Les Shadoks is a French animated television series created by Jacques Rouxel that first aired on 29 April 1968. The series was known for its surreal, absurdist humor and satirical commentary on French society and politics.
The first TV broadcasting of Les Shadoks was on April 29, 1968, on ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française), the national broadcaster in France at the time. The series aired on Sunday afternoons and quickly gained a following among both children and adults.
Les Shadoks was produced using a unique animation technique called “pixelation,” in which real actors were filmed using stop-motion animation. The series featured four main characters – the Shadoks, bird-like creatures with comically oversized beaks, and their arch-rivals, the Gibis, who were similar in appearance but had smaller beaks.
The series was an instant success in France, and it has since become a cult classic. Its impact can be seen in the work of many contemporary French animators and filmmakers, and it has been cited as an influence by artists such as Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame.
On 29 April 2016, Google celebrated 48th Anniversary of first TV broadcasting of Les Shadoks.