Meiken Jolie

They say childhood lasts forever. It certainly often seemed that way when this interminable cartoon series was screened on Children's BBC in the Eighties.

The premise was simple. Belle was a large furry white dog, a cross between Digby and Stephen King's Cujo. Sebastian was a socially maladjusted village boy. Sebastian befriended Belle (who lived in the mountains) and would ride upon his back for fun and generally lark about.

The local villagers, however, were generally a bit reactionary and Jean de Florette-esque, disapproved of this relationship and attempted to shoot the dog. Sadly, they never succeeded.

That was it - stretched over numerous episodes. Unlike Dogtanian and Willy Fogg, Belle and Sebastian didn't even have a catchy theme tune to redeem it. Poor, even if the cool Nineties indy band did take their name from it.