As executive producer of the animated children's series Arthur and its spinoff, Postcards from Buster, Pierre Valette, '86, has won two Emmys, one BAFTA (the British equivalent of an Oscar) and the Peabody Award. Both series are long-running successes: In October, Arthur premiered its 12th season of following the adventures of the eponymous aardvark. And for its third season, Postcards from Buster will present special episodes in which 8-year-old rabbit Buster Baxter visits China, Italy and Egypt.
For Valette, the most rewarding part of his job is connecting with children all over the world—and helping them connect with each other. "I know I am the eyes and ears for kids in the United States," he says. To direct an episode of Postcards in Egypt, for instance, Valette visited a mosque, attended a Henna Night ceremony and was invited into the homes of villagers living on an island in the Nile. "Children in the U.S. know very little about Egypt," he says. "They know there are pyramids, mummies and a sphinx, but they know little about the lives of Egyptian children."
Valette credits Stanford with fostering his interest in foreign cultures and concern for the environment, which in turn inspired the international specials of Buster, and an upcoming “green” episode of Arthur in which Lance Armstrong promotes bicycle riding and safety. Valette also met his wife, Hilary Illick, '87, who wrote two Emmy-winning episodes of Arthur, on the Farm.
—LAURA SHIN, ’97
