Chez Hélène
Encyclopedia
Chez Hélène is a children's television series
produced by and broadcast on CBC Television
. The 15-minute weekday program was broadcast on the English television network to provide viewers with exposure to the French language
.
The program was produced at CBC's Montreal
studios. It began its 14-season run on 26 October 1959, with the final program airing 25 May 1973.
Hélène Baillargeon
portrayed the title role. Other cast members were Madeleine Kronby who portrayed the bilingual Louise, and a mouse puppet named Suzie who generally spoke English
.
In terms of children's series, the program remained popular in its final season, with a reported 437 000 viewers recorded by BBM
in November 1972. But CBC executives cancelled the series claiming that the series had run its course, and that the network's broadcasts of Sesame Street
would incorporate five minutes of French-language segments per episode.
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
produced by and broadcast on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
. The 15-minute weekday program was broadcast on the English television network to provide viewers with exposure to the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
The program was produced at CBC's Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
studios. It began its 14-season run on 26 October 1959, with the final program airing 25 May 1973.
Hélène Baillargeon
Hélène Baillargeon
Hélène Baillargeon, CM was a Quebec singer, actor and folklorist probably best known as the host of the CBC television show Chez Hélène from 1959 to 1973....
portrayed the title role. Other cast members were Madeleine Kronby who portrayed the bilingual Louise, and a mouse puppet named Suzie who generally spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
In terms of children's series, the program remained popular in its final season, with a reported 437 000 viewers recorded by BBM
Bureau of Broadcast Measurement
BBM Canada, also known as BBM, is an audience measurement organization for Canadian television and radio broadcasting.BBM was established on May 11, 1944 as a division of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. The organization was originally known as the "Bureau of Broadcast Measurement", and...
in November 1972. But CBC executives cancelled the series claiming that the series had run its course, and that the network's broadcasts of Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
would incorporate five minutes of French-language segments per episode.