Seventies children's show Ti-Ta Tovenaar returned to to television in an updated version in December 2008. Produced by holiday park De Efteling, which owns the rights to Lo Hartog van Banda's creation since staging a musical featuring the original songs from the seventies in 2005. To keep the franchise alive, a couple of watered down 'park shows' followed up on the original musical and now there is the new TV series produced in cooperation with AVRO television. Strangely enough, even though the main cast from the stage musical has carried over into the program, there are no songs (apart from the brief opening theme).
Playing the title role (now spelled Tita Tovenaar during the credits), Eric Brey sports a big white main of hair and a long red swirling coat, which makes him look more like Back to the future's Doc Brown than the original Ti-Ta Tovenaar. In one episode (Snuffie) he puts on a pair of goggles and the transformation is complete. His hair is actually so big, he's unable to wear Ti-Ta's distinctive bowler hat, although he still uses it to teleport himself from here to there (and of course the effects have improved considerably since 1972). Brey's mannerisms do resemble those of the original actor Ton Lensink a lot. Especially when addressing the camera and uttering the trademark final line 'Dat Zien We Morgen Dan Wel Weer' (well see out about that tomorrow).
Manon Novak also carries over from the stage shows as wizard's daughter Tika. It is through her eyes the stories unfold just like they did over three decades ago when Marousja Lacunes played her. Flemish actor Michael Vercouteren plays Tita's human apprentice Kwark. The fact that he has a slightly different accent than the rest of the cast is most likely a nod to the original actor, Englishman Barry Stevens. For some strange reason, Kwark still goes to kindergarten and Tika appears to be on the same learning level as he is (even though her father claims she is 150 years of age). To see these two twenty somethings sitting amongst toddlers is probably the largest leap of logic in the entire re-imagined series.
Scriptwriters Lisette Scholvinck & Lidwij Martens obviously read up on the works of J.K. Rowling (as well as Wiebe Buddingh's Dutch translations). This is most evident in the distinctly Potter-esquire magic spells such as 'Echomentis Wadenksis' and several episodes devoted to Tika's flying lessons on her Late 13th century flying broom. The character that underwent the most changes is weed witch Grobelia. She used to be a reasonably harmless and colorful young hippie chick played by Maélys Morel but has now been transformed into a black clad, old and ugly villain as portrayed by Ottolien Boeschoten. Whereas Maélys' version had different colors on each fingernail and a multicolored frock, Ottolien's costume is blacker than Severus Snape's. For some reason this new Grobelia always carries a large black staff around, even when she is trying to hide in the background. Needless to say, camouflage is not her strongest point.
The wizard and his daughter still live in a floating castle amongst the clouds, but instead of a stone castle full of dusty books and mysterious objects, they now reside in very large, all white and way too clean laboratory. The inside does compare favorably with the CG outside as seen in the opening credits, but to me it looks more like a hospital than a wizard's workplace. Just like before, Tika likes to visit the human world below and the town square set is very nicely realized. It reminds me of what the Dutch Sesame Street (Sesamstraat) used to look like before they went all abstract with the set design). Tika's two talking puppets, Geeltje & Groentje are now called Geeltje & Broer but they are still voiced by one woman (Marjolein Algera replacing Corry van der Linden). This time around both of these Grobbebollen are hand puppets instead of marionettes. There are no signs of the colorful Grobbedal, the giant red bird Het Grobbekuiken or Tika's pet chimp Tato (who was eventually replaced by Titi).
The regular supporting actors are very well cast. Brussel sprouts loving Grandpa is actually played by an old man now (Jan van Eijndthoven) instead of a young man in make-up (Henk Votel). As for the human characters, the neurotic passerby known only as 't heertje (Wil van der Meer) channels Tim Beekman's performance very well. The green grocer is now a Turkish immigrant (Ergun Simsek) and the field agent (Edo Brunner) is fat and jolly. However, unlike on the original show none of these people gets to broaden their range by playing multiple parts. On the other hand, here are a whole lot more extras walking around in the background than before. Some of them actually get to figure into the stories and have substantial dialog while remaining uncredited.
So far, thirteen installments of fifteen minutes have been produced and repeated several times on Z@ppelin. Each episode is self contained instead of the daily serials of old. Not only is there a distinct lack of songs, but the same musical cues are re-used in every show, which becomes a little bit tiresome after a while. The new show has swiftly become popular with it's intended young audience, so here's hoping for a long run, the return to more quirky plot lines to go with the new CG effects and of course, a musical number to wrap up some of the stories. After all, what's the point of having accomplished singers in the cast if you won't let them belt out a song or two?
8 out of 10
Playing the title role (now spelled Tita Tovenaar during the credits), Eric Brey sports a big white main of hair and a long red swirling coat, which makes him look more like Back to the future's Doc Brown than the original Ti-Ta Tovenaar. In one episode (Snuffie) he puts on a pair of goggles and the transformation is complete. His hair is actually so big, he's unable to wear Ti-Ta's distinctive bowler hat, although he still uses it to teleport himself from here to there (and of course the effects have improved considerably since 1972). Brey's mannerisms do resemble those of the original actor Ton Lensink a lot. Especially when addressing the camera and uttering the trademark final line 'Dat Zien We Morgen Dan Wel Weer' (well see out about that tomorrow).
Manon Novak also carries over from the stage shows as wizard's daughter Tika. It is through her eyes the stories unfold just like they did over three decades ago when Marousja Lacunes played her. Flemish actor Michael Vercouteren plays Tita's human apprentice Kwark. The fact that he has a slightly different accent than the rest of the cast is most likely a nod to the original actor, Englishman Barry Stevens. For some strange reason, Kwark still goes to kindergarten and Tika appears to be on the same learning level as he is (even though her father claims she is 150 years of age). To see these two twenty somethings sitting amongst toddlers is probably the largest leap of logic in the entire re-imagined series.
Scriptwriters Lisette Scholvinck & Lidwij Martens obviously read up on the works of J.K. Rowling (as well as Wiebe Buddingh's Dutch translations). This is most evident in the distinctly Potter-esquire magic spells such as 'Echomentis Wadenksis' and several episodes devoted to Tika's flying lessons on her Late 13th century flying broom. The character that underwent the most changes is weed witch Grobelia. She used to be a reasonably harmless and colorful young hippie chick played by Maélys Morel but has now been transformed into a black clad, old and ugly villain as portrayed by Ottolien Boeschoten. Whereas Maélys' version had different colors on each fingernail and a multicolored frock, Ottolien's costume is blacker than Severus Snape's. For some reason this new Grobelia always carries a large black staff around, even when she is trying to hide in the background. Needless to say, camouflage is not her strongest point.
The wizard and his daughter still live in a floating castle amongst the clouds, but instead of a stone castle full of dusty books and mysterious objects, they now reside in very large, all white and way too clean laboratory. The inside does compare favorably with the CG outside as seen in the opening credits, but to me it looks more like a hospital than a wizard's workplace. Just like before, Tika likes to visit the human world below and the town square set is very nicely realized. It reminds me of what the Dutch Sesame Street (Sesamstraat) used to look like before they went all abstract with the set design). Tika's two talking puppets, Geeltje & Groentje are now called Geeltje & Broer but they are still voiced by one woman (Marjolein Algera replacing Corry van der Linden). This time around both of these Grobbebollen are hand puppets instead of marionettes. There are no signs of the colorful Grobbedal, the giant red bird Het Grobbekuiken or Tika's pet chimp Tato (who was eventually replaced by Titi).
The regular supporting actors are very well cast. Brussel sprouts loving Grandpa is actually played by an old man now (Jan van Eijndthoven) instead of a young man in make-up (Henk Votel). As for the human characters, the neurotic passerby known only as 't heertje (Wil van der Meer) channels Tim Beekman's performance very well. The green grocer is now a Turkish immigrant (Ergun Simsek) and the field agent (Edo Brunner) is fat and jolly. However, unlike on the original show none of these people gets to broaden their range by playing multiple parts. On the other hand, here are a whole lot more extras walking around in the background than before. Some of them actually get to figure into the stories and have substantial dialog while remaining uncredited.
So far, thirteen installments of fifteen minutes have been produced and repeated several times on Z@ppelin. Each episode is self contained instead of the daily serials of old. Not only is there a distinct lack of songs, but the same musical cues are re-used in every show, which becomes a little bit tiresome after a while. The new show has swiftly become popular with it's intended young audience, so here's hoping for a long run, the return to more quirky plot lines to go with the new CG effects and of course, a musical number to wrap up some of the stories. After all, what's the point of having accomplished singers in the cast if you won't let them belt out a song or two?
8 out of 10
