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Samuel (animated series)

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Samuel
GenreAnimated series
Created byÉmilie Tronche
Written byÉmilie Tronche
Directed byÉmilie Tronche
Country of originFrance
Spain
Original languagesFrench
Spanish
Catalan
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes21
Production
ProducersDamien Megherbi
Justin Pechberty
Pablo Jordi
Running time4 minutes
Original release
NetworkArte France
Clan
SX3
Release11 March 2024 (2024-03-11)

Samuel is an animated television series written and directed by Émilie Tronche. The story explores the transition from childhood to adolescence and psychological maturity through the eyes of Samuel, an eleven-year-old boy who records his experiences in a personal diary.

The series consists of a single season with 21 four-minute television episodes, complemented by one-minute episodes for social media. It features a minimalist drawing style in black and white that mimics a childlike stroke.[1] It is a French–Spanish co-production by Les Valseurs and Pikkukala, in collaboration with Arte France, Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE), Televisió de Catalunya (3Cat), and the region of Hauts-de-France.[1]

Synopsis

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At the beginning of the series, Samuel is an eleven-year-old boy who has started writing a diary to express his worries. Most of the stories he tells are related to the end of childhood and the beginning of adolescence, including his relationships with friends, the transition from primary to secondary school, his insecurities, and his first romantic feelings toward Julia, a classmate.[2][3]

The story is set in the 2000s and ends when Samuel has filled all the pages of his diary, just one day before his twelfth birthday.[2][3]

Production

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Samuel is a series written, directed, and voiced by Émilie Tronche. The production was carried out jointly between France and Spain, handled respectively by the studios Les Valseurs and Pikkukala.

After graduating from the Animation School of Angoulême and making a short film for France Télévisions in 2020, Tronche began posting animations on social media exploring adolescent concerns, which caught the attention of Les Valseurs.[4] In September 2021, it was confirmed that the project would be developed into an animated series commissioned by Arte France.[5][6]

The Spanish–Finnish studio Pikkukala also joined the production, bringing experience from previous TV series such as My Real Neighbors and Stinky Dog. Public broadcasters RTVE and Televisió de Catalunya (3Cat) also participated in the project.[7][8] The animation in Samuel is 2D and minimalist, with a quick sketch-like black-and-white line style that, according to the creator, aims to "convey emotion, to say what I wanted with very little," creating an intimate and spontaneous atmosphere.[4][9] The animation is produced at a rate of twelve drawings per second.[4][7] Tronche voices all characters in the French version; each episode is narrated from Samuel's point of view, except for one—"The Letters"—which is centered on his friend Berenice. Another key feature of the series is the use of music, with songs that reinforce the message of each episode, and dance as a form of physical expression.[9]

Samuel follows a transmedia storytelling approach aimed at a teenage audience, allowing it to be followed both on linear TV and social media. On one hand, 21 television episodes were created, each four minutes long and in 16:9 format. On the other, a separate version was released consisting of 20 vertical one-minute videos for TikTok and Instagram, which complement the plot and place more emphasis on music.[10] Initially, the series was conceived as a digital-only project, but both RTVE and 3CAT requested a television version to air on their respective channels.[10] The production received funding from the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) and the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO).

Release

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After its official presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Samuel premiered in March 2024 on the networks of the three media groups involved in the production: in French on Arte,[11] in Spanish on RTVE—Clan and RTVE Play—,[2] and in Catalan on 3Cat and SX3.[3] In 2025, Netflix acquired the international broadcasting rights.[12]

Voice cast

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Émilie Tronche voices all the characters in the original French version.[1] The Spanish and Catalan dubs are both performed by actress Estel Tort, under the direction of Aleix Estadella.[13]

Episodes

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Each episode of Samuel has a runtime of four minutes and is part of a single season consisting of 21 episodes. In addition, 20 one-minute vertical format episodes were produced for social media, complementing the main storyline. The series premiered on 11 March 2024 on Arte, Clan, and SX3.[2][3]

All episodes are available for free on the video-on-demand platforms and social media channels of Arte (in French and German), RTVE (in Spanish), and 3Cat (in Catalan).

Episode list

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  1. "Julia"
  2. "Sunday"
  3. "The Pool"
  4. "Garlic Chicken"
  5. "La la la"
  6. "The Letters"
  7. "The Castle"
  8. "The Slope of Death"
  9. "The Rain"
  10. "The Festival"
  11. "The Holidays"
  12. "The T-shirt"
  13. "The Sea"
  14. "Back to School"
  15. "Anger"
  16. "Snack Time"
  17. "The Strike"
  18. "The Fever"
  19. "Moonlight"
  20. "The Little Apartment"
  21. "The End"

References

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  1. ^ a b c RTVE and 3Cat co-production announcement. See: Clan estrena 'Samuel'
  2. ^ a b c d "Clan premieres 'Samuel', an original musical animated series". RTVE.es (in Spanish). 8 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Visual poetry and music in "Samuel", the new animated series coming to SX3 and 3Cat". 3Cat (in Catalan). 11 March 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Clan premieres 'Samuel', an original animated musical series". RTVE.es (in Spanish). 8 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Arte France Boards Cartoon Forum Series 'Samuel,' Plans Digital Release Including Tiktok". Cartoon Brew. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Arte France Boards Les Valseurs' Cartoon Forum Wow, Animated Musical 'Samuel'". Variety. 26 September 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b "'Mis vecinos reales', Spanish–Finnish animated series, receives MEDIA funding for TV distribution". Audiovisual451 (in Spanish). 14 November 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Televisión Española selects six new series and renews two more in its 2022 animation call". Audiovisual451 (in Spanish). 13 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b Sardón, Lucía López (19 March 2024). "Review and Chronicle: "Samuel"". Animatic (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b "The daily life of 'Samuel', told through animation with the innocence of childhood". UniFrance (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Arte France Boards Cartoon Forum Series 'Samuel,' Plans Digital Release Including Tiktok". Cartoon Brew. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  12. ^ "'Minecraft,' 'Clash of Clans,' 'Magic the Gathering' and 'Ghostbusters' Series Teased at Netflix Annecy Studio Focus". Variety. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  13. ^ "La dobladora de "Samuel"". 3CAT (in Catalan). 18 March 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
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