Monsieur Tranquille
Monsieur Tranquille is a character in the Canadian children's television series Patof voyage. He is well known for the 1977 disco hit Ma'm Thibault. He was portrayed by actor-comedian Roger Giguère. Children's TV shows Mr. Tranquille is first mentioned in the television series Patof raconte (CFTM-TV, 1975). Played by the soundman Roger Giguère, he is an invisible character who interacts with the clown Patof through sound and music effects. It is only in the series Patof voyage (CFTM-TV, 1976) that Roger Giguère embodies him as a puppet. Lesley Tranquille (a play on words meaning "leave him alone") quickly captures the hearts of children. In January 1977, a single titled Madame Thibault becomes a number one hit in Quebec. A disco version of the song, mostly instrumental except for the phrase "Ma'm Thibault," is created and becomes a club hit. The single is even released in France and Australia, where it gains immense popularity. The song is credited to "Tranquille" to differentiate it from the TV character and is also included on a K-tel double-LP compilation called Disco Fever (1978). In September 1977, Mr. Tranquille received his own television series called Monsieur Tranquille (CFTM-TV, 1977). To enhance the character's popularity, two LPs, several coloring books and posters, as well as a series of eight comic books illustrated by Henri Desclez, were published. The following season, a new series titled Le monde de Monsieur Tranquille (CFTM-TV, 1978) was created with a more educational focus. However, the series was canceled midway through the season, largely due to competition with the highly popular Bobino on rival Ici Radio-Canada Télé, which aired in the same timeslot. Despite having a short career, Mr. Tranquille captured the imagination of a generation of Québécois. Songs such Faut pas me chercher (a duet with Patof, 1976), Madame Thibault (1977), Ça va pas dans l'soulier? (1977), Les monstres (1977), Farnande (1977) and Pepperoni are among his greatest hits. Filmography Television series 1975-1976 Patof raconte 1976-1977 Patof voyage 1977-1978 Monsieur Tranquille 1978 Le monde de Monsieur Tranquille DVD 2011 Bonjour Patof (Musicor Produits Spéciaux) Discography Albums Singles European release Australian release Compilations Collaborations and performances as guest star Charts Reconstituted chart Songs Title / Date / Best rank / Weeks on chart 1977 Madame Thibault / 1977-01-29 / #1 / 19 weeks on chart 1978 Pepperoni / 1978-02-18 / #21 / 3 weeks on chart Albums Title / Date / Best rank / Weeks on Top 30 1977 Monsieur Tranquille – Faut pas m'chercher / 1977-03-05 / #3 / 12 weeks in Top 30 Bibliography Comics 1977 Monsieur Tranquille – N° 1 (illustrated by Henri Desclez; text by Claude Leclerc), Éditions Héritage 1977 Monsieur Tranquille – N° 2 (illustrated by Henri Desclez; text by Claude Leclerc), Éditions Héritage 1977 Monsieur Tranquille – N° 3 : Super-diva (illustrated by Henri Desclez; text by Claude Leclerc), Éditions Héritage 1977 Monsieur Tranquille – N° 4 : Un numéro super explosif! (avec Junior Tranquille et Minibus) (illustrated by Henri Desclez; text by Claude Leclerc), Éditions