Sing Me a Story with Belle

Disney's Sing Me A Story with Belle is an American live-action series created by Patrick Davidson and Melissa Gould. The series features Belle from the 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 classic Disney animated shorts while doing activities around the bookstore. The series premiered on September 8, 1995, on Disney Channel.

Disney's Sing Me A Story with Belle
Developed byWalt Disney Television
Written by
  • Patrick Davidson
  • Melissa Gould
  • Deborah Raznick
Directed bySteve Purcell
Presented byLynsey McLeod
Starring
  • Lynesy Mcleod
  • Kerry Anne Bradford
  • Jacob Chase
  • Tim Goodwin
  • Chris Robles
  • Kirsten Storms
  • Julie Vanlue
  • J.J. Ward
Voices of
Opening theme"Sing Me a Story" by Lynsey McLeod
Ending theme"Sing Me a Story" (Instrumental)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producerPatrick Davidson
Producers
  • Tim Gaydos (associate producer)
  • Jimbo Marshall (associate producer)
  • Jeff Palmer (associate producer)
Editors
  • Lisa Bianco
  • Pete Opotowsky
  • Gary Woods
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesPatrick Davidson Productions
Walt Disney Television
DistributorBuena Vista Television
Release
Original networkSyndication (1995 - 1997)
Disney Channel (1999 - 2002)
Audio formatDolby Surround
First shown inUnited States
Original releaseSeptember 8, 1995 (1995-09-08) –
March 1, 1997 (1997-03-01)

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.[1]

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".[1]

Plot

Belle (Lynsey McLeod) lives in France and owns her own music and bookshop. 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.

Clips from vintage Disney cartoons would often be used to illustrate the stories, including:

Cast
  • Lynsey McLeod - Belle from Beauty and the Beast
  • Tim Goodwin - Brioche
  • Jacob Chase - Jacob
  • Kirsten Storms - Kirsten
  • Shawn Pyfrom - Shawn
  • Hampton Dixon - 'Little' Hampton
  • Jennefer Jesse - Jennefer
  • Natalie Trott - Natalie
  • Julie Vanlue - Julie
  • Kerry Anne Bradford
  • Chris Robles
  • Kristian Truelsen - Uncle Zack
  • Wolf Bauer - Gaston (uncredited)
  • Cyndi Vicino - Inez

Voices
Episode Title Summary Airdate
1 Everybody Needs a Friend Belle and Brioche the Baker show everyone that everybody needs a friend.

Disney Stories: PLUTO'S FLEDGLING (1948), LITTLE HIAWATHA (1937)

2 Feeling Like an Outcast Belle explains that everybody and thing is different as she finds a dusty book on the shelf and Julie has new glasses.

Disney Stories: FERDINAND THE BULL (1938), ELMER ELEPHANT (1936)

3 Folk Heroes Belle sings the story of the biggest folk hero who towers them all.

Disney Stories: PAUL BUNYAN (1958)

1995
4 Everyone's Special Tiny Hampton feels inferior.

Disney Stories: GOLIATH II (1960)
Note - Goliath II is the first story where all the characters keep their original voices.

5 Stick to It (Don't Give Up) Inez the village mail carrier is not sure that she can stick to her job.

Disney Stories: MAIL DOG (1947), THE BRAVE ENGINEER (1950)

6 Taking Responsibility Carroll takes full responsibility after accidentally knocking Belle's Bach bust off the shelf.

Disney Stories: LITTLE TOOT (1948), IN DUTCH (1946)

7 Working Together The kids help Belle clean up the bookshop except Kirsten.

Disney Stories: MORRIS THE MIDGET MOOSE (1950), BABES IN THE WOODS (1932)

8 Overcoming Fear Belle tells everybody that they should face their fears like a thunderstorm.

Disney Stories: LAMBERT THE SHEEPISH LION (1952), BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR (1938)
Note - Mickey Mouse has his original voice by Walt Disney.

9 Problem Solving: Ingenuity Belle is trying fix a broken cello shown at the end belonging to Willie the Giant.

Disney Stories: MICKEY AND THE BEANSTALK (1947)

10 Valuing What's Worthy Axle the auto mechanic arrives at the bookshop as everyone is having a garage sale.

Disney Stories: SUSIE THE LITTLE BLUE COUPE (1952), THE LITTLE HOUSE (1952)

11 Reap What You Sow Shawn and Harmony won't help with some chili that everybody is making.

Disney Stories: THE WISE LITTLE HEN (1934), THREE LITTLE PIGS (1933)

12 Best Friends Lewis and Carroll have a big fight.

Disney Stories: GOOFY AND WILBUR (1939), THE PELICAN AND THE SNIPE (1944)

13 Taking the Easy Way Out Putting a bike together is easy if you don't take shortcuts.

Disney Stories: THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS (1934), THE BIG BAD WOLF (1934)

14 Steady Effort Brioche reminds Belle that she has to bake many cookies for the bake sale and is not sure if she can do it.

Disney Stories: THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE (1935), PEDRO (1943)

15 Sibling Rivalry Big Book isn't talking to his brother as he was the one who lost Big Book's favourite bookmark.

Disney Stories: PLUTO'S KID BROTHER (1946)

16 Feeling Left Out (Loneliness) Harmony wants to join the Witty Kitty Club.

Disney Stories: UGLY DUCKLING (1939), THE COLD BLOODED PENGUIN (1945)

17 Wonderful World of Music Belle's uncle, Zack, arrives on the day of his concert just as Shawn is trying to pick a musical instrument to play.

Disney Stories: MUSIC LAND (1935)

18 Creativity and Inspiration Maurice is stumped on an invention.

Disney Stories: GOOFY'S GLIDER (1940), MICKEY'S TRAILER (1938)

19 Temptation Carroll finds Madame Souffle's birthday cake very tempting.

Disney Stories: MOTH AND THE FLAME (1938), PINOCCHIO (1940)

20 Sleepover Belle invites everybody for a sleepover at the bookshop.

Disney Stories: LONESOME GHOSTS (1937), WYNKEN, BLYNKEN & NOD (1938)

21 Talent Show Belle and her friend help Justin find his special talent.

Disney Stories: MICKEY'S AMATEURS (1937), MICKEY'S CIRCUS (1936)

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.

Disney Stories: MICKEY'S RIVAL (1936), THE COOKIE CARNIVAL (1935)

23 Be Yourself Julie is being Belle instead of being herself.

Disney Stories: THE FLYING MOUSE (1934), SOCIETY DOG SHOW (1939)

24 Friends in Books Harmony is writing a book to put on one of Belle's shelves but there's no room.

Disney Stories: WINNIE THE POOH AND THE HONEY TREE (1966)
Note - Pooh Bear has his original voice by Sterling Holloway.

1997
25 Make a Difference Belle explains to the kids that people in the world can make a difference.

Disney Stories: THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY APPLESEED (1948)

1997
26 Do Something Belle thinks that she should get in the game.

Disney Stories: GOOFY GYMNASTICS (1949), HOW TO PLAY BASEBALL (1942), HOW TO PLAY GOLF (1944), HOW TO PLAY FOOTBALL (1944), WONDER DOG (1950)

1997

Syndication

This show premiered in First-run syndication in select markets as a sneak preview on September 8, 1995. In 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 1999, two episodes from the first season were released with an episode of an abandoned Beauty and the Beast cartoon series featured in the 1998 video Belle's Magical World, and were released direct-to-video as Belle's Tales of Friendship.

Two episodes were also featured separately as an extra in both the 2011 and 2016 re-releases of Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, and the 2011 re-release of Belle's Magical World.

In the United Kingdom, the series aired on both Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney until August 2005. The series then came back in September 2007 as regular programming until it was axed in November.

In Canada, the series aired on public television on TVOntario's 'TVOKids Crawlspace' block on Sunday mornings.

References
  1. Tobenkin, David (January 2, 1995). "Disney rings in the new year with Belle: Studio plans to launch FCC-friendly show based on 'Beauty and the Beast'". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. 125 (1): 18. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018.
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