Little Gregory Charles had diverse interests in television. In his early childhood he often sat in front of the small screen to watch cartoons, dolls and also space heroes. His head is still full of shows…
Gregory, what children's programs impressed you?
There were several of them in French: “Patof recount”, “Nic et Pic”, “Bagatelle”, “Jobidon Investigations”, “My Friend Pierrot”, “Grendizer”, “Captain Flam”, “King Léo”, “La maison de toutou”, “Lancelot”, “Agent Secret” and all productions resulting from Supermarionation [une technique permettant de faire bouger les marionnettes] : The Air Sentinels, Supercar, XL5 Rocket, Secret Service and Captain Scarlet. But in addition to the dates there were also “In the Land of Giants”, “In the Heart of Time”, “Lost in Space”, “Star Trek”, “Daniel Boone”, “The Fugitive”, “Bonanza”, “The Ranch” , “The Six Million Man” and “The Cadets of the Forest”, “Skippy”. , Lassie and Pinball. Finally Tarzan.
Patof narrates photo from Wikipedia
So there are some in English too?
Yes. Fat Albert, Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, The Friendly Giant and Sesame Street.
What are your favorite TV memories from your childhood?
Playing with toys in front of the TV during Saturday hockey games with the whole family.
Fat Albert photo from IMDB
Would you say you watched a lot of TV as a child?
I would say that it's not bad before the age of 7. After 7 years I watched it in the morning from 5 to 5:30 am and on Saturdays at 4 pm.
Is there a character who influenced you?
All. Absolutely everything!
Air Sentinel's photo from IMDB
Is there a character you wish you could have played for children?
I did a children's show for years, Les Débrouillards, and it was a privilege and a joy. Still, I would have loved to be part of the Air Sentinels family and star in Tarzan.
What world would you like to introduce to children?
That of music, but also that of science.
Finally, what do you think of today's children's television?
There are only a few left. It's much more formatted and there's probably less creativity. But at the same time, in addition to Elena de Avalor, Carmen Sandiego, Miraculous: The Adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir, all Disney princesses, Nickelodeon productions, PJ Masks, etc., there are also many fantastic animated films.
▶ Gregory Charles' new book, A man like him is available in store. His latest album, Renaissance piano: Appassionato is available on digital platforms. In addition, the large-scale show followed the presentation in Montreal 7: From Broadway to Hollywood with him together with 10 young singers and dancers will come to life from June 20 to 23, 2024 at the Salle Albert-Rousseau in Quebec. For tickets: sallealbertrousseau.com.