reddit
Cow & Chicken
YragNitram1956@reddit
Belle and Sebastian is a 1965 French TV children's serial, based on the 1965 novel Belle et Sébastien by Cécile Aubry published the same year. It was 13 episodes long and starred Aubry's son Mehdi El Glaoui as Sebastien, whilst Aubry appeared as the episode host and co-directed episodes with Jean Guillaume.
Jojo6167@reddit
A programme about white horses, that's all I can remember
GeordieAl@reddit
Probably Jeux sans frontières
Tomme599@reddit
Yeah, that was a knockout!
First_Willingness846@reddit
Singing Ringing Tree?
Queasy_Monitor7203@reddit
Beverly hill billies the original with Buddy ebsen
Nice-Pomegranate2915@reddit
The first foreign language tv series I watched which wasn't badly dubbed into English but was spoken in it's original language with subtitles was the Japanese tv series ' The Water Margin ' . A Japanese tv adaptation of the Chinese saga of the same name that was made in 1973 and shown first as a dubbed version in 1976 and then as an undubbed version in 1978 on BBC2 in the UK . I enjoyed it as something completely different from the usual British/American or Australian drama that had previously been shown on TV .
ManQu69@reddit
Tutti Frutti in Italy, About 1989, No idea what the show was about but from the picture, very nice indeed, they all were.
cutluv@reddit
White Horses.
One of the best TV themes, ever (IMHO), but with some the worst dubbing you're ever likely to encounter.
Every_Individual_25@reddit
Bonanza
Able_Ask_4267@reddit
I know this will sound strange but do we consider American TV shows as foreign? Because I'd wager that the vast majority of Brits first TV shows were from the States. If we do include the States then my first foreign TV programme would have to be some of the cartoon shows like Tom and Jerry or roadrunner. Other than that it would have to be the moomins (Finnish ) or The Magic Roundabout (French)
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
I did think of American shows as foreign but it's whatever you like. I notice some American, Australian, and Canadian (even though that's where I've lived the last 50 years) shows listed even though they would have been in English i would still see them as foreign but there's no wrong answer.
ratscabs@reddit
I’m assuming ‘foreign’ refers to foreign language (dubbed) so excluding the numerous American shows we all watched:
White Horses Flashing Blade Robinson Crusoe Belle and Sebastian
… all the same Saturday morning TV era
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
Anything you want. I really just meant from a foreign country but it's your memories. Theres no wrong answers. Mine was an American show.
harrietmjones@reddit
I don’t know if this is the sort of thing you’re asking but:
• Moomins (Finnish)
• Pokémon (Japanese)
• Digimon (Japanese)
• Round the Twist (Australian)
• The Sleepover Club (Australian)
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
Absolutely.
Gildor12@reddit
The flashing blade, French series about the war with Spain, it’s better to fought and lost than never to have fought at all
Middle_Banana_9617@reddit
The Littlest Hobo. The whole thing just made no sense to me.
Petcai@reddit
The Magic Roundabout.
A French children's show that was dubbed into English, by someone who didn't speak any French. They literally just sat there and made stuff up based on the visuals and the entire thing was like an acid trip.
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
I remember that. It was first on when I was 9 or 10. Strange show.
asymmetricears@reddit
Bananas in Pyjamas
Illustrious-Divide95@reddit
The A team
hyperspacevoyager@reddit
Barney & Friends
MCDCFC@reddit
Top Cat
Pizzagoessplat@reddit
Neighbours
Back in the 80's
Active_Definition_57@reddit
It would be one of The Banana Splits, Wacky Races or Tom & Jerry.
Diddleymaz@reddit
In the 60s the BBC showed a lot of foreign language children’s programmes. I remember Robinson Crusoe, (with the tune everyone remembers) White Horses. Belle and Sebastian and my favourite The Singing Ringing Tree. They had a narrator or dubbing.
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
I forgot about those.
Professional-Test239@reddit
The Littlest Hobo
I also loved the dubbed European cartoons Dogtanian, Willy Fogg and others.
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
So there were Canadian shows.
JimmyHaggis@reddit
Monkey!
Think-Committee-4394@reddit
Closely followed by The Water Margin
Salt-Evidence-6834@reddit
In the world's before Monkey, primal chaos reigned.
panthervk415@reddit
The power of Monkey was irrepressible
Intelligent-Bee-839@reddit
Came here to say that as well, young Tripitaka.
Klutzy_Brilliant6780@reddit
Loved Monkey and came to the comments to post it!
OK_LK@reddit
I'm not sure if it was Monkey or Bonanza for me but I know which one I preferred
Go1gotha@reddit
The Water Margin.
Euphoric-Plenty-1603@reddit
Me too, I loved the cinematography
TheLibrarian75@reddit
Battle of the Planets (G-Force)
stinkyswife@reddit
If American counts, then God knows, but if you mean from a non-English speaking country, it'd be some weird european folk tales. The theme tune was a cartoon bloke with long hair sitting under a tree with a guitar-like instrument singing about being John in England, Johann in Germany etc.
GarfieldUK@reddit
https://youtu.be/IfHJgZptH-w
stinkyswife@reddit
That's the fella!
Greatgrowler@reddit
Heidi
arealfancyliquor@reddit
The flashing blade
Time-Mode-9@reddit
Tom and jerry
notspringsomnia@reddit
Pokémon
PandaPop81@reddit
Tutti Fruitti 👀
JohnLennonsNotDead@reddit
Eurotrash
stevetheboy@reddit
Mary, Mungo, and Midge.
LupercalLupercal@reddit
Sesame St.
Feeling-Bluebird8413@reddit
Moomins
JimmyHaggis@reddit
If I remember correctly some of those were a little dark.
Feeling-Bluebird8413@reddit
It popped up on Amazon prime recently and I watched a couple of episodes for nostalgia’s sake. Seriously, wtf.
JimmyHaggis@reddit
We didn't need to be coddled back then. There was quite a lot of stuff on telly that was pretty fucked up. No one of a certain age will ever forget Mr. Noseybonk, no matter how much therapy they had.
mr_iwi@reddit
Pingu
EVRider81@reddit
I can remember the Anime " Gigantor" on TV as a kid..
eldunenorap@reddit
"Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" from 1960s. Austrian I think. Dubbed into English. With, even now, the most evocative theme tune from my childhood.
el_duderino_316@reddit
He-Man, for a guess. Maybe Tom & Jerry.
Maleficent_Flan_2706@reddit
Monkey (Magic)
CourtneyLush@reddit
The Spanish film 'La Cabina'. Turned on to watch the snooker and instead gave myself a phobia of phone boxes. Which was a bit inconvenient because you still had to use them regularly back then.
Sad-Wrap6555@reddit
that the one with the big cave or warehouse?
CourtneyLush@reddit
Warehouse.
Sad-Wrap6555@reddit
aye loved that movie never did know what it was called till now
CourtneyLush@reddit
Yeah. It's a cracking film, terrifying for a 9 year old though.
Independent-Ad5275@reddit
The Raccoons
whizzdome@reddit
Singing Ringing Tree or Robinson Crusoe, can't remember which.
SuperExstatic@reddit
Jordskott
Foreign_Mouse6636@reddit
The Singing Ringing Tree
OnPointTip1@reddit
Trauma inducing
Sad-Wrap6555@reddit
to scare the kids about what we'd be landed with after a cold war invasion by East Germany
OnPointTip1@reddit
Never considered that. Mmm fair
Automatic_Union8147@reddit
Skippy
white1984@reddit
Sharky & George, which although it was in English was created by France Télévision's Antenne 2.
Very catchy theme tune.
mcwibs@reddit
Probably The Flashing Blade. I can still remember the theme song.
Wobblybob52@reddit
Lassie
AuroraDF@reddit
Sesame Street, the Flintstones, or, most likely Tom and Jerry, from the US. The Sullivans (an Australian soap). Battle of the Planets (Japanese/American kids show)
SdanoG@reddit
My old grandad used to come in from his workshop for his lunch, the sullivans and emmerdale farm 1970’s
SdanoG@reddit
Alain Delon films were first I can remember way back when late at night when we only had 3 or 4 channels
Zxxzzzzx@reddit
Round the twist
Vast_Accountant_2807@reddit
Now I have the theme in my head.
DoIKnowYouHuman@reddit
Have you ever, ever felt like this?
Consistent-Dance5461@reddit
When strange things happen
Jixxie87@reddit
God that's brought back memories, completely forgot about that show
DrKnackerator@reddit
the bbc used to put on loads of weird eastern european animations
Slight-Brush@reddit
I hadn't realised how many of my BBC favourites were French-Japanese joint projects.
DrKnackerator@reddit
thats a weird combo lol.
Slight-Brush@reddit
Belle and Sebastian, Mysterious Cities of Gold, Dogtanian, Ulysses 31, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors.
I was as surprised as you when I found out.
Dic_Penderyn@reddit
Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Wil E. Coyote, Donald Duck etc
BlackJackKetchum@reddit
The Flashing Blade, the Aeronauts (?) and Belle & Sebastian all spring to mind. Plus all the MGM, Warner and Hanna Barbera cartoons.
tykeoldboy@reddit
I remember watching Batman in the 1960's
ketamineandkebabs@reddit
Monkey or a weird German one that used to be on the BBC back in the day Timm Thaler the boy who lost his laugh
AppearanceAwkward364@reddit
Probably the Singing Ringing Tree.
GalwayGirlOnTheRun23@reddit
Sesame Street.
Specialist_You346@reddit
Champion the Wonder Horse
DoctorWhofan789eywim@reddit
It was probably The Wiggles. Big Red Car is still a bop.
I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit
I thought it would be Thunderbirds since most of the characters have American accents, but apparently it's still a British show. I remember there was an Australian show, don't know the name, but the theme song went something like 'Genie, genie, from down under...' so probably that.
SnooDonuts6494@reddit
Pingu
campbelljac92@reddit
Probably The Simpsons
Slight-Brush@reddit
Cities of Gold / Belle and Sebastian/ Dogtanian.
Those were good years
OnPointTip1@reddit
Storybook International
user-74656@reddit
Flipper
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
Now you've reminded me of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and the abysmal Lassie.
AesirOmega@reddit
Probably the Pokemon anime. Had no idea it was Japanese at the time of course.
Puzzled-Horse279@reddit
Probably the X-Men or Spiderman cartoon (American)
If counting live action only then maybe when I used to see Home and Away on TV (Australian)
CBWeather@reddit (OP)
Anything at all.
CuppaJos@reddit
El Nombre and Round the Twist
Interesting-One-3250@reddit
Tribe
Interesting-One-3250@reddit
Also Neighbours and Home and Away.
Oldsoldierbear@reddit
Belle and Sebastian
qualityvote2@reddit
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