Fabeltjeskrant

Fabeltjeskrant
Country of origin	Netherlands
No. of episodes	1640
Production
Producer(s)	Thijs Chanowski Loek de Levita
Running time	4/5 minutes
Release
Original network	NOS Récré A2 ? RAI 1 / TMC NRK SVT ITV
Original release	1968 – 1989

Some characters of the series

Meneer de Uil with the newspaper "Fabeltjeskrant"

Fabeltjeskrant [(də) 'faːbəɫcəskrɑnt] (or De Fabeltjeskrant, Dutch for "The Fables Newspaper") is a Dutch children's television series featuring puppetry and stop motion. Created in 1968 by Leen Valkenier and produced by Thijs Chanowski (1st series) and Loek de Levita (2nd series), it ended in 1989 and was broadcast on the Dutch channels NOS, RTL 4 and RTL 8^[1] and on Belgian channel VRT. From 1973 to 1975 it was broadcast also in the United Kingdom, on ITV, with the title The Daily Fable.^[2]

Plot

Each episode is based upon fables of Jean de La Fontaine, Aesop, Phaedrus and also by the series' scenographer Leen Valkenier. The main character, the owl "Meneer de Uil", introduces each episode reading a fable to other characters upon a tree. The scene is a forest inhabited by different anthropomorphic paper animals and the first episode was broadcast on 29 September 1968 on NOS.

Characters

All character surnames are referred to their species.

• Meneer de Uil (Mr Owl), or Jacob de Uil,^[3][4] is an owl and the main character of the series. In British version its name is "Mr. Owl".^[2]
• Other characters: Juffrouw Ooievaar, Lowieke de Vos, Crox de Raaf (or Meneer de Raaf), Bor de Wolf, Ed Bever, Willem Bever, Zoef de Haas, Stoffel de Schildpad, Momfer de Mol, Truus de Mier, Gerrit de Postduif, Meindert het Paard, Myra Hamster, Martha Hamster, Woefdram, Isadora Paradijsvogel, Droes de Beer, Jodocus de Marmot, Chico Lama, Zaza Zebra, John Maraboe, Greta Bontekoe, Teun Stier, Oléta Vulpécula, Harry Lepelaar, Piet de Pad, Tijl Schavuit, Sjefke Schelm, Rocus de Vrije Vogel, Pepijn de Kater, Timme de Hond, Plons de Kikvors, Blinkert de Bliek, Arthur de Leeuw, Flora Nachtegaal, George de Wezel, Stokebrand de Mug, Mia de Muilezel, Maup de Muis, Marius de Bok, Irma de Krekel, Orm de Aap, Toeter de Olifant, Kirreke de Tortelduif, Koer de Tortelduif, Frija Forel, Greta 2, Hondje Woef, Wasa de Beer, Melis Das, Lamaar Snoespoes, Woef Hektor, Wip de Eekhoorn, Gies de Vlieg, Arie de Rat, Borita, Cas de Kraai and Asa de Spin.^[5]

In other countries

The show was adapted in some other countries under the following titles:

•  France: Le petit écho de la Forêt^[6] (French for The Little Echo of the Forest)
•  Hungary: Fabulácskahírek^[7] (Hungarian for The Fables Newspaper)
•  Israel: Sipurimpo^[8] (Hebrew for Stories Here)
•  Italy: Il bosco dei perché^[9][10] (Italian for The Wood of the Questions)
•  Norway: Fablenes bok (Norwegian for The book of Fables)
•  Sweden: Fablernas värld^[11] (Swedish for World of Fables)
•  United Kingdom: The Daily Fable^[2]
•  Peru: Las Crónicas de Fabulandia (Spanish for Chronicles of Fableland)

Adaptations

Lex Overeijnder wrote and drew a short-lived newspaper comic strip based on the TV show in 1969.^[12]

In 1970, a film version, Onkruidzaaiers in Fabeltjesland, premiered in theaters.

In 2007 a musical adaptation was created by Ruud de Graaf and Hans Cornelissen.

Notes and references

See also

• Sesamstraat (another Dutch children's television series featuring puppetry)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fabeltjeskrant.

• (Dutch) Fabeltjeskrant official site
• Fabeltjeskrant at the Internet Movie Database