"Les chevaliers du ciel" (1967) TV series 1967-1970

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

16 September 1967 (France)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot Keywords:

Jet Fighter | Espionage | Fighter Pilot | Based On Comic | Friendship

Cast

Jacques Santi	...	Michel Tanguy (9 episodes, 1967-1970)
Christian Marin	...	Ernest Laverdure (9 episodes, 1967-1970)
Yves Massard		(3 episodes, 1968-1970)
Pierre Rousseau	...	Lieutenant Guillou (2 episodes, 1970)
Patrick Peuvion		(2 episodes, 1970)
César Faura	...	Larco (2 episodes, 1970)
Jean Perrin	...	Blanc (2 episodes, 1968-1969)
Dominique Rozan	...	Le colonel (2 episodes, 1968-1969)

Also Known As:

"Les aventures de Michel Tanguy" (France) (alternative title)
"Les aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure" (France) (alternative title)
"The Aeronauts" (USA)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White (13 episodes) | Color (26 episodes)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF)

Trivia:

Against the director's expectations, authorization was received to film a sequence where an unmarked all-black T-33 was fleeing at low-altitude over Paris to avoid radar. The production crew were limited to three passes by the unidentified aircraft over the Seine; in case of mishap, the plane would crash in the water, rather than on the city. The scene caused panic as people on the ground feared a genuine attack was taking place.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Les nouveaux chevaliers du ciel" (1988)

Soundtrack:

Les Chevaliers du ciel

Very good as I remember it.

This TV series came out of France in the late sixties and a dubbed version was shown on the BBC in the early seventies. As a small boy whose father was a pilot in the RAF at the time I found it all quite fascinating. As far as I can remember two pilots of the French Air Force were officially listed as missing but were in actual fact doing some quite dirty jobs for the French government predominately in North Africa. The aeriel shots for their time were quite excellent and by the third series they were making it in colour. At least one annual was brought out by the BBC (saw it on ebay) and almost all the boys I knew at school watched it. It is still possible to get the french version on DVD though I fear like so many others the English print has gone forever. I'd dearly love to see this again but I fear all I will have is some rather fond memories.