Based on a series of books by A.D. Hildebrand, Bolke de Beer (first published in 1935) was the latest in a long line of 5 minute puppet programs shown just before bedtime every night of the week to the delight of little Dutch children of the seventies. Produced by De Levita productions like De Fabeltjeskrant before it, this series was less political than it's predecessor (there was no talk of going on strike or forming a union) and therefore more accessible to it's intended audience, but less well remembered in the long run.
Bolke escaped from a circus and settled in a forest nearby Apeldoorn. He was soon joined by a monkey from the same circus, Melis. Already living in the forest was a family of hares: Buizer, his wife Buizerin and their two bunnies Polle & Makkie, the sly fox Vlens, the shy porcupine Drubbiebuu, the posh deer Rosientje and a cranky old mole simply called 'Old Mole'. Later on in the series a traveling Badger called Dries also took up residence, despite Vlens objecting that the forest didn't need no badgers.
During the inventively shot opening titles, Bolke was seen to perform some of his circus acts like walking a tightrope and swinging to and fro on a swing. During most of the episodes however, the puppets usually just stood around and talked a lot. Being old fashioned hand puppet that had not yet gone through the Jim Henson revolution, most of the character's movement was restricted to the mouths. Bolke himself turned out to be the laziest and in some ways least interesting character. Of course this is often the case with title characters in children's stories through who's eyes the public sees the stories. Far more interesting was the vain and self important fox Vlens, the naughty monkey Melis (who spoke like he came from The Hague) and the entire Buizer family.
The series is still occasionally repeated (mostly during school holidays) and was partially released VHS and DVD to a whole new generation. And all because Meneer Hildebrand started to tell stories to his 2 year old son about his teddy bear.
7 out of 10
Bolke escaped from a circus and settled in a forest nearby Apeldoorn. He was soon joined by a monkey from the same circus, Melis. Already living in the forest was a family of hares: Buizer, his wife Buizerin and their two bunnies Polle & Makkie, the sly fox Vlens, the shy porcupine Drubbiebuu, the posh deer Rosientje and a cranky old mole simply called 'Old Mole'. Later on in the series a traveling Badger called Dries also took up residence, despite Vlens objecting that the forest didn't need no badgers.
During the inventively shot opening titles, Bolke was seen to perform some of his circus acts like walking a tightrope and swinging to and fro on a swing. During most of the episodes however, the puppets usually just stood around and talked a lot. Being old fashioned hand puppet that had not yet gone through the Jim Henson revolution, most of the character's movement was restricted to the mouths. Bolke himself turned out to be the laziest and in some ways least interesting character. Of course this is often the case with title characters in children's stories through who's eyes the public sees the stories. Far more interesting was the vain and self important fox Vlens, the naughty monkey Melis (who spoke like he came from The Hague) and the entire Buizer family.
The series is still occasionally repeated (mostly during school holidays) and was partially released VHS and DVD to a whole new generation. And all because Meneer Hildebrand started to tell stories to his 2 year old son about his teddy bear.
7 out of 10
