SamSam
| Industry | Animation, Comics, Children's entertainment |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Serge Bloch |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Animated TV series, Comics, Merchandise |
SamSam is a children's animated superhero series created by Serge Bloch and directed by Tanguy de Kermel in collaboration with Bayard Presse. The concept, inspired by Bloch's own son, has received acclaim for its imaginative storyline, quality animation, theme music, tone, and the valuable lessons it imparts.
Produced in high definition, SamSam also exists as a comic series published in Bayard Presse’s magazines worldwide. These publications are available in multiple languages including French, English, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Dutch, Russian, and German.
Synopsis
The narrative centers on SamSam, the tiniest superhero who is still mastering his abilities. He pilots his signature SamSaucer to battle antagonists such as BeastlyBeard and King Marthial I. Key characters supporting him include SamTeddy, SamMummy, SamDaddy, SweetPea, SuperJulie, Megalactic, and occasionally MuckyYuck.
Broadcast and viewership
SamSam has been broadcast internationally in numerous languages like English, French, Cantonese, Arabic, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Portuguese.
In the United Kingdom, it has appeared on ITV4, CITV, Pop, and Tiny Pop. Other broadcasters include ABC in Australia; France 5’s Zouzous segment in France; TV Tokyo in Japan; as well as various channels across Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, Russia, Scandinavia, Iceland, Portugal, Poland, UAE, and Israel. The series is also offered as in-flight entertainment on Air France flights.
The show has amassed a total global audience of 250 million viewers. It holds a significant European footprint with a 32% market share among children aged 4-10 on France 5’s Ludo, Gulli and Canal J. Within the UK market it ranks as the second most popular weekday morning program for children on GMTV. In Italy it is broadcast on Rai 2 and Boomerang where it captures a 36.6% share of viewers aged 4-14. In Spain it airs on Boomerang, Cartoon Network and TV3 with a 34% audience share.
In Norway and Denmark it leads early morning children’s programming with dominant market shares of 48.5% and 48.8%, respectively.
The English version of the theme song was composed by Todd Michael Schultz and produced by Stephen Marston.
Director
- Tanguy de Kermel
Writers
- Alexandre Réverend (Season 1)
- Didier Lejeune (Season 2)
Art Direction
- Eric Guillon
Music
- Ange Ginozzi
- Bruno Bartoli
SamSam through the years
SamSam originated as comic strips, magazine features, and books beginning in January 2000.
Creation of SamSam
Serge Bloch developed the series inspired by his son’s admiration for Batman. Following a memorable encounter between two children dressed as Batman characters, Bloch began crafting a superhero world. Editor Marie-Agnes Godard was instrumental in bringing SamSam to publication. The character draws on qualities of Bloch’s son Samuel—nicknamed "SamSam"—with many storylines reflecting everyday childhood experiences.
TV series
Building on the popularity of the comics and books, an animated television series premiered featuring 52 episodes of seven minutes each from 2007 to 2009 that quickly gained popularity. A second season followed in 2010 with 39 episodes lasting eight minutes apiece. The third season debuted in 2023 with 52 new CGI episodes running eleven minutes each, broadening the franchise’s reach and audience base.
Merchandise
After the initial season's success in 2009, the range of SamSam products expanded significantly. The merchandise assortment came to include plush dolls, collectible figurines, sauces, board games, backpacks, and clothing items such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, pajamas, and footwear. Additionally, activity books, lunch containers, costumes, and various school materials were introduced. At the outset, 14 licenses were secured. Over time, the collection broadened further to incorporate items like cutlery sets, DVDs, face masks, and even armchairs.
Cancelled video game
A SamSam video game intended for the Nintendo DS platform was scheduled for release in 2009 but ultimately never reached the market. Evidence of its development exists solely in a scarce booklet published that same year.
Film
The cinematic version of SamSam debuted in France on 5 February 2020. This film was directed by Tanguy de Kermel with a screenplay by Valérie Magis and Jean Regnaud. Production was handled by Folivari while StudioCanal managed its distribution. Despite plans for wide release, the movie was met with unfavorable critical reception upon its premiere.