View source for Sing Me a Story with Belle

{{Short description|American syndicated children's TV series (1995–1997)}}
{{Infobox television
| alt_name           = Disney's Sing Me a Story with Belle
| image              = Sing Me A Story With Belle.png
| caption            =
| camera             = 
| based_on            = {{based on|''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]''}}
| developer          = [[Buena Vista Television]]
| writer             = {{Plainlist|
* Patrick Davidson
* Melissa Gould
* Deborah Raznick
}}
| director           = [[Steve Purcell (director)|Steve Purcell]]
| presenter          = Lynsey McLeod
| starring           = {{Plainlist|
* Kerry Anne Bradford
* Jacob Chase
* Tim Goodwin
* Chris Robles
* Kirsten Storms
* Julie Vanlue
* J.J. Ward
}}
| voices             = {{Plainlist|
* [[Mary Kay Bergman]]
* [[Corey Burton]]
* [[Christine Cavanaugh]]
* Jeff Conover
* [[Jim Cummings]]
}}
| opentheme          = "Sing Me a Story" by Lynsey McLeod
| endtheme           = "Sing Me a Story" (Instrumental)
| composer           = Andy Belling
| country            = United States
| language           = English
| num_seasons        = 2
| num_episodes       = 26
| executive_producer = Patrick Davidson
| editor             = {{Plainlist|
* Lisa Bianco
* Pete Opotowsky
* Gary Woods
}}
| runtime            = 30 minutes
| company            = Patrick Davidson Productions<br/>[[Buena Vista Television]]
| network            = [[Broadcast syndication|Syndication]]
| first_aired        = {{start date|1995|9|8}}
| last_aired         = {{end date|1997|3|1}} 
| related            = ''[[Shining Time Station]]''<br>''[[Noddy (TV series)|Noddy]]''
}}

'''''Disney's Sing Me a Story with Belle''''' is an American live-action/animated television series created by Patrick Davidson and Melissa Gould. The series features [[Belle (Disney character)|Belle]] from Disney's 1991 animated feature film ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'', who now owns and manages the bookshop in the village.  She is usually greeted by children who would like to hear a story. Belle interacts with the children and narrates vintage Disney animated shorts while doing activities around the bookstore. The series premiered on September 8, 1995, on Disney Channel.

==Development==
According to Ken Weiner, vice president at [[Buena Vista Television]], using vintage [[Disney]] animated shorts allows the show to present a higher quality of animation than would normally be feasible in an educational show that would meet the [[Federal Communications Commission]]'s [[E/I]] standards.<ref name=Tobenkin>{{cite journal |last=Tobenkin |first=David |date=January 2, 1995|title=Disney rings in the new year with Belle: Studio plans to launch FCC-friendly show based on 'Beauty and the Beast' |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-16009419.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307022821/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-16009419.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 7, 2018|journal=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |volume=125 |issue=1 |pages=18 |publisher=[[Reed Business Information|Cahners Business Information]]}}</ref>

By early 1995, it was said that the show would present two short films per episode (with updated music and voices), which Belle and the children would sometimes interrupt for discussion purposes or to "test cognitive abilities".<ref name=Tobenkin/>

==Plot==
Belle (Lynsey McLeod) lives in [[France]] and owns her own book and music shop after marrying her Prince. Helping her at the bookstore are Lewis and Carroll, two magical bookworms, Harmony the Cat and Big Book, a large talking book on a book stand. The bookstore is visited by local children to whom Belle will sing songs and tell stories, usually with a moral relating to something that's happened that day. The show's format bears resemblance to [[Adventures in Wonderland (1992 TV series)|Adventures in Wonderland]] in nature with some valuable lessons borrowed from ''[[Sesame Street]]'' like never giving up and working together.

Clips from vintage [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Disney]] cartoons would often be used to illustrate the stories, including:

* ''[[Mickey's Rival]]''
* ''[[The Cookie Carnival]]''
* ''[[Goliath II]]''
* ''[[Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree]]''
* ''[[Music Land]]''

==Cast==
* Lynsey McLeod - Belle from ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]''
* Tim Goodwin - Brioche
* Jacob Chase - Jacob
* [[Kirsten Storms]] - Kirsten
* [[Shawn Pyfrom]] - Shawn
* Hampton Dixon - 'Little' Hampton
* Jennifer Jesse - Jennifer
* Natalie Trott - Natalie
* Julie Vanlue - Julie
* Kerry Anne Bradford - Kerry Anne
* Chris Robles - Chris
* J. J. Ward - J. J.
* Lindsay Louie - Lindsay
* Trevor Mann - Trevor
* Holly Arnstein - Holly
* Victoria Gregson - Victoria
* Justin Chapman - Justin
* Crysta Macalush - Crysta
* Faryn Einhorn - Faryn
* Corey Hayes - Corey
* Thea Cabreros - Thea
* Kristian Truelsen - Uncle Zack
* Wolf Bauer - Gaston (1 episode, "What's Inside Counts")
* Cyndi Vicino - Inez
* [[Mary Pat Gleason]] - Madame Soufflé
* [[Lindsey Alley]] - Miss Woohoo

===Voices===
* [[Mary Kay Bergman]] - Fifi, Hansel & Gretel, Elf, Witch
* [[Christine Cavanaugh]] - Carroll the Book Worm
* Jeff Conover - Harmony the Cat
* [[Jim Cummings]] - Big Book, Lewis the Book Worm
* [[Wayne Allwine]] - Mickey Mouse
* [[Tony Anselmo]] - Donald Duck
* [[Bill Farmer]] - Goofy, Pluto, Practical Pig
* [[Russi Taylor]] - Minnie Mouse
* [[Maurice LaMarche]] - Mortimer Mouse, Joe Giraffe
* [[Tress MacNeille]] - Lambs, Tillie Tiger
* [[Corey Burton]] - Ghosts
* [[Will Ryan]] - Willie the Giant
* TBA - The Golden Harp

==Episodes (including featured animated subjects)==
{| class="wikitable collapsible"
|-
!style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Episode
!style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Title
!style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Summary
!style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Airdate
|-
|1
|'''''Everybody Needs a Friend'''''
|Belle and Brioche the Baker show everyone especially Big Book that everybody needs a friend. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' Pluto's Fledgling (1948), [[Little Hiawatha]] (1937) 
|September 8, 1995
|-
|2
|'''''Feeling Like an Outcast'''''
|Belle explains that everybody and thing is different as she finds an old and dusty book and Julie has new glasses. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Ferdinand the Bull (film)|Ferdinand the Bull]] (1938), [[Elmer Elephant]] (1936) 
|September 15, 1995
|-
|3
|'''''Folk Heroes'''''
|Belle sings the story of the biggest folk hero who towers them all. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Paul Bunyan (film)|Paul Bunyan]] (1958) 
|September 22, 1995
|-
|4
|'''''Everyone's Special'''''
|Tiny Hampton feels inferior. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Goliath II]] (1960)  
|September 29, 1995
|-
|5
|'''''Stick to It (Don't Give Up)'''''
|Inez the village mail carrier is not sure that she can stick to her job and Jennifer is not sure that she can stick to playing the trumpet. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' Mail Dog (1947), [[The Brave Engineer]] (1950) 
|October 6, 1995
|-
|6
|'''''Taking Responsibility'''''
|Carroll takes full responsibility after accidentally knocking Belle's Bach bust off the shelf. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Melody Time#Little Toot|Little Toot]] (1948), In Dutch (1946) 
|October 13, 1995
|-
|7
|'''''Working Together'''''
|The kids help Belle clean up the bookshop except Kirsten. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Morris the Midget Moose]] (1950), [[Babes in the Woods]] (1932) 
|October 20, 1995
|-
|8
|'''''Overcoming Fear'''''
|Belle tells everybody that they should face their fears like a thunderstorm. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Lambert the Sheepish Lion]] (1952), [[Brave Little Tailor]] (1938) 
|October 27, 1995
|-
|9
|'''''Problem Solving: Ingenuity'''''
|Belle is trying fix a broken cello shown at the end belonging to Willie the Giant. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Fun and Fancy Free#Mickey and the Beanstalk|Mickey and the Beanstalk]] (1947)
|November 3, 1995 
|-
|10
|'''''Valuing What's Worthy'''''
|Axle the auto mechanic arrives at the bookshop as everyone is having a garage sale. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Susie the Little Blue Coupe]] (1952), [[The Little House (1952 film)|The Little House]] (1952) 
|November 10, 1995
|-
|11
|'''''Reap What You Sow'''''
|Shawn and Harmony won't help with some chili that everybody is making. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[The Wise Little Hen]] (1934), [[Three Little Pigs (film)|Three Little Pigs]] (1933) 
|November 17, 1995
|-
|12
|'''''Best Friends'''''
|Lewis and Carroll have a big fight. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Goofy and Wilbur]] (1939), The Pelican and the Snipe (1944) 
|November 24, 1995
|-
|13
|'''''Taking the Easy Way Out'''''
|Putting a bike together is easy if you don't take shortcuts. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[The Grasshopper and the Ants (film)|The Grasshopper and the Ants]] (1934), [[The Big Bad Wolf (1934 film)|The Big Bad Wolf]] (1934) 
|December 1, 1995
|-
|14
|'''''Steady Effort'''''
|Chris is about to give up on learning a musical piece on the piano that he will be playing at the village fair because it is too hard and Brioche reminds Belle that she has to bake 200 chocolate chip cookies for the village fair and is not sure that she can do it. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[The Tortoise and the Hare (film)|The Tortoise and the Hare]] (1935), [[Saludos Amigos#Pedro|Pedro]] (1943) 
|December 8, 1995
|-
|15
|'''''Sibling Rivalry'''''
|Big Book isn't talking to his brother as he was the one who lost Big Book's favourite bookmark. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' Pluto's Kid Brother (1946)  
|December 15, 1995
|-
|16
|'''''Feeling Left Out (Loneliness)'''''
|Harmony wants to join the Witty Kitty Club. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[The Ugly Duckling (1939 film)|Ugly Duckling]] (1939), [[The Three Caballeros#The Cold-Blooded Penguin|The Cold-Blooded Penguin]] (1945) 
|December 22, 1995
|-
|17
|'''''Wonderful World of Music'''''
|Belle's Uncle Zack arrives at the book and music shop on the day of his concert just as Shawn is trying to pick a musical instrument to play. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Music Land]] (1935) 
|December 29, 1995
|-
|18
|'''''Creativity and Inspiration'''''
|Maurice is stumped on an invention. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' Goofy's Glider (1940), [[Mickey's Trailer]] (1938) 
|January 5, 1996
|-
|19
|'''''Temptation'''''
|Carroll finds Madame Soufflé's birthday cake very tempting. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Moth and the Flame]] (1938), [[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]] (1940) 
|January 12, 1996
|-
|20
|'''''Sleepover'''''
|Belle invites everybody for a [[slumber party]] at the bookshop. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Lonesome Ghosts]] (1937), [[Wynken, Blynken and Nod (film)|Wynken, Blynken and Nod]] (1938) 
|May 3, 1996
|-
|21
|'''''Talent Show'''''
|Belle and her friend Pierre help Justin find his special talent. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Mickey's Amateurs]] (1937), [[Mickey's Circus]] (1936) 
|May 10, 1996
|-
|22
|'''''What's Inside Counts'''''
|Gaston has invited everybody to his Gaston Day party, which is why nobody has come to the kids' magic show. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Mickey's Rival]] (1936), [[The Cookie Carnival]] (1935) 
|May 17, 1996
|-
|23
|'''''Be Yourself'''''
|Julie is being Belle instead of being herself. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[The Flying Mouse]] (1934), [[Society Dog Show]] (1939) 
|May 24, 1996
|-
|24
|'''''Friends in Books'''''
|Harmony is writing a book to put on one of Belle's shelves but there is no room. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree]] (1966) <br/>
|February 15, 1997
|-
|25
|'''''Make a Difference'''''
|Belle explains to the kids that people in the world can make a difference. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Melody Time#The Legend of Johnny Appleseed|The Legend of Johnny Appleseed]] (1948) 
|February 22, 1997
|-
|26
|'''''Do Something'''''
|Belle thinks that she should get in the game. <br/>
''Disney Stories:'' [[Goofy Gymnastics]] (1949), [[How to Play Baseball]] (1942), [[How to Play Golf]] (1944), [[How to Play Football]] (1944), Wonder Dog (1950) 
|March 1, 1997
|}

==Syndication==
This series premiered in [[Broadcast syndication|First-run syndication]] in select markets as a sneak preview on September 8, 1995. In August 1996, two videos featuring two episodes each were released as part of the Disney Princess Collection: ''Chapters of Enchantment'' and ''Beauty and the World of Music''. In August 1999, two episodes from the first season were released with an episode of an abandoned ''Beauty and the Beast'' animated series on the direct-to-video film ''[[Belle's Tales of Friendship]]''.

Two episodes were also featured separately as an extra in both the 2011 re-release of ''[[Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas]]'', and ''[[Belle's Magical World]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/19970415180002/http://www2.disney.com/DisneyTelevision/SingMeAStory/_index.html ''Sing Me A Story With Belle'' official webpage via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19970724091323/http://www1.disney.com/DisneyTelevision/SingMeAStory/_MoreSing.html#CLIPS ''Sing Me A Story With Belle'' clips via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine]
* {{IMDb title|id=0221773|title=Sing Me A Story With Belle}}
* [http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/1102-disneys-sing-me-a-story---with-belle Retrojunk section on ''Sing Me A Story With Belle'', includes video of the opening sequence]

{{Disney's Beauty and the Beast}}
{{Series from WDAS films}}
{{Disney Princess}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sing Me A Story With Belle}}
[[Category:Beauty and the Beast (franchise)]]
[[Category:Disney Channel original programming]]
[[Category:1990s American animated television series]]
[[Category:1990s American children's television series]]
[[Category:1990s American music television series]]
[[Category:1995 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1997 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American animated television spin-offs]]
[[Category:American children's animated education television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated fantasy television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated musical television series]]
[[Category:American television series with live action and animation]]
[[Category:American television shows featuring puppetry]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:First-run syndicated animated television series]]
[[Category:Reading and literacy television series]]
[[Category:American television series about teenagers]]
[[Category:Television series based on Disney films]]
[[Category:Television series by Disney]]
[[Category:Television shows based on fairy tales]]
[[Category:Animated television series set in France]]