Les Belles Histoires des pays d'en haut
Encyclopedia
Les Belles Histoires des pays d'en haut is a Canadian
television drama series, which aired on Radio-Canada
from 1956 to 1970. One of the longest-running programs in the history of Canadian television, the series produced 495 episodes during its 14-year run and was one of the first influential téléroman
s.
Written by Claude-Henri Grignon
as an adaptation of his 1933 novel Un Homme et son péché and initially set in the 1880s, the series starred Jean-Pierre Masson as Séraphin Poudrier, the wealthy but miserly
mayor of the village of Sainte-Adèle
, Quebec
, and Andrée Champagne
as Donalda Laloge-Poudrier, the young daughter of a village resident who is given in marriage to Séraphin as payment for a family debt even though she remains in love with her suitor Alexis Labranche (Gabriel Gascon). With a vast ensemble cast of extended family and other villagers, the series also delved much more deeply than the novel into the dramatic interactions of the larger community, depicting the early settlement of Quebec's Laurentides region and evolving from the novel's satirical portrait of Séraphin's moral values into a complex soap opera
. Among others, the show's ensemble cast included Geneviève Bujold
, Jean LeClerc
, Yves Corbeil
, Paul Dupuis
and Juliette Béliveau
.
Several real historical figures, including Antoine Labelle
, Honoré Mercier
and Arthur Buies, are depicted in the series.
The series ended production of new episodes in 1970, although it continued to air in daytime repeats on both Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec
for many years. Many episodes are currently available on Radio-Canada's video on demand
website TOU.TV
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television drama series, which aired on Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
from 1956 to 1970. One of the longest-running programs in the history of Canadian television, the series produced 495 episodes during its 14-year run and was one of the first influential téléroman
Téléroman
A téléroman is a French-language dramatic programming television series, similar to a soap opera or a Spanish language telenovela, in Canada. In France, the téléroman genre is known as feuilleton télévisé...
s.
Written by Claude-Henri Grignon
Claude-Henri Grignon
Claude-Henri Grignon was a Canadian novelist, journalist and politician, most famous for his novel Un Homme et son péché.Born in Sainte-Adèle, Quebec, he was a cousin of writer Germaine Guèvremont...
as an adaptation of his 1933 novel Un Homme et son péché and initially set in the 1880s, the series starred Jean-Pierre Masson as Séraphin Poudrier, the wealthy but miserly
Miser
A miser, cheapskate, snipe-snout, penny pincher, piker, scrooge, skinflint or tightwad is a person who is reluctant to spend money, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities...
mayor of the village of Sainte-Adèle
Sainte-Adèle, Quebec
Sainte-Adèle is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, and is part of the Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality. It lies on the Route 117 about north-west of Montreal. Its tourism-based economy centres on its skiing and hotel industry...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and Andrée Champagne
Andrée Champagne
Andrée Champagne, PC is an actress, pianist and Canadian politician.Born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Champagne was an accomplished performer and personality in her home province. In the 1960s, she became well known on television playing "Donalda" in Claude-Henri Grignon's series Les Belles...
as Donalda Laloge-Poudrier, the young daughter of a village resident who is given in marriage to Séraphin as payment for a family debt even though she remains in love with her suitor Alexis Labranche (Gabriel Gascon). With a vast ensemble cast of extended family and other villagers, the series also delved much more deeply than the novel into the dramatic interactions of the larger community, depicting the early settlement of Quebec's Laurentides region and evolving from the novel's satirical portrait of Séraphin's moral values into a complex soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. Among others, the show's ensemble cast included Geneviève Bujold
Geneviève Bujold
Geneviève Bujold is a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in the 1969 film Anne of the Thousand Days, for which she won a Golden Globe Award for best actress and was nominated for an Academy Award....
, Jean LeClerc
Jean LeClerc (actor)
Jean LeClerc is a Québécois actor. In the original French, his name is spelled Jean Leclerc. He is best known for his work in the United States as Jeremy Hunter on the American daytime soap operas All My Children and Loving in the 1980s and 1990s.LeClerc first started his career in Quebec on the...
, Yves Corbeil
Yves Corbeil
Yves Corbeil is a Canadian actor and television host. He is currently known as the game show host of the Loto-Québec televised show La Roue de Fortune . He was born in Saint-Eugène, Quebec....
, Paul Dupuis
Paul Dupuis
Paul Dupuis was a French Canadian film actor who was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and performed in British films during the late 1940s. The roles he played were mainly as the romantic leading man...
and Juliette Béliveau
Juliette Béliveau
Juliette Béliveau was a French Canadian actress and singer, who starred in various radio and television comedies and dramas, as well as in theatre productions...
.
Several real historical figures, including Antoine Labelle
Antoine Labelle
François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle was a Roman Catholic priest and the person principally responsible for the settlement of the Laurentians...
, Honoré Mercier
Honoré Mercier
Honoré Mercier was a lawyer, journalist and politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the ninth Premier of Quebec from January 27, 1887 to December 21, 1891, as leader of the Parti National or Quebec Liberal Party ....
and Arthur Buies, are depicted in the series.
The series ended production of new episodes in 1970, although it continued to air in daytime repeats on both Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...
for many years. Many episodes are currently available on Radio-Canada's video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
website TOU.TV
TOU.TV
TOU.TV is a Quebecois video-on-demand website launched on January 26, 2010 by the Société Radio-Canada.At launch, the site offered 2000 hours of French-language television content, near high definition in quality, provided by several TV channels, such as Télévision de Radio-Canada, RDI, ARTV,...
.