| Silas | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure |
| Written by | Cecil Bødker (novel) Justus Pfaue |
| Directed by | Sigi Rothemund |
| Starring | Patrick Bach Diether Krebs Lucki Molocher Nina Rothemund Ingeborg Lapsien Armin Schawe Shmuel Rodensky André Lacombe Jacques van Dooren |
| Composer(s) | Christian Bruhn |
| Country of origin | West Germany |
| Language(s) | German |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Dieter Graber |
| Producer(s) | Bernd Burgemeister |
| Editor(s) | Heidrun Berktold |
| Running time | 45 |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ZDF |
| Original airing | December 25, 1981 |
Silas was a 1981 ZDF Adventure TV mini-series based on the Danish children's book „Silas og den sorte hoppe“ by Cecil Bødker who kept on writing instalments until 2001.
The series was Patrick Bach's debut and because the series did so well he also starred the very next year in another adventure series about a young orphan: Jack Holborn
Silas was a German production and filmed solely in German. Still it received attention beyond German-speaking countries and consequently the successor Jack Holborn involved international producers and was filmed in English.
As a little child Silas (Patrick Bach) was sold to a circus where he learned to pull stunts and tricks from early on. This comes in handy when he decides to rather live an adventurous life on his own than to be trained in the dangerous art of sword swallowing. Also being threatened by director Philipp (Diether Krebs) that the sinews of his feet would be cut just in order to prevent him from running away, it occurs to him it is now or never and off he goes. A farmer called Bartolin (Shmuel Rodensky) gives him shelter but underestimates the boy's skills and carelessly bets him his horse. Bartolin cannot accept the outcome of this bet and so Silas is on the run again. tting hungry he lets himself lured into a meal provided by swindler Emanuel (André Lacombe) and his likewise rogue wife Theresa (Reine Barteve). They use a strong barbiturate on Silas and disappear with his horse. After Silas awakened in a boat on a river he sees Philipp trying to steal fresh milk from a blind girl. He can hinder him but when the girl's mother arrives the wicked Philipp achieves to put the blame on Silas. As a result of this Silas finds himself in a wooden cage. He has to find a way to gain the family's trust if he wants to escape. While searching for his horse he mets the scallywag Godik (Lucki Molocher) who helps him to retrieve the animal. They stick together, both trying to make a living on what they've learned. Silas shows circus tricks and Godik works as a carver. Yet Silas gets into trouble again because he and Godik stumble across a treasure hidden by smugglers. Hunted by the smuggler's gang they run into homeless young Jenny (Nina Rothemund) who is running from an unsavory woman called Corby (Ingeborg Lapsien). Silas, Godik and Jenny get into a town where Silas gets the idea to buy a bear with money he has taken from the smugger's treasue. The citizens decide to investigate him over theft. He finds himself in prison with Corby who once abducted Jenny. Eventually he learns that Jenny is no real orphan. Silas and Godik return Jenny to her family. Then Silas accompanies his friend Godik to his family. The lost son Godik his heartily welcomed and so is Silas. But for Silas doesn't feel safe and has angst to endanger his new friends by his presence On the road again he makes new friends. He saves merchant Sandal (Hans Helmut Dickow) and later also his son Japetus (Armin Schawe) from harm. But Corby has followed him. She teams up with some other low-lifes who eventually capture Silas and Japetus for ransom. Sandal's employee Karneol (Jacques van Dooren) saves them. Corby and her gang are imprisoned. Silas finally feels saves and returns to Godik and his family.