Once Upon a Time... Man

1978

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 And Earth was created... Sep 23, 1978

EP2 Neanderthal Man Sep 30, 1978

EP3 Cro-Magnon Man Oct 07, 1978

EP4 The Fertile Valleys Oct 14, 1978

EP5 The First Empires Oct 21, 1978

EP6 The Age of Pericles Oct 28, 1978

EP7 The Pax Romana Nov 04, 1978

EP8 The Conquest of Islam Nov 11, 1978

EP9 The Carolingians Nov 18, 1978

EP10 The Age of Vikings Nov 25, 1978

EP11 The Cathedral Builders Dec 02, 1978

EP12 The Travels of Marco Polo Dec 09, 1978

EP13 The Hundred Years' War Dec 16, 1978

EP14 The Quattrocento Dec 23, 1978

EP15 The Golden Age of Spain Dec 30, 1978

EP16 Elizabethan England Jan 06, 1979

EP17 The Golden Age of the Low Countries Jan 13, 1979

EP18 The Great Reign of Louis XIV Jan 20, 1979

EP19 Peter the Great and his Times Jan 27, 1979

EP20 The Age of Reason (18th) Feb 03, 1979

EP21 America Mar 03, 1979

EP22 1789–1814 (The French Revolution) Mar 10, 1979

EP23 The Awakening of the People (Revolutions of 1848) Mar 17, 1979

EP24 The Belle Epoque Mar 24, 1979

EP25 The Crazy Years Mar 31, 1979

EP26 Once Upon a Time... the Earth (and tomorrow?) Apr 07, 1979

8.1| 0h30m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 23 September 1978 Ended
Producted By: Tatsunoko Production
Country: Japan
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.hellomaestro.fr/il-etait-une-fois-l-homme.html
Synopsis

Once Upon a Time… Man is a French animated TV series from 1978 directed by Albert Barillé. It is the first in the Once Upon a Time... franchise. The series explains world history in a format designed for children. The action focuses around one group. The same familiar characters appear in all episodes as they deal with the problems of their time. The series' opening and ending title sequences famously used Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor as the main title theme music. Shortening the piece to only 2 minutes in length, the introduction uses the very beginning, which jumps into the start of the middle section and finally the dramatic ending to coincide with the destruction of Earth at the end of the intro.

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Director

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Tatsunoko Production

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Reviews

Andres Salama A very entertaining animated series that shows the history of the world since the prehistory to the twentieth century. The same characters recur in different eras: for example, Pierre, one of the main characters, appears in one episode as a Persian warrior, then in another as a Roman slave, then as a Frankish peasant, and so on. I saw the series in around 1980, when I was about 12, and it definitely awakened in me an interest in history. Now, if one can criticize the series for something is for its Eurocentrism: the history of the world in this series is mostly the history of Europe (with a few exceptions, one of the most intriguing episodes was the one that dealt with the birth of Islam; in deference to the faith, Muhammad was always shown from behind). Now, an interesting fact: here, in Argentina, when it was initially shown in 1980, the military dictatorship was in power, and under pressure from the Catholic Church, the series was taken off the air halfway through. The church apparently didn't like that evolution was favored in the first episode, and neither they appreciated the portrayal of the church during the Middle Ages. I swear this is really true: I remember it quite vividly, because I really liked the series and I was angry when they put it off the air.
galocza a great series, i loved it on television when i was a kid and now i bought it on DVD and enjoyed it also as an adult. it should be a standard school material and showed to all kids: a fine example that education can be entertaining. a pity that in spite of being really an epic work, some parts of the history were skipped or presented shortly - i could watch it for... well like forever 8). i can only recommend it to everyone from kids to parents, i think that its not only more informative but also funnier than modern robots-fight-monsters kind of cartoons. ps: my colleagues niece rejected to watch shrek 2, she wanted to watch this 8)))
Stibbert To be honest I was surprised there were not more comments on this series. It's a true gem and a classic. Even if it's nearly 30 years old it's still one of the most entertaining and best children's series.They have shown this on Norwegian TV several times. I can remember watching this every Sunday morning as one of my favorite shows. First of all it's an excellent written series with an idea of combining education and entertainment. Often a doomed combination, but the way it's pulled off in this series is incredible. They succeed in making it both entertaining and educational. You follow a group of character through the different stages of mankind. It's the same characters and so you get to know them throughout the series. They also use a narrator and include him as a character of his own in the show. Making him interesting and funny rather than just a boring narrator from a kids perspective.The animation is also good. They characters look of the character matches up with who they are. It's well animated, still by todays standards.As for the educational aspect you get to see history. It's as simple as that. What they do it put these characters into history making one of them Moses one episode and Julius Caesar in the next. They recreate human history as it's supposed to have happened in their own universe with the help of a few characters.I consider this series as a true classic and one of the best children series of all time. Unfortunately it would seem that it is being forgotten as those who saw it are growing up.
dimadick I used to watch that show back in the 1980s along with its successor "Once Upon A Time in Space". I still love the show for its combining quality entertainment with an educated look in the history of life in planet Earth from the birth of the first cell organism to the 1970s environmental concerns.Instead of presenting a "black/evil vs white/good" depiction of human history, each featured group of cultures and states have their own motivation, ambitions, fears, prejudices and obvious similarities to both their allies and their enemies.Several historical figures are prominently presented as exemplars of their time. Including but not limited to Alexander the Great, Gaius Julius Caesar, Muhammad, Charlemagne, Peter I "the Great" of Russia. Others make significant cameos such as Cheops, Ramses II, Moses, Samson and many others. Its a good introduction to them and places them in their historical context.I still wonder why this show is mostly unseen in modern television schedules and unavailable in video or DVD. It is easily better than the rather formulaic "good vs evil" sagas of modern animation.