De Fabeltjeskrant
1968
Original language: Dutch
- kids
The story
Fabeltjeskrant [ 'faːbəɫcəskrɑnt] is a Dutch children's television series featuring puppetry and stop motion. Created in 1968 by Leen Valkenier and produced by Thijs Chanowski and Loek de Levita, it ended in 1989 and was broadcast on the Dutch channels NOS, RTL 4 and RTL 8 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.
What it’s like
Soft, handmade textures throughout: felt and fabric puppets with stitched faces and bright, slightly worn colours, set against simple studio sets of newsroom desks, painted backdrops and cut-paper scenery. The look is gently theatrical, with stop-motion movement that has the tactile bobble of hands-on craft, and the camera stays fairly static and front-on, like a small broadcast studio seen from the audience's chair. Sound leans on the cheerful, slightly tinny warmth of Dutch children's television: a bouncy theme, a few light musical stings, and the murmur of a studio. The vibe is cosy and playful with a dry, wry undercurrent, the sort of thing that suits a lazy weekend morning, a comfort rewatch, or a child and parent sharing the screen. Pacing is unhurried and episodic, with short segments that let the characters' bickering and small domestic-scale dramas unfold without urgency. Emotionally it is light and affectionate, with tenderness toward its rivals and neighbours and a gentle comedy of manners rather than peril. Intensity is very low: no violence, no fear, nothing frightening beyond mild mock-scolding. Made for young children and for adults who grew up with it and want something warm, gentle and nostalgic.
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