Belle and Sebastian (1981– )

'Belle and Sebastian' was undoubtedly a favourite of mine when I was around six or seven. Despite it being a cartoon aimed at children, the storyline was engaging and involving with likable heroes in the form of young Sebastian and his trusty four-legged companions, beautiful mountain dog Belle and cute wee pup Poochie.

The cartoon was set in the French Pyrenees circa around the turn of the twentieth century. Sebastian, a French boy of twelve or so, is determined to find his mother who abandoned him. He has many adventures on his travels, meeting new people and trying to overcome people's prejudices over Belle being dangerous. It was a very enjoyable show that even the youngest of children never grew bored of as it covered themes such as loyalty, friendship, homelessness and what it is for a child to be alone in the world.

Fans of other classic Eighties cartoon series such as 'The Mysterious Cities of Gold' and 'Ulysses 31' will adore this. It's just a shame that it's not available on DVD and seems to have disappeared from all but the minds of a generation of children who grew up fervently watching it every week.