15 children’s series from the past that we almost forgot

1. Daktari

Daktari was a TV series set in an animal shelter somewhere in Africa, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The lead roles, alongside Doctor Tracy and his daughter Paula, were played by the cross-eyed lion Clarence and the clever and sometimes mischievous chimpanzee Judy.

2. Bartje

Bartje Bartels was the main character in the books of teacher Anne de Vries. But Bartje only really came to life in the seven-part television series by Willy van Hemert in 1972 and 1973. Bartje in clogs, wandering around the vast countryside of Drenthe. His sullen father and inflexible mother, the poverty in the child-rich agricultural laborer family. Bartje did not tolerate injustice and he hated brown beans: “I don’t pray for brown beans.” Immortal words. Who remembers?

3. Belle & Sebastien

In 1965, there was no sweeter and cuter duo than the white dog Belle and the boy Sébastien. The series told the story of two characters that the viewer immediately felt sorry for. Sébastien, who was bullied by other children in the village and therefore wandered alone in the mountains, met the runaway dog ​​Belle. The two immediately developed a strong bond. Because there was a rumor in the village that Belle was dangerous and had to be killed, Sébastien always tried to prevent this. We remember very well the moving intro of the series.

4. The Knots Family

A jump in time: in the eighties we watched Familie Knots. Hetty Heyting devised the series herself and also played a leading role in it, that of the artistic aunt Til. ‘A dollop of pink hieeeeeer, a dollop of pink daaaaaar’.

5. Catweazle

This British series was first broadcast on Dutch television in 1970. Wizard Catweazle, quite an eccentric man, was on the run from the Normans. A failed spell (he tried to fly, but it turned out very differently) landed him in England in the second half of the 20th century: he traveled through time for 900 years.

6. Pommetje Horlepiep

The writer of Swiebertje decided after the success of the kindersie to write a new series. That was Pommetje Horlepiep. The stories are set in a small village in the 1920s and 1930s. Rombertus Horlepiep nicknamed “Pommetje Horlepiep” was a cheerful young man with a big mouth and a small heart and had a job as a house servant, driver and jack-of-all-trades for squire Sebastiaan Roos van Leeuwenborgh.

7. The Binoculars

The Binoculars was not really a series, but more of an informative children’s program. The program showed how children lived, played and learned abroad. Children could watch the 10-minute program from 1956 to 1972. Watch an episode of De Binoculars from 1961 here.

8. Okkie Troy

The series was about the inventor Okkie Trooy and his assistant Nono from Kukelton. Okkie Trooy was best known for his briefcase. Only when he opened the briefcase was it full of currant dumplings. When someone else opened the briefcase, it was empty. Okkie Trooy and Nono accidentally ended up on another planet, after which they had to find their way back home. The series aired from 1962 to 1964.

9. Mik & Mak

Who remembers the adventures of drifters Mik and Mak? Their experiences took place in Grandma Tingeling’s house at Het Kruispunt Der Vier Windstreken. Every episode a new guest came along, which disrupted the daily routine. Mr. Humdrum was portrayed as the evil neighbor, whose nefarious schemes were rarely successful. Mik & Mak was shown on television from 1963 to 1963.

10. Bollo, Breeze and Allies

A lot later, in 1983, children watched Bollo, Bries and Bondgenoten. The series was about a clown girl, a bear and a lion. They worked at circus Piste, but they didn’t have a good time there. They decided to flee by bicycle. The director of the circus was not happy about that and went after them.

11. The Doll Stand

You may have been watching De Poppenkraam in the same period. That series was about two dolls named Hugo and Henriëtte in a toy store. Finding a magic box made them the same size as humans. They had all kinds of adventures in the toy shop ‘De Poppenkraam’. During the series more and more dolls were added, such as Daisy (a chic doll with a big bow in her hair) and Krengetje (a very naughty girl).

12. Rikkie and Garland

Who watched the puppet show Rikkie en Slingertje between 1966 and 1974? In this we saw the adventures of the smart boy Rikkie and the mischievous monkey Slingertje. Especially Slingertje caused the necessary hilarity.

13. Brave Dodo

Puppeteer Bert Brugman was asked in 1955 to make a children’s program. He conceived protagonist Brave Dodo and Kees, the captain, uncle Harkie, Miss Vulpen, Grandpa Buiswater and the ship the Cross-eyed Mermaid, who went on all kinds of adventures together all over the world. The show quickly became wildly popular.

14. Four Feathers Waterfall

Another doll series, but this one originally came from England. The series is set in the late 1800s, in the town of Four Feather Falls, Kansas. The series revolved around Sheriff Tex Tucker, who received four magical feathers as a reward after rescuing Makooya, the son of Indian chief Kalamakooya. Two of these springs allowed his gun to load and fire automatically. The other two made his horse (Rocky) and dog (Dusty) speak.

15. The Stratemaker at Sea Show

The Stratemakeropzeeshow was a program for children from the age of eight, with Aart Staartjes as the Stratemaker who, sitting in a boat on the water, sank a brick at the beginning of the programme. The Decent Lady, played by Wieteke van Dort, was not so genteel at all, and she farted regularly. Erik Engerd, played by Joost Prinsen, pretended to be a kind of “monster figure” and tried to scare everyone, which never worked. In addition to the regular three types, they also played many other types. The series episode aired between 1972 and 1974.

Which children’s series did you watch before?

Source: Image and Sound