The World of David the Gnome
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| David el gnomo | |
|---|---|
 Title screen of original David el Gnomo opening |
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| Also known as | The World of David the Gnome David the Gnome |
| Genre | animation, children's |
| Created by | Claudius Biern Boyd, BRB Internacional |
| Directed by | Luis Ballester |
| Narrated by | Teófilo Martínez |
| Country of origin |  Spain |
| Language(s) | Spanish |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Claudio Biern Boyd |
| Producer(s) | Micheline Charest Ronald A. Weinberg |
| Associate producer(s) |
Elizabeth Klinck |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TVE |
| Original run | 1985 – 1985 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Wisdom of the Gnomes The Great Adventure of the Gnomes The Gnomes in the Snow The Fantastic Adventures of the Gnomes |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
The World of David the Gnome, originally titled David el Gnomo, is a Spanish animated television series based on the children's books The Gnomes and The Secret Book of Gnomes, by the Dutch author Wil Huygen and illustrator Rien Poortvliet. The program was originally created in Spain by BRB Internacional (who were also responsible for the Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds franchise) with animation by Canadian studio Cinar (now Cookie Jar Entertainment), titled David el Gnomo, and retains a sense of the lush illustrations of the original books. Twenty-six episodes were produced. There was also a spin-off series entitled Wisdom of the Gnomes.
In the US dub, The World of David the Gnome was narrated by Christopher Plummer, of The Sound of Music and The Insider fame. For United States viewers, the voice of David the Gnome was redubbed with the voice of Tom Bosley, and features an original opening theme song which is repeated in the end credits (mostly instrumental except for the finale).
David the Gnome came to United States television in 1987, running weekdays on the Nickelodeon cable channel, and was part of the fledgling Nick Jr. lineup when that was created shortly thereafter until 1995. It was also broadcast on The Learning Channel from September 30, 1996 until late 1998. The series is still frequently shown on weekday mornings on Irish channel RTÉ Two as of 2006. In Australia, it has aired on ABC, as well as the Australian branch of Nickelodeon, again as part of the Nick Jr. lineup.
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[edit] Synopsis
The series presents the gnomes as a kind species, of 15 centimeters of height, and between 250 and 300 grams of weight depending on gnome body mass. According to their habitat, different types of gnomes are distinguished: the ones of the forest, the ones of the garden, the ones of the farm, the ones of the house, the ones of the dunes, those of Siberia, and nomadic "gypsy" gnomes (commonly looked down upon by other gnomes.) A gnome's lifespan is exactly 400 years.
They live in pairs in comfortable caves or holes under trees, in the company of a pair of mice and a cricket. Their diet is vegetarian; they only eat natural products. They are helped by the animals of the forest when traveling long distances or when they need to arrive quickly at a specific location. Gnomes work in various ways to repair the damage inevitably caused by humans. They also have the power of telepathy and mind control.
Their main enemies are the trolls, malevolent and clumsy creatures who always make trouble for the other inhabitants of the forest, as well as gnome poachers.
[edit] Characters
- David, a gnome of the forest, David is 399 years old, making him the oldest gnome around (since no gnome lives more than 400 years), although he is in good health. David is a doctor, and he uses his knowledge of many fields, such as hypnosis and acupuncture, to heal his patients, usually animals, such as his faithful friend Swift the fox, or other gnomes. David also befriends a bird that, when he whistles, immediately arrives to quickly transport him to wherever necessary. For longer trips, he sometimes travels in a basket attached to the neck of the bird. Voice by Tom Bosley.
- Lisa, David's wife and companion and is the same age as him. Together they have two children, Lily and Harold. David's wife is in charge of the household, although she occasionally accompanies him and helps him in his diverse adventures. Voiced by Jane Woods.
- Swift - David's best friend, Swift lives in the forest and is always available to transport David to wherever he is required. He is characterized by his speed.
- The Trolls - In the series there are four trolls who constantly try to bother the gnomes. Their names are Pit, Pat and Pot, in addition to Holler, who is the only one of the four able to think. They have some supernatural powers, and are capable of utilizing magical spells too powerful for Gnome magic to break. However, in addition to their extreme lack of wit, they also have another severe weakness: direct exposure to sunlight turns them into stone. Holler was voiced by A.J. Henderson, Pit was voiced by Marc Denis, Pat was voiced by Rob Roy, and Pot was voiced by Adrian Knight.
- Susan. David and Lisa's granddaughter. Voiced by Barbera Pogemiller.
- King. Voiced by Richard Dumont
[edit] Episodes
David the Gnome ran for twenty-six episodes, each approximately 23 minutes in length.
[edit] Reception
The series does much to encourage children to treat the environment with respect. The first episode begins with real images of contamination and destruction, contrasted later with the anti-materialism and pacifism of the gnomes.
During the series, different animals are shown and information is given on their behavior and customs, which is usually well documented. The same thing happens with the medical situations David is faced with.
A lesson in the initial credits of each episode reminds us that nobody is better by being bigger.
The series ends with David and his wife turning into trees, as a metaphor for death.
[edit] Sequels
After the success of the initial series, the same producers created a spin-off called Wisdom of the Gnomes (1987). In this series, the protagonist is a gnome called Klaus, a judge who travels with his assistant Dani to solve disputes.
Other sequels, both in serial and movie form, were The Great Adventure of the Gnomes (1995), The Gnomes in the Snow (1999) and The Fantastic Adventures of the Gnomes (2000).
[edit] Merchandise
There has been a DVD release in the United Kingdom by Revelation Films.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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