Passe-Partout
{{short description|Canadian French-language children's television program}}
{{Other uses|Passepartout (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| alt_name =
| genre = Children's television series
| creator = Laurent Lachance
| showrunner =
| writer = Various
| teleplay =
| story =
| director = Various
| starring = {{plainlist|
- Marie Eykel
- Claire Pimparé
- Jacques L'Heureux
- Elodie Grenier
- Gabrielle Fontaine
- Jean-François C. Pronovost
}}
| theme_music_composer = {{plainlist|
- Pierre F. Brault
- Michèle Poirier
}}
| music =
| open_theme =
| end_theme =
| composer = {{plainlist|
- Pierre F. Brault
- Michel Robidoux
}}
| country = Canada
| language = French
| num_seasons = 5
| num_series =
| num_episodes =
| list_episodes =
| runtime = 30 minutes
| company = {{plainlist|
- JPL Production (1977–1979)
- Champlain Productions (1983–1984)
- Attraction Images (2019–2024)
}}
| network = {{hlist|Radio-Québec|Radio-Canada|TVOntario}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|1977|11|14|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1992|01|16|df=y}}
| first_aired2 = {{Start date|2019|02|25|df=y}}
| last_aired2 = {{End date|2024|08|16|df=y}}
}}
Passe-Partout ({{IPA|fr|pɑːspaʁtu|lang}}; {{literal translation|"skeleton key" or "all-purpose"}}) was a Canadian French-language children's television program funded by the Quebec ministry of education and produced by Radio-Québec (later Télé-Québec) from 1977 to 1992. It was revived in 2019 with a new cast{{cite web|title=Le public était plus qu'au rendez-vous pour la grande première de "Passe-Partout" |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/qc/entry/passe-partout-cotes-ecoute_qc_5cccf176e4b04ac53bed4c8c |website=huffpost.com |date=26 February 2019 |access-date=28 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=The public was more than there for the grand premiere of "Passe-Partout"}} and cancelled once more in August 2024. The show, which also aired on Radio-Canada and TVOntario,"There's a lot of good stuff waiting for youngsters on Radio-Quebec". Montreal Gazette, November 18, 1989.{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is not a hyperlink or easily searchable online and thus cannot be conveniently verified.|date=September 2024}} had a duration of thirty minutes per episode and included both live actors and puppets, though there was no interaction between the two.
History
File:Laurent_Lachance_2010.jpg, the "father of Passe-Partout"]]
In 1970, the Quebec ministry of education launched Operation Renouveau, a program that aimed to provide disadvantaged children part-time access to kindergartens.{{cite web|title=Essai – Passe-Partout : les dessous de l'enchantement |url=https://www.ledevoir.com/lire/163896/essai-passe-partout-les-dessous-de-l-enchantement |website=ledevoir.com |date=10 November 2007 |access-date=28 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=Essay – Passe-Partout: the underside of enchantment}} However, due to the high cost of such an endeavour, the idea of creating an educational children's television show instead, based on the recently launched American program Sesame Street, was mooted."French pre-schoolers love it: Passe-Partout tries to talk to 4-year-olds in their own language". The Globe and Mail, 2 January 1984.{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is not a hyperlink or easily searchable online and thus cannot be conveniently verified.|date=September 2024}} The project was launched in 1971, and a year later, Laurent Lachance, later nicknamed the "father of Passe-Partout", took over as producer.
Lachance, working together with Louise Poliquin and Carmen Bourassa,{{cite web|title=Les enfants d'abord |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508025359/http://www.lapresse.ca/le-nouvelliste/week-end/200910/01/01-907403-les-enfants-dabord.php |website=lapresse.ca |date=3 October 2009 |access-date=28 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=Children first}} came up with several concepts for the show, which was initially titled Saperlipopette. However, internal conflict between Radio-Québec, which was the designated broadcaster, and the government ministry, led to several delays, and in 1975, Lachance stepped down as producer.{{cite book |last=Proulx |first=Steve |author-link= |date=November 2007 |title=L'Opération Passe-Partout |location=Montreal |publisher=Édition Trécarré |page= |isbn=978-2-89568-334-6}} The government then turned to private enterprises, and on 14 February 1977, contracted JPL Production, a subsidiary of CFTM-DT, to work on the show. In its original run, 125 episodes were produced until 1979, and these were then rerun on the network. When the public was informed that the show had ended, protests broke out, and a petition with 85,000 signatories was filed in the National Assembly, demanding a sequel.{{cite web|title=Où sont mes amis ? Ils sont ici, ils sont ici. |url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Flarotonde.ca%2F2008%2F11%2Fou-sont-mes-amis-ils-sont-ici-ils-sont-ici%2F#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |website=larotonde.ca |date=17 November 2008 |access-date=28 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=Where are my friends? They are here, they are here.}} The government ultimately announced a new contract to produce 50 more episodes from 1983 to 1984."Champlain gets $2-million contract". The Globe and Mail, 9 September 1983.{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is not a hyperlink or easily searchable online and thus cannot be conveniently verified.|date=September 2024}}
Between 1987 and 1988, a third generation of the show was created, and a fourth one ran from 1988 to 1992.
Reruns of Passe-Partout were broadcast on Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec, and TVOntario until 1998. In 2006, a DVD box set of the show was published.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
=Revival=
Passe-Partout was rebooted in 2019 with a new cast that included Élodie Grenier as Passe-Partout, Gabrielle Fontaine as Passe-Carreau, Jean-François C. Pronovost as Passe-Montagne, Danielle Proulx as Grand-mère, and Widemir Normil as Fardoche.[https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/12/03/passe-partout-de-retour-le-25-fevrier "Passe-Partout de retour le 25 février"]. Le Journal de Montréal, 3 December 2018.{{cite web|title=Télé-Québec lance Passe-Partout ce lundi 25 février à 18 h ! |url=https://ctvm.info/tele-quebec-lance-passe-partout-ce-lundi-25-fevrier-a-18-h/ |website=ctvm.info |date=25 February 2019 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=Télé-Québec is launching Passe-Partout this Monday, February 25 at 6 p.m.!}} The first episode aired on 25 February, with a viewership of over 700,000. The show ran until 16 August 2024.
Concept
{{More citations needed|section|date=September 2024}}
=Live-action segments=
Live-action segments usually featured the activities and relationships of several humorous characters: Passe-Partout (French for "skeleton key" or "master key"), a woman dressed mainly in blue (purple in the reboot), who often connected with children on an emotional level; Passe-Carreau (tailoring device to iron seams), a woman dressed mainly in yellow (pink in the reboot), whose focus was on physical activity and fitness; and Passe-Montagne ("balaclava"), a man dressed in brown (red in the reboot) sporting butterfly-shaped bowties, who specialized in vocabulary and verbal exercises.
Other characters who appeared less frequently were André, a happy-go-lucky tinkerer; Julie, who had various jobs, depending on the context of the episode; Fardoche, a farmer; and Grand-mère, a neighbouring older woman who played grandmother to the characters and would narrate stories. Later in the show's run, the characters of Passe-Tourelle, a Haitian immigrant, and Passe-Midi, a Vietnamese man, were added."Passe-Partout goes ethnic". Ottawa Citizen, 27 January 1988.{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is not a hyperlink or easily searchable online and thus cannot be conveniently verified.|date=September 2024}} In 2019, a new character, Tancrède, appeared.
Segments in this category could either be educational (counting, language skills, memory work, etc.), musical (featuring original songs composed in a traditional folk style), moralistic (personal responsibility), or storytelling.
==Cast and characters==
{{div col}}
1st generation (1977–1979)
- Marie Eykel as Passe-Partout
- Claire Pimparé as Passe-Carreau
- Jacques L'Heureux as Passe-Montagne
- Pierre Dufresne as Fardoche
- Kim Yaroshevskaya as Grand-mère
- André Cartier as André
- Jocelyne Goyette as Julie
- Reine France as Lucille
- Jacques Thériault as Tancrède
- J. Léo Gagnon as Ti-Toine
- Serge Turgeon as the pharmacist
2nd–4th generations (1983–1992)
- Marie Eykel as Passe-Partout
- Claire Pimparé as Passe-Carreau
- Jacques L'Heureux as Passe-Montagne
- Sylvie Gosselin as Tourmaline (2nd and 4th: 1984; 1991–1992)
- Pierre Dufresne as Fardoche (2nd: until 1984)
- Jani Pascal as Bubu (2nd: 1983–1984)
- Linda Sorgini as Lourloupette (3rd: 1987–1988)
- Sylvie Potvin as Chari-Vari (3rd: 1987–1988)
- Daniel Dõ as Passe-Midi (3rd and 4th: 1988–1992)
- Joujou Turenne as Passe-Tourelle (3rd and 4th: 1988–1992)
- Denis Mercier as Tourbillon (4th: 1991–1992)
- Mariline Trahan as Oran (3rd and 4th: 1987–1992)
- Marcelle Hudon as Outan (3rd and 4th: 1987–1992)
- Elodie Grenier as Passe-Partout
- Gabrielle Fontaine as Passe-Carreau
- Jean-François C. Pronovost as Passe-Montagne
- Widemir Normil as Fardoche
- Danielle Proulx as Grand-mère
- Chadi Alhelou as Tancrède
{{div col end}}
=Puppet segments=
The sketches in the puppet segments involved the twins Cannelle and Pruneau and their parents, Perlin and Perline, as well as Grand-papa Bi (their maternal grandfather), Madame Coucou (a single and coquettish neighbour), Rigodon (their same-age male cousin), Ti-Brin (a slightly older boy with a rebellious streak), as well as their classmates: Doualé (a girl from the fictional country of Cantaloupe in the Antilles, who spoke Creole) and Mélodie (Cannelle's friend, a bit of a complainer). A character who never interacted directly with the children was Alakazou, a talking zebra who hosted Cannelle and Pruneau's favourite TV show.
More often than not, the puppet segments dealt with social and moral issues relating to children. In one notable instance, the children's father lost his job and went on extended unemployment benefits, making their future uncertain.
Later in the series, new puppet characters included Minella, who spoke French with an Italian accent, and Jade and Mirio, who were Vietnamese and Haitian, respectively.
In the reboot series, Madame Coucou is a lesbian, Mélodie is Asian, and a new Haitian character, Kiwi, is introduced.
==Voices==
{{div col}}
1st generation (1977–1979)
- Ève Gagnier as Cannelle
- Mirielle Lachance as Pruneau
- Robert Maltais as Perlin
- Louise Rémy as Perline
- Jean-Claude Robillard as Grand-papa Bi
- Paul Berval as Alakazou
- Marthe Choquette as Madame Coucou
- Élizabeth Chouvalidzé as Rigodon
- Michèle Deslauriers as Ti-Brin, Zig Zag, and Bijou
- Nicole Fontaine as Doualé
- Jocelyne Goyette as Mélodie
- Pierre Dufault as the announcer
2nd–4th generation – additional voices (1983–1992)
- Lucie Beauvais as the second voice of Cannelle (2nd–4th: 1983–1992)
- Jean-Luc Montminy as Tamarin (2nd: 1983–1984)
- Mong Thu Vuong as Jade (3rd: 1987–1988)
- Joujou Turennes as Mirio (3rd: 1987–1988)
- Any Perini as Minella (3rd: 1987–1988)
- Louise Bombardier as Coralie (4th: 1989–1992)
- Lise Thouin as Loriot (4th: 1989–1992)
5th generation (2019–2024)
- Rosemarie Houde as Cannelle
- Julie Beauchemin as Pruneau
- Martin Rouette as Perlin
- Caroline Lavigne as Perline{{cite web|title=Caroline Lavigne |url=https://nac-cna.ca/fr/bio/caroline-lavigne |website=nac-cna.ca |date=15 February 2019 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=fr}}
- Thiéry Dubé as Grand-papa Bi
- Natalie Tannous as Madame Coucou
- Claude Gagnon as Alakazoo
- Marc St-Martin as Zig-Zag
- François-Nicolas Dolan as Virgule
- Sylvie Comtois as Ti-Brin
- Line Boucher as Mélodie
- Anne Lalancette as Kiwi{{cite web|title=Anne Lalancette |url=https://annelalancette.com/biographie/ |website=annelalancette.com |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=fr}}
{{div col end}}
=Interlude=
In between segments, short films were shown. These included animation, art, or children's testimonials. These were often intended to have educational value and showcased daily happenings in children's lives, from going to the dentist, getting X-rays, starting school, playing with friends (or alone), cleaning a bicycle, or simply going to bed.
Music
Theme songs for the first generation of the series (125 episodes) were composed by Pierre F. Brault. The first album of Passe-Partout songs, Passe-partout vol. 1, was released in 1980{{cite web|title=Passe-Partout – Passe-Partout Vol. 1 |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/461861-Passe-Partout-Passe-Partout-Vol-1 |website=discogs.com |access-date=28 September 2024}} and won the 1981 Félix Award for bestselling album; the show's theme song was nominated for the Best Song prize.{{cite web|title=1981 – Artistique |url=https://www.adisq.com/gala/archives/1981/ |website=adisq.com |access-date=28 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=1981 – Artistic}} Several more volumes of songs were published over the ensuing years{{cite web|title=Passe-Partout |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/2143010-Passe-Partout-2 |website=discogs.com |access-date=28 September 2024}} and won four more Félix Awards.{{cite web|title=Gala ADISQ |url=https://www.adisq.com/gala/archives/ |website=adisq.com |access-date=30 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=ADISQ Gala}}
On 29 September 2009, a compilation album titled Génération Passe-Partout was released, featuring 17 songs from the show performed by contemporary Quebec musicians such as Cœur de pirate, Marie-Élaine Thibert, the Lost Fingers, Martin Deschamps, Lynda Thalie, Florence K, Tricot Machine, Stéphanie Lapointe, Fred Pellerin, and Kaïn.{{cite web|title=Various – Génération Passe-Partout |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3749134-Various-G%C3%A9n%C3%A9ration-Passe-Partout |website=discogs.com |access-date=26 September 2024}} In December, the album was certified Gold for the sale of 40,000 units.{{cite web|title=L'album Génération Passe-Partout a été certifié disque d'or cette semaine, quelque 40 000 exemplaires ayant trouvé preneur. |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/musique/200912/16/01-931694-disque-dor-pour-generation-passe-partout.php |website=lapresse.ca |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=The album Génération Passe-Partout was certified gold this week, with 40,000 copies sold.}}
In 2019, an album of cover versions of Brault's music, titled Coucou Passe-Partout and sung by the cast of the rebooted show, was released.{{cite web|title=Nouvel album de Passe-Partout : rajeuni, mais pas dénaturé |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/02/20/un-album-pour-le-retour-de-passe-partout |website=journaldemontreal.com |date=20 February 2019 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=New Passe-Partout album: rejuvenated, but not distorted}}
Legacy
Passe-Partout is mentioned in the song "Les étoiles filantes" by the Repentigny-based neo-trad band Les Cowboys Fringants, from their 2004 album, La Grand-Messe;{{Citation |title=Les Cowboys Fringants – Les étoiles filantes |url=https://genius.com/Les-cowboys-fringants-les-etoiles-filantes-lyrics |access-date=26 June 2023}}{{Cite web |title=Pierre Brault {{!}} l'Encyclopédie Canadienne |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/pierre-brault |access-date=26 June 2023 |website=thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}} the music video features the original Passe-Partout, Marie Eykel.
In 2007, the Minister of Culture and Communications and Status of Women, Christine St-Pierre, and the MNA for Borduas, Pierre Curzi, passed a motion in the National Assembly of Quebec to pay tribute to Passe-Partout, its actors, and Laurent Lachance, on the occasion of the show's 30th anniversary.{{cite web|title=Souligner les 30 ans de l'émission de télévision Passe-Partout |url=https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/travaux-parlementaires/assemblee-nationale/38-1/journal-debats/20071114/3087.html#_Toc182902456 |website=assnat.qc.ca |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=Celebrating 30 years of the television show Passe-Partout}}
Also in 2007, journalist Steve Proulx published a history of the series, titled L'Operation Passe-Partout.{{cite web|title=L'Operation Passe-Partout |url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.librairiepantoute.com%2Flivre.asp%3Fid%3Dabpzyugpzab%26%2Fl-operation-passe-partout%2Fsteve-proulx%2F9782895683346#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |website=librairiepantoute.com |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=fr}}
Awards and nominations
- 1981 Félix Award: Album of the year for Passe-Partout vol. 1 – nominated
- 1981 Félix Award: Bestselling album of the year for Passe-Partout vol. 1 – won
- 1982 Félix Award: Album of the year for Passe-Partout vol. 3 – nominated
- 1982 Félix Award: Bestselling album of the year for Passe-Partout vol. 3 – won
- 1983 Félix Award: Children's album of the year for Passe-Partout vol. 4 – won
- 1986 Félix Award: Children's album of the year for Passe-Partout vol. 6 – Le Noël de Pruneau et de Canelle – won
- 1987 Félix Award: Children's album of the year for Passe-Partout vol. 7 – Comme sur des roulettes – nominated
- 1992 Félix Award: Children's album of the year for Passe-Partout Concerto rigolo – won
Bibliography
- Steve Proulx, L'Opération Passe-Partout, Montréal, Édition Trécarré. 2007 (ISBN 978-2-89568-334-6)
- Michèle B. Tremblay, [https://www.archambault.ca/livres/dans-les-coulisses-de-passe-partout-m%C3%A9moires-d%27une-script-assistante/mich%C3%A8le-b-tremblay/9782980849329/?id=1536983 Dans les coulisses de Passe-Partout: Mémoires d'une script-assistance]. 2014 (ISBN 978-2-98084-932-9)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0168360|Passe-Partout}}
- {{IMDb title|9042572|Passe-Partout|description=(reboot)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Television shows filmed in Quebec
Category:1970s Canadian children's television series
Category:1980s Canadian children's television series
Category:1990s Canadian children's television series
Category:1977 Canadian television series debuts
Category:1992 Canadian television series endings
Category:Television shows filmed in Montreal
Category:Canadian preschool education television series
Category:Canadian television shows featuring puppetry
Category:Ici Radio-Canada Télé original programming