''Archibald le Magichien'' (literally: ''Archibald the Magic Dog'') is a French animated edutainment TV series that ran from 1980 until 1981. A total of 46 5-minute episodes were produced by DiC Audiovisuel.
This miniseries was one of the first productions of DIC Entertainment (then known as DIC Audiovisuel), produced only one year before ''
Ulysses 31
(french: link=no, Ulysse 31) is an anime series (1981) that updates the Greek mythology of Odysseus (known as "Ulixes" or "Ulysses" in Latin) to the 31st century. The show comprises 26 half-hour episodes as a co-production between DIC Audiovisue ...
''.
Title
The last word in the title combines the words ''magie'' (magic) and ''chien'' (dog). The resulting
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordspun on the word ''magicien'' (magician).
Synopsis
Archibald is a
magician
Magician or The Magician may refer to:
Performers
* A practitioner of magic (supernatural)
* A practitioner of magic (illusion)
* Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context
Entertainment
Books
* ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...
who has transformed himself into a
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
and can't remember how to change himself back. He befriends a young boy called Pierrot and teaches him the secrets of maintaining a good form and health.
The series was designed to teach child viewers how to take better care of their health. Among its many educational values were: The dangers of using
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
,
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
, exposure to sun, and the importance of maintaining one's hygiene such as brushing one's teeth, exercising, washing one's hands and eating balanced meals.