The Little Vampire (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Little Vampire |
|
|---|---|
| Written by | Richard Nielsen Angela Sommer-Bodenburg |
| Directed by | René Bonnière |
| Starring | Joel Dacks, Gert Fröbe, Christopher Stanton, Marsha Moreau, Michael Gough, Jim Gray |
| Opening theme | "They Can See in the Dark" performed by Jim Gray |
| Ending theme | "They Can See in the Dark" (Instrumental) |
| Composer(s) | John Mills-Cockell |
| Country of origin | Canada, Germany |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Tony Allard, Anna Home, John Ross, Nic Wry, Frithjof Zeidler |
| Producer(s) | Richard Nielsen |
| Production location(s) | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Editor(s) | Doug Forbes |
| Running time | 25 min |
| Production company(s) | Norflicks (Canada) Allarcom (Canada) Polyphon (Germany) |
| Release | |
| Original release | 1986 – 1987 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Der kleine Vampir – Neue Abenteuer |
The Little Vampire (also known as Der kleine Vampir in German) is a fun TV show for kids. It was made in 1985 by companies from Germany and Canada. The show is based on the popular book series by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg. It's all about a boy who becomes friends with a vampire!
Meet the Characters
This TV series tells the story of Anton Besker, a 10-year-old boy. One night, a vampire boy named Rüdiger appears in his bedroom. Rüdiger looks Anton's age, but he's actually 146 years old! Vampires can choose their age and stay that way forever. Rüdiger and his sister Anna chose to stay as children. They live in a secret crypt in the old part of the local cemetery.
Anton and Rüdiger become best friends. They can only meet after sunset and before sunrise. They love to fly using a special "flying powder" called "rants." This powder makes any cloth it's sprinkled on fly. For safety, they only use it on vampire cloaks. So, Anton can fly by wearing a vampire cloak with the powder on it.
There are some important rules for Anton. He must never tell anyone that vampires are real. Even though he writes about his adventures to his friend Teddy, Teddy thinks they are just made-up stories. Also, other vampires, except Anna and Lumpi, must not know Anton is human. Vampires also have to hide from vampire hunters, like Johann Geiermeier. Geiermeier is the handyman and gravedigger at the cemetery. He is always trying to find and destroy the vampires. Luckily, Anton helps the vampires escape his traps!
| German Name | English Name | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Anton Bohnsack | Anton Besker | Christopher Stanton |
| Rüdiger von Schlotterstein | Rüdiger von Schlotterstein | Joel Dacks |
| Onkel Theodor von Schlotterstein | Uncle Ludwig von Schlotterstein | Michael Gough |
| Tante Dorothee von Schlotterstein | Aunt Hildegard von Schlotterstein | Lynn Seymour |
| Anna von Schlotterstein | Anna Irmgard von Schlotterstein | Marsha Moreau |
| Lumpi von Schlotterstein | Lumpi von Schlotterstein | Jim Gray |
| Johann Geiermeier | Johann Gurrmeyer | Gert Fröbe |
| Udo Schäfer | Cyril Schaeffer | Kristofer Kent |
| Helga Bohnsack | Helga Besker | Susan Hogan |
| Robert Bohnsack | Robert Besker | Michael Hogan |
| Effie Puvogel | Effie Perkins | Cathy Wenschlag |
| Frau Puvogel | Mrs. Perkins | Barbara Reese |
| Teddy Kasper | Teddy Cuthbert |
Episode Guide
The series has 13 exciting episodes. Here's a quick look at what happens:
- 1. "A Visit at Night"
Rüdiger, a bored little vampire, finds Anton. He follows Anton home and later knocks on his window. Anton is scared at first, but they quickly become good friends. Meanwhile, Johann Geiermeier arrives. He is the new gravedigger and a vampire hunter.
- 2. "Flying You Should Learn"
Anton's parents are out, so Rüdiger teaches Anton to fly. They use a special "flying powder" on a vampire cloak. Anton's mom almost catches them. Geiermeier moves into his new house, and Rüdiger's uncle spies on him.
- 3. "At the Schlottersteins"
Uncle Ludwig is sure Geiermeier is a vampire hunter. Rüdiger scares Anton's babysitter away. He takes Anton to his crypt. They barely escape Geiermeier at the cemetery. Anton hides in Rüdiger's coffin, but Aunt Hildegard smells him!
- 4. "Vampire Cloaks Should Not Be Washed"
Anton's mom washes the vampire cloak, making the flying powder disappear. Anton tries to fly at the cemetery, but can't. His classmate Cyril sees him. Geiermeier questions them about the cloak. Rüdiger is upset about the lost cloak.
- 5. "Anna's Trick"
Geiermeier writes about his vampire hunting plans. Rüdiger's sister Anna helps Anton get the cloak back from Cyril. Anna sprinkles flying powder on the cloak, and Anton's bed starts to fly! Anton hides in Rüdiger's coffin again.
- 6. "Rüdiger in Jeans"
Rüdiger and Anna need human clothes to visit Anton. Rüdiger borrows Anton's jeans. Anna decides to steal a dress from Cyril's house. Geiermeier tries to steal a vampire file from the library but gets caught by the police.
- 7. "Tea with Surprises"
Rüdiger and Anna arrive at Anton's house dressed as humans. Rüdiger's family spies on them. They think Rüdiger and Anna are eating human food. Anton warns them, and they leave. Geiermeier catches them, but their family saves them. Rüdiger is punished for breaking vampire rules.
- 8. "Rüdiger in Peril"
Rüdiger is banned from the crypt and hides in Anton's building's locker room. He asks Anton to get his cloak so he can fly away. But Anton's babysitter, Effie, finds the cloak and puts it in the washing machine. Rüdiger can't escape.
- 9. "Troubles in the Cellar"
Rüdiger is still hiding in Anton's cellar. Anna tells him about a "Big Vampire Party." Geiermeier talks to the hidden vampires at the cemetery, promising a plan to destroy them. The police take Geiermeier to a hospital, but he escapes.
- 10. "The Big Vampire Party"
Anton hears that Geiermeier plans to destroy the old graveyard. Rüdiger doesn't want to hear it because of the party. Anton dresses as a vampire. Cyril also shows up dressed as a vampire. At the party, Anton is introduced as "Thor the Awful."
- 11. "Geiermeier Is Everywhere"
The vampire party continues with lots of dancing. Anton's makeup starts to wash off, so he needs to leave. Rüdiger tells his aunt Anton is getting his violin. In the underground tunnels, they meet Geiermeier, who is also dressed as a vampire.
- 12. "Transport Problems"
Rüdiger is still in Anton's cellar. Anton tells him the graveyard demolition has started. Anton goes to the crypt to warn the vampires. He admits he's human. Uncle Ludwig is angry, but Anna convinces him to listen. Anton helps them rent a boat to escape.
- 13. "Farewell Is Not Forever"
The vampires are ready to move. They use Hallowe'en as an excuse to transport their coffins. Police stop them, urged by Geiermeier. Anton steps forward, and the police realize Geiermeier is an escaped patient. Geiermeier gives up vampire hunting. Anton gets flying powder as a gift. Rüdiger sends Anton a letter, showing they can still meet.
Differences from the Books
The TV show is based on the books, but there are some differences:
- In the TV show, Rüdiger, Anna, Lumpi, Aunt Dorothee, and Uncle Ludwig live in the crypt. In the books, more family members live there, including Rüdiger's parents and grandparents.
- In the books, Uncle Ludwig was already gone before the story began.
- In the TV show, Lumpi is Rüdiger and Anna's cousin. In the books, he is their older brother.
- Uncle Ludwig is the king of vampires in the TV show. In the books, Count Dracula is the worldwide king.
- In the TV show, Lumpi has human punk friends. In the books, he leads a vampire youth club.
See also
In Spanish: El pequeño vampiro (serie de TV) para niños
