once upon a time man! opening

[Snybi]

and everyone die. THE END

[Civilsitis]

my favorite

[sailoraries19]

I watched an episode in history class today lol

[Zoharshu]

Hahahaha, the ending of the intro always scared me when I was young, but I really loved it and the other Once Upon a Time shows.

[darkredyanderelord]

correction the eye is in 0:01

[darkredyanderelord]

0:02 lol i notice the all seing eye... interesting.

[hotelmario510]

@darkredyanderelord Jesus Christ, can't I go anywhere without some Illuminati nutjob trying to make something innocent seem really sinister?

Not everything is out to get you! It's all in your head!

[darkredyanderelord]

@hotelmario510 Well is your opinion.

[hotelmario510]

@darkredyanderelord I could say the same of your beliefs!

[andmaketherain]

When I was a kid (7 years old watching this), I just felt it was epic. It was as if I identified with all of history through this show.

[GTXMAN]

Just like cartoons should have been.

[FireSath]

Bach - Toccata & Fugue

[fan2zelosss]

I didn't know that cartoon was diffused in other place that in France ! I'm shocked XD

[asia911]

Great educational show. Had a profound effect on me as a kid. Still remember when the old white bearded guy die and plenty of nudity. I mean what other kids shows nowaday show nude people?:D

[raksh9]

This fantastic series screen on the Australian channel SBS in the very early 80's. I remember the earlier episodes having characters that recurred through history, although I think they stopped doing this later on. The image of the man with the long white beard dead/being buried has stuck with me, as well as the beginning credit section where the man walks straight towards the camera and changing over time. Thank you for posting this!

[Zeick87]

Well, that was a pessimistic take on the future :(

[Yavin1v]

@Zeick87 thats what i thought when i watched this in my chiledhood, now... its more like realistic or even optimistic future

[Kizor]

I know I missed a lot of obvious things as a kid, but it's still a surprise that the opening sequence to an educational cartoon features a lot of people being blown apart by a rocket's exhaust. See circa 1:18.

Not that I'm complaining. It fits. But noticing things like this in old favourites still feels weird, like watching the opening to "Once upon a time... life" after finding out what sex is.

[LordTchernobog]

The theme song of mankind...

[DustPixy]

What is that song?

[martianmister]

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 from Johann Sebastian Bach

[martianmister]

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 from Johann Sebastian Bach

[planetrockford]

In simple terms that freaked me out and still does.

[TheMatgee]

Thanks for putting this on. I used to watch this during the school holidays. The bad guys always used to have red noses, and I always wondered how the old man never tripped over his long beard.

[henritje19]

I think I saw the body one as a kid and maybe a bit of the sci-fi one

[ununoctium]

Thank you Albert Barillé for inspiring a future generation of scholars and academics and ensuring that in this age of idiocracy and greed, there are still people dedicated to the advancement of humankind.

From a researcher/engineer you inspired.

[realinvalidname]

I remember getting this on TVOntario over the border when I was in middle school. Wikipedia says that an English language region 1 DVD set will be available in Canada in 2011. Might have to have amazon.ca send me one of those.

[georgekarp100]

I first learned about these series through a six books series with 4 historical themes each. They were illustrated and probably they had in printed form the content of the TV series. I was then a primary school pupil. Latter I watched the series in Greek national television although the animated form sometimes made me afraid since several episodes were quite bloody for a child's standard. Still I have a strong memory about this work and dreams about it. Fine despite the French bias...

[SeiersQa]

Bach!

[pandarenBrewmaster62]

What does it say in the ending? It's french, am I right? In google transelate it was in english: "And then the earth was" ...? :P

[martianmister]

@pandarenBrewmaster62 Its say "And Earth was created…" in french. It is name of first episode.

[resoprint]

@martianmister Actually it's the name of the last episode, "And the earth was" which means that the earth isn't anymore. It has been translated "Once Upon a Time… the Earth"

[davvvvo]

@pandarenBrewmaster62 plus thecreatyoer whasfrench

[Nagauk]

@pandarenBrewmaster62 and the earth...was. It's past tense, which means that the earth were, but not any longer.

[Nagauk]

@pandarenBrewmaster62 and the earth...was. It's past tense, which means that the earth were, but not any longer.

[Nagauk]

@pandarenBrewmaster62 and the earth...was. It's past tense, which means that the earth were, but not any longer.

[Malfehzan]

@Nagauk Actually it's more subtle than that, there's an ambiguity. It just means that, at one point, Earth started existing. "Et la lumière fut", for example, is the Bible's "And then there was light" - which doesn't exactly imply light isn't any longer.

[Gpol71]

im amost 40 years old...it makes me shivering...i was watching it every saturday morning...it brings me tears in my eyes...i want to find the series to show to my children.....those days wont ever come back.......

[jchardy316]

@Gpol71 I know the feeling. It's like going back in time.

[meatius]

great cartoon, really informative, a lot better than the f#ckin Teletubbies and in The Night Garden shit, no wonder kids of today want to stab each

[mapleleafsforever]

I grew up with these on TV Ontario on Sunday afternoons. :') The ending then and now still freaks me out !

[Darario]

Damn, the end is depressing... ._.

[TomthatiscalledTom]

Not a terribly optimistic outlook for humanity? Hey kids....don't bother studying in class. There's no point cuz you've no future unless you're one of the lucky few who get on board a spacecraft before the Earth blows up!

[dogfellon]

the.. ending ;_;

[ralang999]

Fond memories of watching this on CBC as a kid. Its this intro that I remember the most though. And seeing it again for the first time in 25 years I'm still chilled by the frantic scramble to the rocket and escape from the exploding earth at the end

[jademm]

OMGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawd!!! I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS TV SHOW FOR AGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!! A million thanks to martianmister for posting it up!!!!!!!!!!

[kevj1971]

I remember this programme  from the mid 80's, school summer holidays in the UK, the first thing on Granada tv (Manchester / northwest England) about 09:25, in the days before breakfast tv

[shdnicol]

@kevj1971 : Yes me too. Haunting and maybe prescient.

[RubicsCubeProduction]

The german intro,music was better.

[PharadayKage]

I remember this from childhood . . . it had a profound effect on me. I still am impressed with the ending . . . this idea that we may be racing towards our own destruction. It gave me a lot to think about back then.

[ADHDfox]

I sooo agree with you.

[IYAPAPIEYA]

i just saw this today in my history class and i loved it although i cant figgure out the songs name;(

[martianmister]

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 from Johann Sebastian Bach

[8kdez]

My childhood memories. This was king of a sad cartoon but it's still one of my memorable shows

thank you for posting this opening, brings so many good memories ^^

[TNTITAN]

So who else not only remembers this show, but feels the best character is the calander character.

[miwerton]

anyone knows what the name of the start song is cause i wanna learn that on guitar

[martianmister]

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 from Johann Sebastian Bach

[MrJambalaa]

@martianmister what happened to Planet Earth at ending.I do not know about it?

[martianmister]

its destroyed...by three freak...

[KronnangDunn]

@martianmister BY US!!!!

[DingKong]

That show was exceptional. Great opening titles, great content, fun to watch and educational. Great stuff.

[AmiralMachin]

Il était une fois la France plutôt!

[baozeng]

i forgot when did i watch this cartoon

[grincher2006]

ah summer holidays and the sun always shone bright :))

[ineebriate]

Yeah. This always used to be on itv, after wacaday!! Going back to the late 1980s here.This intro is brutal.Can you imagine a modern day kids tv show showing the end of the world in its opening credits. lol

[ste1bro]

Ahhh, memories.

I'd forgotten about the end of the titles - all those people getting burnt up in the rocket's exhaust!!!

[martianmister]

I blame natural selection!

[wayzotoichi]

haha an extremely apocalyptic ending there! sheesh.. but the topics making up these series could satisfy many chlldren's minds (space, human history, the body) ..these internationally distributed cartoons were tremendous, and so much credit goes to the creators and the artists for making a memorable and effective teaching style which is entertaining and appealing to the infant imagination. I feel quite sentimental about these cartoons.

[ADHDfox]

I strongly agree with you.

[CzBeno]

@wayzotoichi I got my dedication to Histroy by this piece of greatness!

[kirneu]

thi is my favorite serial! 4ever

[warsongcl]

this brings back memories