No, this is not a late review of the over-the-top, Oscar-snubbed, animated Spielberg film. I'm looking into the 1990's animated series that I watched as a kid and which recently became available on Netflix streaming. This was a pretty bold kids' show that, inspired by the source material, had to toe the line of what was appropriate for young viewers. To date, it's also been the most accurate video adaptation of the comics.
The series, much like the comics, was very male oriented. There were no female characters other than Bianca Castifore (the recurring diva), Tintin's landlord, and the various nurses that showed up. In true form young male entertainment, it featured a heavy action/adventure narrative with some slapstick comedy thrown in. The characters, though few, were diverse and entertaining. Tintin himself was an ideal role model from a parental viewpoint by his being a wholesome and moral professional who stood up against drugs and alcohol. Adult content from the books, like alcohol and gun violence, posed a problem for the writers, but they rose to the challenge by maintaining the elements as negative forces for Tintin to overcome.
All but the first two (and most offensive) books were adapted to the series, mostly into two part episodes, though the writers didn't take full advantage of cliffhangers. All but a few of the Part 1 episodes ended on a high note, usually with Tintin laughing. Sometimes it even appeared the story was completely resolved, which would leave viewers wondering what could possibly happen in Part 2. Two-parters that had continuous action over episode break, such as Cigars of the Pharaoh, The Seven Crystal Balls, and Tintin and the Picaros had stronger narratives and most likely, stronger ratings.
While most of the episode stories stayed accurate, the larger story suffered significant changes. The viewing order of the episodes differed from the publication order of the comics. There were some pros to this decision. Supporting characters like Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus were introduced early but appeared on a recurring basis instead of regularly. It also put Tintin's trip to the moon (literally the most epic thing he ever did) towards the end of the series instead of the middle. That said, it also created some issues. Tintin's nemesis, Rastapopoulos, was originally defeated in Flight 714 [to Sydney], but his final episode in the series was Red Sea Sharks, which ended in his escape and left the arc unresolved.
The most interesting change was the placement of Tintin in America as the series finale. Chronologically, it was published first, which is why none of the supporting characters were in it. Since the series maintained Tintin's Belgian nationality, coming to the U.S.A. gave the series a final connection to its audience. For new viewers the episode can serve as both pilot and finale. By watching in the original publication order, it's the pilot and introduces Tintin as an intrepid reporter whose adventures are just beginning. As a finale in the airing order, it shows Tintin bringing down a historical gangster, and his adventures continue on thereafter. The one drawback was that original story was aggressively eviscerated from the original material.
So how does this series stand in the Tintin legacy? Well, the TV movie series of the 1960s made heavy changes to the material and didn't cover all the books. And the new movie, as excited as I was for it, had its issues. The pacing was rushed, the camera work was aggressively erratic, and changing Tintin from Belgian to British to make him more relevant to western audiences is just insulting. It should be clear that the 1990's series remains my favorite video incarnation of the franchise because of its accurate depiction, great writing, kick ass soundtrack, not to mention the contribution to my childhood.
Let's hope Spielberg does better next time.
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