Restored 1980s Animated Series Ulysse 31 Returns to Television and Blu-ray

The classic 1980s animated series Ulysse 31 is receiving a restored release, beginning with a television broadcast on April 5, 2026, on the Mangas TV channel. Mediawan Rights, through its AB Vidéo label, is also preparing a collector's edition Blu-ray release, though a specific date has not been announced. The series, which originally aired on French television in late 1981 on FR3, is a Franco-Japanese science-fiction adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, following the hero Ulysse as he searches for Earth aboard his spaceship, the Odysseus, accompanied by his son Télémaque, the alien child Thémis, and the robot Nono. It was co-created by French producers Jean Chalopin and Nina Wolmark, who were later involved in other notable 1980s animated series such as Les Mystérieuses Cités d'or, Inspecteur Gadget, and Les Mondes Engloutis. The restoration process involved returning to the original 35mm film reels, which were digitized and remastered in high definition. Laurent Lopere, who supervised the restoration for Mediawan Rights, noted that the new version reveals previously unseen details in the animation and provides consistent color grading throughout the series. The last television broadcast of Ulysse 31 was in 2013, also on the Mangas channel, which is owned by Mediawan. The series has maintained a cult following, and the restoration aims to meet ongoing fan demand for higher-quality versions, as only older DVD editions, with the most recent from 2011, have been available, often at high prices on the secondary market.