Tintin Forums

Well, I've just watched Tintin And the Picaros VCD which I bought from a shop near my downtown district. The team from Ellispe-Nelvana did a great job in their adaption.
In the book, Hergé definitely made a terrible mess-up with it, Tintin wore jeans, instead of plus fours, sports sideburns and was unsportive.

But, in the TV episode, Tintin was what I would call "his own classic self".
What I mean was he wore his classic plus fours, no sideburns and was adventurous.
Instead of staying at home when Haddock gives word of heading towards Tapiocapolis, Tintin voices his concern and says that he'll go along.

The period setting was another factor: in the book, the Jolly Follies Bus is a 1976 Renault*, but, in the TV episode, the bus is a '55 excursion bus, similar to the airport shuttle bus in The Calculus Affair. All the vehicles used are from the 1950's era, except for the limo and trucks which come from the 70's.

Most noticeably, Nelvana cut or edited parts of the storyline, such as the Arumbayas; when Haddock loses his taste for whisky, he loses it during his stay at the Presidential villa, not at Marlinspike.

Although they cut the Arumbaya scences, it's a superb adaption episode - better than the book itself! Trust me, it's a 5-star affair.

Moderator Note: *The bus is apparently a 1974 Jonckheere DAF coach SB 1602 (a Jonckheere coach built on a DAF 1600 chassis)

I totally agree. I was never a fan of the uncaring adventurer Tintin had become and the flare he sported in the book.