There comes a time in every young life in the Netherlands and Belgium when one has to learn that the presents that Saint Nicholas left on the fifth of December were really placed into your shoes by your parents. Of course in the age of the internet I suppose little ones could just go online and look up who is playing Sinterklaas on the IMDb, despite the fact that even the daily news tries to keep up the pretense that Sinterklaas is real. Naturally I wouldn't dream of writing about this subject in my native Dutch. But since this 1977 TV special cleverly addresses the concept of children losing their faith in the Sint, I thought I could take a chance and mention it.
In this show, Sinterklaas is depressed because he's been receiving several letters from children that don't believe in him any more. When Wieteke van Dort arrives to celebrate his birthday, the Chief Piet decides to give 'Vrouwtje Wiet' (as he likes to call her) a tour of the Muiderslot. For this is where all the lesser Pieten are busy preparing for the Sinterklaas celebrations. She gets a look into the Sint's kitchen, how the Pietermannen learn to rhyme and sees a lot of presents being stacked in order to be given away later. Naturally all of this is accompanied by several musical numbers. And it must be noted that most of the Zwarte Pieten running around the castle are just children themselves. It is almost like they are a children's choir in makeup. As for the parents watching along, they can always try to recognize the actors playing the grown up Pieten.
Finally HoofdPiet (also addressed as OpperPiet) spills the beans and tells Wieteke that the Sint is literally thinking of packing his suitcase and going back to Spain early. When Wieteke is finally allowed to have an audience with the holy man, Sint has indeed decided not to celebrate his birthday for the children any more. Perhaps he'll have a little get together with some other bishops and holy men. But Vrouwtje Wiet ensures the good man he shouldn't be discouraged by a few lousy letters written by a couple of rotten children (it's funny to hear her speak like this in a children's program) and manages to change his holy mind. Phewie!
And so the gates are opened and a bunch of still believing children are let in for the second half of the show, which is just your usual Sinterklaasfeest as celebrated in a million homes around the low countries each year. The children are asked to sing traditional Sinterklaasliedjes and in return receive presents from the Sint and his Pietermannen. None of them appear to have been bad, so not a single one is punished by being put into an empty sack and taken along to Spain. Then HoofdPiet announces it is time for Sinterklaas to make his round and deliver all the remaining presents, ending the show on a high, if somewhat predictable note.
7 out of 10
In this show, Sinterklaas is depressed because he's been receiving several letters from children that don't believe in him any more. When Wieteke van Dort arrives to celebrate his birthday, the Chief Piet decides to give 'Vrouwtje Wiet' (as he likes to call her) a tour of the Muiderslot. For this is where all the lesser Pieten are busy preparing for the Sinterklaas celebrations. She gets a look into the Sint's kitchen, how the Pietermannen learn to rhyme and sees a lot of presents being stacked in order to be given away later. Naturally all of this is accompanied by several musical numbers. And it must be noted that most of the Zwarte Pieten running around the castle are just children themselves. It is almost like they are a children's choir in makeup. As for the parents watching along, they can always try to recognize the actors playing the grown up Pieten.
Finally HoofdPiet (also addressed as OpperPiet) spills the beans and tells Wieteke that the Sint is literally thinking of packing his suitcase and going back to Spain early. When Wieteke is finally allowed to have an audience with the holy man, Sint has indeed decided not to celebrate his birthday for the children any more. Perhaps he'll have a little get together with some other bishops and holy men. But Vrouwtje Wiet ensures the good man he shouldn't be discouraged by a few lousy letters written by a couple of rotten children (it's funny to hear her speak like this in a children's program) and manages to change his holy mind. Phewie!
And so the gates are opened and a bunch of still believing children are let in for the second half of the show, which is just your usual Sinterklaasfeest as celebrated in a million homes around the low countries each year. The children are asked to sing traditional Sinterklaasliedjes and in return receive presents from the Sint and his Pietermannen. None of them appear to have been bad, so not a single one is punished by being put into an empty sack and taken along to Spain. Then HoofdPiet announces it is time for Sinterklaas to make his round and deliver all the remaining presents, ending the show on a high, if somewhat predictable note.
7 out of 10
