comedy-drama
Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
television series based on a Dutch theatre show by
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
ZDF
ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...
, ,
TV Tokyo
JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.Harald Siepermann. There are also toys and a comic based on the animated series.
The series has been broadcast in many countries and has been dubbed and subtitled in Dutch, French, Japanese, Greek, English, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Hungarian, Finnish, Serbian, Polish, German, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Chinese, Czech, Romanian, Korean and Norwegian.
In 1991, Herman van Veen won the
Goldene Kamera
The Goldene Kamera ("Golden Camera") is an annual German film and television award, awarded by the Funke Mediengruppe. The award show was usually held in early February in Hamburg, but also took place in Berlin on occasion. It has been paused ...
award for the cartoon.
Origins
Plot
Alfred J. Kwak was born as the son of Johan Sebastian and Anna Kwak. Some time after his birth, Alfred loses his parents and his brothers and sisters after a car hits them as they're moving their home during a heavy rainstorm. Alfred was saved due to his being distracted by a frog, which he broke away from his family to chase. Henk the
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole"
* Golden mole, southern African mammals
* Marsupial mole
Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae family, are two species of highly specialized marsupial mammals that are found i ...
, a good friend of the Kwak family, raises the little orphan duck. Alfred experiences a lot of adventures.
Unlike many other cartoons targeted for children, ''Alfred J. Kwak'' features exceptionally mature and often dark themes. Amongst others it deals with different social and political issues, such as abuse of power, but also raises important values such as friendship and
solidarity
Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...
.
The cartoon is also notable for the political themes on which it touches. In the cartoon, Alfred fights against a
fascist
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
dictator, takes in refugees fleeing from a country under
apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
(with white geese and black ducks), saves whales against hunters, and oversees the changeover of his country from an absolute monarchy to a
constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...
with a democratically elected president. Such themes are far from typical in a children's cartoon, and form a big part of ''Alfred J. Kwaks appeal. Other episodes have satirised the Japanese love of golf, and criticised countries which have sharp north/south economic divides.
The cartoon is also unusual for the subtlety of its long-term narrative. In most children's cartoons, the characters do not age. In ''Alfred J. Kwak'', we see the progress of the main characters from very young children to adulthood as the series advances. This is particularly striking in the character of Dolf, who is initially a mere schoolboy, but who, as time passes, becomes a criminal and a dictator.
Setting
The time setting of the cartoon is somewhat surreal. On the whole the technology and dress of most characters seems appropriate to the late 20th century, and yet Alfred and Paljas/Boffin often travel in a spaceship with a technology far more advanced than that, while many characters such as the king's staff, Scratchpaws the cat, and Dolf in his Napoleonic incarnation wear clothes more appropriate to previous ages. Other surreal elements to the cartoon include such strange characters as the evil genie of the bottle, living chess pieces from Alfred's chess game,
Pied Piper
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany.
The legend dates back to the Middle Ages. The earliest refere ...
style Clown on the Moon, and aliens who appear like ducks except for their human-style feet, and a "dream" style
wild West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
episode during which Dolf seems to become aware that he is a character in a cartoon.
Characters
Main characters
Alfred
Alfred Jodocus Kwak is a
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
. As a baby he lived in a giant
clog
Clogs are a type of footwear that has a thick, rigid sole typically made of wood, although in American English, shoes with rigid soles made of other materials are also called clogs.
Traditional clogs remain in use as protective footwear in a ...
with his family. After his family was run over by a car, he was adopted by Henk and lives with him in Henk's grandfathers house. Later Alfred moves in to a clog-shaped house, using his old cradle as his bed. He is very concerned with other people and values many virtues, like human rights and good manners. Friends, family and the environment, are also close to his heart and he in some episodes even risks his own safety when it comes to do the right thing. Although he has gone through a lot of sad things, his favourite song is 'Ik ben vandaag zo vrolijk' (I'm so happy today). In the English version, his middle name is changed to "Johnathan". In the Hebrew version, His name is "Shealtiel". In the Icelandic version he is named Alfreð Önd.
Dolf
Dolf is Alfred's
archenemy
In literature, an archenemy, (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) or nemesis is the main enemy of the protagonist — or sometimes, one of the other main characters — appearing as the most prominent and most-known enemy of the hero.
Etymolog ...
and first appears in episode 4. In the first episode Dolf's parents, a
crow
A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...
and a blackbird, can be seen making disparaging comments on the eggs of Alfred's mother. Both are dressed in traditional German garments. The father wears
lederhosen
The term Lederhosen (; , singular in German usage: ''Lederhose'', ; lit. "Leather Pants") is used in English to refer specifically to the traditional leather breeches worn by men in Southern Germany (specifically in Bavaria and Swabia), Austr ...
, a feathered hat and, in the Dutch original, speaks with a heavy German accent, while Dolf's mother is seen in a dirndl outfit. In the German version, Dolf is called Kra, in the Finnish version, he is called Korppi.
Dolf gradually develops from a mere naughty schoolboy to a merciless dictator, an arms dealer, a reckless politician, and overall criminal. Though the show clearly portrays Dolf's acts as inherently negative and wrong, it also provides the background on how Dolf became who he is. For example, as a child, Dolf is prone to blame others for problems in which he too played a role. Dolf mentions that his mother died very early and that his father neglects him due to alcoholism. Dolf can also be seen to express a sense of self hate and poor
self image
Self-image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to an objective investigation by others (height, weight, hair color, etc.), but also items that ...
; as he is disgusted by the fact that he is only part crow, and paints his orange beak black to disguise his true identity. When Alfred accidentally finds out about this, he cannot understand why Dolf is so ashamed and urges him to drop the secret and tell others about it. Dolf however is petrified and convinced that his friends will make fun of him, and makes Alfred swear he will never tell anyone about it.
Episode 22 through 25 are essentially an allegory of the rise and fall of
Fascism
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
and
Nazism
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
, with Dolf himself, though wearing a Napoleonic uniform, as a clear caricature of
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
. It begins with Dolf returning from abroad, in a train with Austrian markings, and meeting up with his friends. He then discusses the current political climate in Great Waterland, and expresses disgust of it. Dolf then decides to found a political party, the later ''National Crows Party'', for which he goes to Alfred to lend money. He explains his ideas, but Alfred refuses and Dolf barges out of Alfred's house in a fit of rage. Alfred and Henk express their fear of Dolf, but Henk reassures Alfred that Dolf will never gather enough money to fund his intended party. Not much later however, Dolf inherits a huge fortune. He founds his party, which through promising employment and change quickly becomes a major and powerful political movement. Dolf eventually stages a coup d'etat and takes over the country. Political opponents, including Alfred, are imprisoned on the charge of
high treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...
. Alfred and his friends barely escape and flee abroad to the neighboring country of Great Reedland. Not much later the King of Great Waterland himself flees as well, and Dolf proclaims himself
Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
Dolf I. Alfred and the other political dissidents however devised a plan to dispose of Dolf and steal Dolf's inheritances from the vaults of his palace. Without his money, Dolf's power quickly dwindles and he is forced to flee.
Dolf eventually makes an appearance as an illegal arms dealer and general criminal in further episodes. In the 43rd and 44th episodes, the King has decided to abdicate and for the first time democratic elections are held. Dolf once again attempts to rule Great Waterland as one of the three official candidates. In order to get ahead of other two candidates (Ollie being the first candidate), he hires some foreigners to sabotage the dam, which protects the waterland from being flooded by the seawater. After the dam has broken, Dolf cunningly withdraws his entry because he wants to *help* people and cannot waste time on a campaign. Dolf then publicly funds the repairs of the dam, skyrocketing his popularity and prompting his reentry in the presidential race. He then, in an attempt to get rid of any compromising evidence, tries to kill Lispel, who saw the criminal act. Lispel manages to escape and, though heavily wounded, is able to tell Alfred the truth on the flood.
Dolf manages to escape and continues his life of crime. In the final two episodes, Dolf becomes the henchman of an oil magnate who is attempting to get his hands on the blueprints of an environmentally friendly fuel, invented by Professor Buffon. After a fight, in which Dolf attempts to kill Alfred by pushing his car off the road, Dolf is again captured and is sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment. Aided by a former member of his Crows Party, he can escape and takes Winnie, Alfred's girlfriend, hostage. In the series' finale, after a manic hunt, Alfred finds Dolf, who tells him where Winnie is. After telling Alfred her whereabouts, Dolf attempts to escape, only to be caught by the police and put back into prison.
Henk
Henk is a
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole"
* Golden mole, southern African mammals
* Marsupial mole
Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae family, are two species of highly specialized marsupial mammals that are found i ...
and the adoptive father of Alfred. In the Israeli version, he is called Hafi, a diminutive for "Hafarperet" - the Hebrew word for "mole".
Winnie
Winnie is a black duck and Alfred's girlfriend, her name is a reference to
Winnie Mandela
Winnie Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist, second wife of Nelson Mandela. During ...
. In the Dutch version, she speaks
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
-accented Dutch; Afrikaans being a language closely related to Dutch and spoken in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. Alfred meets her and her family, in episode 27, on a train leaving for Great Waterland after his holidays. Her family are refugees who escaped from their home country after it has been taken over by white geese. After Alfred helps her parents to sort out the problems in her country, she joins Alfred on many of his adventures and holidays. She works in the local university as a secretary (as first seen in episode 34) and lives with her brother Tom in a little house near the forest.
Secondary characters
* Professor Paljas is an interdisciplinary academic. He is a
polar bear
The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can Hybrid (biology), interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear ...
, and speaks with a German accent. In the UK, Hungarian, Serbian, and Israeli versions he is called Professor Buffon. He makes his first appearance in episode 18, in which he attempts to communicate with the whales in the South Pole using his new invention "Jonus". He returns in episode 26, in which he asks Alfred to join him on his expedition to the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
. He also travels (with Alfred of course), to Egypt to find the only medicine which can cure his ill colleague, and the jungle to investigate a volcano which keeps erupting. He cares a lot about the environment and develops a petrol for vehicles that doesn't expose any
carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...
and prevents
acid rain
Acid rain is rain or any other form of Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists b ...
.
*Ollie is Alfred's close school-friend, a
stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibise ...
who grows up to be a lawyer, and later, after the defeat of Dolf, the first democratically elected president of Great Waterland. In the Dutch version, Ollie is a girl during childhood, but a male when he is an adult, confirming his status as
transgender
A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth.
The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
. This change is never directly addressed in the series. In a Dutch interview from 2013 however, Van Veen stated that this gender change was intentional, since that also happens in the real world. In the Israeli version, is a female and is named Luli.
*Pikkie is another friend of Alfred's from his schooldays. A
magpie
Magpies are birds of various species of the family Corvidae. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent c ...
, Pikkie is prone to stealing shiny objects, a trait which often lands his friends in trouble. Pikkie is called Stibitzi (and portrayed as female) in the German version, Ruby in the Israeli version, Grabbie in the UK version, Hannu in Finnish version and Grabljivko in Serbian version. He makes his first appearance in episode 2, in which he attends Alfred's first birthday party. He steals the king's ruby during a visit in the king's castle and Alfred gets blamed for it. He is often seen in the early episodes when Alfred was still at school. After episode 12 he isn't seen or spoken of for 19 episodes. We are not told what he did or where he was during Dolf's activism and other events. Alfred and Henk meet him again coincidentally on an oil rig, sporting a stubbly beard, where he worked as a diamond expert. In episode 49 he falls from the sky in front of Alfred's house after trying to fly to the rainbow. He joins Alfred, Prof. Paljas and Henk on an expedition to the rainforest in which the legendary Pot of Gold is kept. His weakness for shining objects persuades him to steal it but Dolf takes it from him at the airport.
* Franz Ferdinand is a
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
and the king of Great Waterland, the country in which Alfred lives. He is a well-meaning, yet lazy and incompetent monarch, with no interest in politics. He is named after the real historical figure Franz Ferdinand. He makes his first appearance in episode 2. In episode 20 Alfred wonders what kind of a king he is. He then is shown lying in his lemonade bath and enjoying life, when a servant comes in and tells him that the messenger from Great Sparrowland has arrived and wants to speak him. The king claims that he just got into the bath, but the servant reassures him that he's been in it for over two hours. The king asks the servant to speak with the messenger for him but since his signature is needed he reluctantly gets out of the bath. In episode 21 the king goes bankrupt and is forced to take loan from Alfred, which he doesn't pay back. After the rise of Dolf, the exiled king realises how careless and reluctant he has been, and begins to take interest in politics. After Dolf's fall, in the planning of which Franz Ferdinand was involved, he becomes a just and beloved king. In episode 43 however, he decides to surrender all his executive power and remain only as a ceremonial head of state, with a democratically elected president as the actual head of government.
*Lispel is a sinister
jellyfish
Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...
and a spy working for the mayor of the city. As his name suggests, he talks with a lisp. He makes his first appearance in episode 7 as a contact to another agent. In episodes 14, 16 & 19 he informs the mayor of Alfred's plans of preventing him from making ships that catch all fish of the world. In episode 23, during Dolf's activism Lispel informs Dolf where Alfred and his friends are hiding after they escaped imprisonment. In episode 27 he sees Alfred taking in the refugees and threatens to tell the authorities unless he gets three gold coins. Alfred gives him the money but doesn't listen to Lispel's information (Which he must tell him, because he got his money). After several attempts of getting Alfred to listen to him, Lispel does go to the police and betrays them. Lispel makes some minor appearances in later episodes, but in episode 44, before the presidential elections, he sees Dolf and some hired foreigners damaging the dam which causes a huge flood. Dolf pays for repairs and equipment to become more popular, but Lispel threatens to tell unless he gets his gold. Dolf refuses because he thinks that Lispel will keep returning for more gold. By the docks (Their meeting point), Dolf pulls out a revolver and shoots Lispel several times. Lispel falls into the sea. Later in the episode he stands, badly injured, in Alfred's front garden and tells him everything. His last appearance is in episode 51 in which he informs the mayor of Prof. Paljas's plans on making a petrol which doesn't expose any gases or fumes. He receives his payment, leaves the mayor's house and is never seen again. He is not present at Alfred's birthday in the last episode.
Setting
Great Waterland
Great Waterland (''Groot-Waterland'' in Dutch) is arguably the most important setting within the series. It is Alfred's birthplace as well the home, or future home, of many of the show's characters. It is, partly, a caricature of the Netherlands. The land consists of
polder
A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrology, hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as levee, dikes. The three types of polder are:
# Land reclamation, Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a ...
s, the town Alfred lives in is built in a typical Dutch style, while he himself lives in a house made from a
clog
Clogs are a type of footwear that has a thick, rigid sole typically made of wood, although in American English, shoes with rigid soles made of other materials are also called clogs.
Traditional clogs remain in use as protective footwear in a ...
. For most of the series Great Waterland is an absolute monarchy, led by Franz Ferdinand, a lion. Near the conclusion of the show's first season Dolf assumes command, and Waterland briefly becomes an
authoritarian
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
fascist
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
state, before reverting to a monarchy and eventually becoming a
constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...
with an elected president.
Episode list
Season 1
Season 2
Theme songs and voice actors
Dutch version
''Spetter Pieter Pater''
* Performed by
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
(ED)
Dutch
Alfred J. Kwak is one of the first cartoon series in the Netherlands to feature an (almost) all-star cast. Actress Ryan van den Akker is Alfred and Herman van Veen is Professor Paljas (an alternate phrase for fool, clown).
Japanese version
''Yakusoku da yo'' (約束だよ)
* Performed by
Megumi Hayashibara
is a Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist and radio personality from Kita ward in Tokyo and is affiliated with self-founded Woodpark Office. One of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s, Hayashibara is best known for ...
(OP)
''Happy Happy'' (ハッピー・ハッピー ''Happī Happī'')
* Performed by
Megumi Hayashibara
is a Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist and radio personality from Kita ward in Tokyo and is affiliated with self-founded Woodpark Office. One of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s, Hayashibara is best known for ...
(ED)
German version
''Plätscher, Plitscher, Feder''
* Performed by Ryan van den Akker (lalala part) and
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
(OP)
''Warum bin ich so fröhlich''
* Performed by Ryan van den Akker and
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
(ED)
English version
''Never keep a good Duck down''
* Performed by Alan Carr, Russell Shaw (OP)
''Alfred Song''
* Performed by Alan Carr (ED)
Danish version
* Performed by Lasse Lunderskov (OP)
''I dag er jeg så lyk'lig''
* Performed by Vibeke Dueholm and Lasse Lunderskov (OP)
Hebrew version
''בין טיפות המים''
* Performed by Orit Yaron
''תמיד אני שמח''
* Performed by Orit Yaron and Yuval Zamir
Finnish version
''Alfred J. Kwak''
* Performed by Katja Liljestrand, Liisa Lind, Solveig Sundqvist and Heidi Yrjä
''Onnenpäivä''
* Performed by Katja Liljestrand, Liisa Lind, Solveig Sundqvist and Heidi Yrjä
Italian version
"Niente paura, c'è Alfred!" (used as opening and ending theme)
*Performed by
Cristina D'Avena
Cristina D'Avena (born 6 July 1964) is an Italian actress, singer and television personality. She has sold nearly 7 million copies of her albums.
D'Avena was selected to join the prestigious Institute of Antoniano choir, following her debut, ...
, lyrics written by Alessandra Valeri Manera, and composed by Ninni Carucci
Serbian version
*Performed by Željko Plivelić
Swedish version
"Plaska, stänka, skvätta!"
Performed by Håkan Mohede
"Jag är så lycklig"
Performed by Nina Gunke
Greek version
*Performed by Panos Tsaparas
Credits
*Original idea and storylines:
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
*Scripts and storyboards: Akira Miyazaki
*Director: Hiroshi Saito
*Production supervisor: Matsue Jimbo
*Character designer and storyboard supervisor: Harald Siepermann
*Background designs: Hans Bacher, Susumu Shiraume, Masaru Amamizu
*Colour designs: Hans Bacher
*Filming director: Hisao Shirai
*Music:
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
,
Erik van der Wurff
Erik van der Wurff (9 July 1945 – 22 September 2014) was a Dutch pianist, composer, arranger, record producer and conductor. He worked mainly on soundtracks and as a composer for many film and television shows. He also made acting appearances i ...
, Nard Reijnders
*Lyrics:
Herman van Veen
Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers.
In ...
TV Tokyo
JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.VARA (Netherlands),
ZDF
ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...
(Germany),
Televisión Española
(acronym TVE, branded tve, "Spanish Television") is Spain's national state-owned public television broadcaster and the oldest regular television service in the country. It was also the first regular television service in Equatorial Guinea.
T ...
(Spain)
English version
*Recorded at: EPK Work in Arts,
Bray Studios (UK)
Bray Film Studios is a British film and television facility in Water Oakley near Bray, Berkshire. It is best known for its association with Hammer Film Productions.
History Down Place
Down Place, also written as Dowan Place or Dow Place, ...
Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes ('' né'' Hyams; born 11 January 1935) is an English actor and voice-over performer. He is best known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', for ...
, Jill Lidstone,
Hugo Myatt
Hugo Myatt (born 13 September 1945) is a British actor, presenter and theatre director, best known for his role as the dungeon master Treguard in the children's game show '' Knightmare''.
''Knightmare''
Myatt played the role of Treguard of D ...
, Lyn Beardsall
*Director: Stanley Joseph
*Dubbing editor: Russell Shaw
Danish version
*Distribution: Scanbox Danmark A/S
*Translation: Tekstkontoret
*Voices: Lasse Lunderskov, Tim Mehrens, Vibeke Dueholm
Eli Gorenstein
Eli Gorenstein (; born 31 August 1952) is an Israeli actor, voice actor, director, singer and cellist.
Biography
Gorenstein was born in Tel Aviv and was raised in Ramat Gan during his childhood. His maternal grandfather was philosopher Felix Wel ...
, Itzik Saidoff,
Dov Reiser
Dov Reiser (; born 28 September 1947) is an Israeli actor and voice actor.
Biography
Born in Tel Aviv, Reiser began his acting career at the age of 18. He is a frequent performer at the Habima Theatre and has been a staff member there since 198 ...
Yleisradio
Yleisradio Oy (; ), abbreviated as Yle () (formerly styled in all uppercase until 2012), translated into English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founded in 1926. It is a joint-stock comp ...
Jarmo Koski
Jarmo Koski (2 July 1951 in Imatra, South Karelia) is a Finnish actor. He starred as Seppo Taalasmaa in the half-hour soap opera ''Salatut Elämät'' from 1999 to 2013 and briefly in 2017 and from 2020 to 2021.
Dubbed movies, Finnish voice
He ...
, Martti Tschokkinen,
Titta Jokinen
Titta Jokinen (born 23 February 1951 in Kalanti, Finland) is a Finnish actress.
Career
Jokinen has appeared in both Finnish film and television since 1973. She appeared in the 1983 James Bond spoof ''Agent 000 and the Deadly Curves'' opposi ...
, Pekka Autiovuori, Harri Hyttinen, Rabbe Smedlund, Pirkko Aarnio,
Kauko Helovirta
Kauko Kustaa Helovirta (Hellström, 21 October 1924 – 13 September 1997, Helsinki, Finland) was a Finnish film actor.
Helovirta was born in Juupajoki, and started his acting career in 1950. He made about 40 Finnish-language films between then ...
, Jukka Voutilainen (actor), Maria Salo, Kaija Kiiski, Voitto Nurmi
*Director: Irja Hämäläinen, Marja Huuskonen
*Voice recording: Timo Hintikka, Tarja Laaksonen, Pekka Heinonen, Matti Nuotio, Veijo Lehti, Ari Lyytikäinen, Heikki Häkkinen, Pekka Vanhanen
Serbian version
*Voices: Violeta Peković, Nebojša Burović, Tatjana Stanković, Goran Peković
*Translation: Neda Kovačević
*Songs: Željko Plivelić
*Tone master: Nebojša Burović
*Executive producer: Vladan Škrkić
*Dubbed by: BK TV