Line #40 WesternAnimation/HectorsHouse


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_cast_of_hectors_house.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:'''Left to right:''' Hector, Kiki (bottom), and [=ZsaZsa=].]]
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4	''Hector's House'' ('''French:''' ''La Maison de Toutou'' [[labelnote: Translation]]"The House of the Doggie"[[/labelnote]]) is a 1965 French/British animation. There were 78 episodes that aired throughout five years and each were five minutes long.
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6	It starred a dog named Hector (Toutou in France) and a cat named [=ZsaZsa=] (Zouzou in France), who live together in a small cottage with a large, beautiful garden that the two of them tend to frequently. One day, they are visited by a curious frog named Kiki who is fascinated by their garden, and after a moment of sudden danger involving Hector and a hunting rifle, she becomes fast friends with them. Once getting to know her, [=ZsaZsa=] and Hector discover that Kiki works as a weather forecaster in London and often talks about how she can tell what weather will come in the next few hours.
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8	Hector is very protective of his garden and is the most dominant in the group, not allowing anyone but him to look after his vegetable patch or to go into his carpentry workshop in fear that everything will be "messed up". This often leads to Kiki and [=ZsaZsa=] teaming up to knock him down a peg or two, such as making him reluctantly do things that he doesn't want to do, provoking him when he isn't doing anything bothersome until he screeches at them, and torturing him until he breaks, leading to him saying his famous MadLibsCatchphrase "I'm a very [adjective] old Hector," closing out the episode.
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10	The English dub is the most well-known version to many. It followed the way of ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicRoundabout'' (another show that the British dubbed from a French production) by being named as ''better'' than the French version. Nowadays, it's mostly a CultClassic and a NostalgiaFilter for adults that were the young audience at the time. A few episodes were released in collections on both DVD and VHS throughout the years. Famously, it was the star of many commercials for the British bank The One Account in the early-2000s, and the characters have made frequent ShoutOut cameos on British television.
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12	!!Tropes
13	* AccentuateTheNegative: In many situations, Hector always thinks of the worst outcome. [=ZsaZsa=] tries to calm him down.
14	* BerserkButton: Hector doesn't like [=ZsaZsa=] insulting his carpentry workshop.
15	-->'''Hector:''' [Kiki's] taking an awfully long time.
16	-->'''[=ZsaZsa=]:''' She must've got lost under all that old junk.
17	-->'''Hector:''' ''[as-a-matter-of-factly]'' It isn't "old junk"!
18	* BigBrotherInstinct: Hector's interactions with Kiki. Perhaps he feels guilty that he nearly shot her for intruding.
19	* BilingualBonus: When it comes to the English dub, the dialogue's in English but any writing we see is in French. This often leads to characters reading out the translations of what they've written so that the non-French speakers know what's being said.
20	* BritishStuffiness: Hector in the English dub.
21	* ButtMonkey: Hector.
22	* FatalFlaw: Hector's is chivalry and kindness. In one of his final words of the episodes, he says, "I'm great big kind old Hector ... ''[[AsideComment too kind]]''."
23	* FemaleFelineMaleMutt: [=ZsaZsa=] the cat, and Hector the dog.
24	* FeminineWomenCanCook: [=ZsaZsa=] is seen sewing, knitting and serving homemade food.
25	* GentlemanSnarker: Hector is this, occasionally.
26	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Hector always says his catchphrase by looking at the audience.
27	* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Hector and [=ZsaZsa=] often have a lesser impression of being friends and more of an impression of being in a dysfunctional marriage.
28	* MadLibsCatchphrase: "I'm a great, big [adjective] old Hector." Hector often says this when he realises that his chivalry has gotten the better of him or has ironically fallen into his friends' trap.
29	* ManipulativeBitch: [=ZsaZsa=] and Kiki, to Hector. They often act helpless and slow, knowing that Hector with his chivalry will give in to their demands. It works every time.
30	* {{Muppet}}: There is no confirmation of what kind of puppets the characters are. They are more likely finger puppets.
31	* NosyNeighbor: Kiki. If she hadn't lost her hat in the garden, she would've nearly got shot by Hector.
32	* OldSchoolChivalry: Hector is full of this.
33	* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Hector is always seen in blue dungarees, whereas [=ZsaZsa=] often wears bright red or pink dresses.
34	* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Many of Hector and [=ZsaZsa=]'s arguments are this, with Kiki being forced to side with someone.
35	* SophisticatedAsHell: Hector. It's implied that Kiki and [=ZsaZsa=] find it very pretentious, which is probably the reason why they mock him behind his back.
36	* ThemeNaming: In the French version, both syllables of the characters' names are identical: Kiki, [=ZouZou=], and [=TouTou=]. In the English version, Hector subverts this.
37	* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Kiki (tomboy) to [=ZsaZsa=] (girly girl). [=ZsaZsa=] knits and cooks in a {{housewife}} role, and Kiki is an independent girl who has a job as a weather correspondent (or, so she says).
38	* TwoGirlsAndAGuy: Kiki, [=ZsaZsa=], and Hector.

Context WesternAnimation / HectorsHouse