Albert the Fifth Musketeer

Albert the Fifth Musketeer
Also known as	Albert le 5ème mousquetaire
Genre	Animation
Created by	Christophe Izard
Written by	Gilles Adrien Olivier Montegut Christophe Izard
Directed by	Alain Sion
Voices of	Jimmy Hibbert Susan Sheridan Andy Turvey Christian Rodska Joanna Wheeler Shireen Shah Mike Drew Dick Cadbury Jayne Lloyd
Composer	Kick Production
Country of origin	France Canada
Original languages	French English
No. of episodes	26
Production
Executive producers	Christophe Izard Theresa Plummer-Andrews
Producers	Micheline Charest Christian Davin Peter Hille
Production companies	France Animation CINAR Films Ravensburger Film + TV BBC Children's International
Original release
Network	Children's BBC (UK) Canal+ (France) YTV (Canada)
Release	March 16 (1994-03-16) – July 2, 1994 (1994-07-02)

Albert the Fifth Musketeer is an animated television series based on the 1844 novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. It is a co-production between France Animation and CINAR Films for Ravensburger and BBC Children's International, in association with France 3, Canal+ and Videal. ^[1]

Plot

The show centers around the antics of Albert (French pronunciation: [albɛʁ] AL-bair) de Parmagnan, a new member of the Musketeers (the series takes place after the Siege of La Rochelle, and therefore after D'Artagnan has become a musketeer, but before Milady de Winter's death). While the other four musketeers are portrayed as bumbling and incompetent, Albert is quick-witted and clever, creating many inventions to get the others out of trouble.

He and the other Musketeers have adventures as they fight with the guards of Cardinal Richelieu and attempt to thwart his plans to take over France.

In total there were 26 episodes, which aired in 1994. The show was later translated into English, Dutch, Swedish, French and Russian and shown in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, the Netherlands, United States, South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, Greece, Australia, Zimbabwe, Sweden, Hong Kong, France and Russia.

Cast

The characters, apart from Albert (voiced by Jimmy Hibbert), are all generally broad stereotypes of their traditional portrayals in the original Musketeers book and subsequent movies:

• D'Artagnan – brash and impulsive, the self-declared leader of the Musketeers. Voiced by Andy Turvey.
• Athos – rarely says anything, but tends to do everything backwards, including riding his horse. Voiced by Jimmy Hibbert.
• Porthos – large and fat, Porthos is always thinking of his stomach. Voiced by Christian Rodska.
• Aramis – very flirtatious and feminine, often lapses into poetry. Voiced by Mike Drew.
• M. de Tréville – the captain of the King's Musketeers. Voiced by Christian Rodska.
• King Louis XIII – the ruler of France and commissioner of the Musketeers. Childish and moronic, he is easily duped by Richelieu. Voiced by Jimmy Hibbert
• Anne of Austria – the King's wife. Beautiful, but ditsy, she talks in a slight lispy French tone. She often confides privately in Albert with instructions. Voiced by Shireen Shah.
• Cardinal Richelieu – the Prime Minister of France, he seeks to undermine the King's authority at every turn and sends his guards to fight off the meddling Musketeers who threaten to disrupt his plans. Voiced by Mike Drew.
• M'Lady – Richelieu's cunning female assistant. She has a tattoo of a fleur de lis on her shoulder that turns into a quacking duck. Voiced by Susan Sheridan.
• The Duke of Buckingham – the love-crazed suitor of Queen Anne. Voiced by Dick Cadbury.

Episodes

1. The King's New Shoes
2. Her Majesty's Gorilla
3. The Gold Coach
4. The King's Complex
5. Food for a King
6. The Identikit Picture
7. Anatole's Treasure
8. Patchouli for the Queen
9. The King of Thieves
10. The Spy
11. The Cocoa Mission
12. The Queen's Nanny
13. Her Majesty's Garden
14. Wig Business
15. The King's Jester
16. The Duke's Tunes
17. The Count of Quicostro
18. The Return of the Queen Mother
19. The Pillow Caper
20. The Musketeer Day
21. Ghost You Said?
22. The Ambassador
23. The Queen's Tortoises
24. Mauricette Crouton
25. Strawberries for the King
26. A Dukelike Imposter

References

1. Animation Magazine. Animation Magazine. October 1994. p. 53.

External links

• Cartoon Database
• Albert the 5th Musketeer at IMDb
• DHX Media page