Re: Larry the Lamb in Dutch and other foreign-language dubs

[Mayor the Policeman]

Firstly, a quote from discussion of the digital whereabouts of Larry the Lamb in Toytown:

I only found a few odd volumes with Dutch translations. Cannot find a complete series on any channel. Unfortunately.

Still haven’t found these other releases of the series. Having seen the Dutch-subtitled Cartoon Time VHS (includes the LTL episode Dirty Work at the Dog and Whistle) it would be good to know where else they could be found.

Apparently the series was sold “all over the world” according to various newspaper articles, but these would be the only surviving remnants of international distribution. Despite common misgivings about lack of sales for these children’s series, a lot of them did make it outside the UK. There is currently an episode of Captain Pugwash dubbed into German, and quite a few versions of The Magic Roundabout.

Any other notable examples of foreign-language dubs for 20th century British TV? How different were they from the original English?

[Richard1978]

I've heard Rupert The Bear was sold in many countries, I presume it was fairly easy to dub into other languages as the characters were puppets.

[George 1978]

Any other notable examples of foreign-language dubs for 20th century British TV? How different were they from the original English?

I think that when it came to programmes in American English being seen in the UK, I assume that they didn't bother by virtue that the United States speaking English just as much as British people, do mostly because: A) It would have been regarded as a complete waste of money; and B) So many American imports are shown in Great Britain anyway and we seem to be familiar with it. Imagine Diff'rent Strokes with Philip Drummond having a Cockney accent if you will? On the other hand, I made a point on a thread last year about the original American Sesame Street being shown in the UK in the 1970s onwards - I made a point that because it is an educational programme; "inviting" British youngsters to pronounce Z as zee could confuse and even mislead many under fives when their educational knowledge is only just beginning. It happened to me at that age, and a speech therapist I was seeing at the time was not very amused!

With regards to European shows possibly being dubbed, Robinson Crusoe is probably one example where one lip-reads in a different language to what we heard on the soundtrack - what we hear does not match their lips moving! Foreign TV being dubbed was one of the entries in Channel 4's 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell or whatever it was called in 2000. I believe that The Flying Kiwi was Dutch in origin and was dubbed for the British, Australian and New Zealand market as well. Huickleberry Finn perhaps? There are loads of series shown in the UK, usually on school holiday mornings in the 1970s and 1980s which received this sort of treatment, I would have thought that Larry the Lamb would have more likely came from France rather than the Netherlands.

Puppets are obviously easier to dub rather than human actors - the Muppets helped to circulate around the world, especially for the Latin American and Spanish and Portugese markets, usually benefitting South Anerican countries. I would be interested in whether UK series such as Rainbow also got the same treatment as well - I know that the series had made it to New Zealand, but whether they were dubbed for non-English-speaking countries, it would be interesting to find out.

[Mayor the Policeman]

I would have thought that Larry the Lamb would have more likely came from France rather than the Netherlands.

Puppets are obviously easier to dub rather than human actors - the Muppets helped to circulate around the world, especially for the Latin American and Spanish and Portugese markets, usually benefitting South Anerican countries. I would be interested in whether UK series such as Rainbow also got the same treatment as well - I know that the series had made it to New Zealand, but whether they were dubbed for non-English-speaking countries, it would be interesting to find out.

Larry the Lamb in Toytown was an original British production that originally ran on Thames TV from 1972 to 1974. It was mentioned in the first post because it is incredibly hard to find online, and having been told that there were multiple Dutch (presumably subtitled because that’s how most foreign television is seen in the Netherlands) releases of the series, it has been difficult to find them without being told where. Do not know the official Dutch-translated title was.

There is an interview with the Rainbow crew from 1989 on YouTube, where they discuss that the show was sold to “at least, or more than” 15 countries, including Singapore, Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as the Australasian regions. May or may not have been dubbed.

[George 1978]

There is an interview with the Rainbow crew from 1989 on YouTube, where they discuss that the show was sold to “at least, or more than” 15 countries, including Singapore, Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as the Australasian regions. May or may not have been dubbed.

I would love to see those versions of the programme! The thought of Rainbow appearing on TV in the Middle East almost feels so surreal. A bit like how Postman Pat had to gain an extra finger on his hands when he entered Japan.

[Mayor the Policeman]

I would love to see those versions of the programme! The thought of Rainbow appearing on TV in the Middle East almost feels so surreal. A bit like how Postman Pat had to gain an extra finger on his hands when he entered Japan.

Interesting, Zippy and George only have three fingers on each hand. Not sure if there’s anything in the Middle East that would “ban” them from appearing there.

Captain Pugwash and Jimbo and the Jet-Set’s characters have the full five fingers, so exportation to Japan would have been easy. Larry the Lamb’s humans have mitten-like appendages, but that didn’t stop them from being seen in the Netherlands. If only more of those releases could be found, would be fascinating to see how the rest of the world saw these “classic British shows”.

[George 1978]

I have to admit that when I saw Rainbow on the TV back in the 1980s (my age was in single figures back then), it never occured to me that George and Zippy looked "odd" because they only had one hand (because the puppeteer Ronnie le Drew operated both of them and couldn't bring both of their arms to life if they did have them) - I only noticed this many years after when I saw clips of them. The same with Cosmo and Dibs from You and Me who were very similar puppets. It's also an interesting point that they only had three fingers as well - I don't remember actually focusing on details such as that when I was younger!

Have a look at this article about Postman Pat having difficulty entering Japan, in particular the fourth paragraph - https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/uk...article/833437

Just shows you that anything to do with the British Royal Mail takes an age to get to another part of the world!