Trip down memory lane: Do you remember these SA children’s TV shows?
South African television channels have entertained us over the years. Here is a look at all the old popular children’s shows you probably forgot about.
South African television channels have entertained us with a diverse range of programmes, from captivating dramas to hilarious comedies and children’s shows. However, some of these shows have faded from the spotlight and our memories. Here is a revisit of a selection of popular children’s TV shows.
CHILDREN LOVED PUMPKIN PATCH (1987–1991)
This TV show included many lovable characters: Woofles the security dog, Freckles and Speckles the puppets, Uncle Bill the mayor (played by William Abdul), and Laurel the teacher. The stories featured everyday life for a typical South African child.
MANNEMARAK – POPULAR CHILDREN’S TV SHOW
Certainly one of the most popular Afrikaans children’s TV shows was Mannemarak. It aired between 1986 and 1987 and featured a friendly and inquisitive alien named Mannemarak. Each week, he would visit planet Earth to learn about the people and the place. He documented his experiences with the help of his trusted computer, Kompie.
CHILDREN LOVED BRAKANJAN
Brakanjan was another popular children’s show from the 80s. It was dubbed into Afrikaans from the Spanish-Japanese children’s cartoon D’Artacán y los Tres Mosqueperros. The main character in the show, Brakanjan, a dog, travels on horseback to Paris in the hope to become a musketeer. In Paris he meets three musketeers who become his best friends and together they embark on various missions.
WIELIE-WALIE TV SHOW
Louise Smit created Wielie Walie, an Afrikaans children’s TV show. Sock puppets featured in the show and the SABC broadcast it from the launch of television in South Africa in 1976. The SABC took it off the air in 1996, but before that, it was one of SA’s longest-running TV shows. The hosts of the show were Magda van Biljon and Gert van Tonder. The actors responsible for the puppets’ voices were Lochner de Kock, Dulinda Pieters, Francois Stemmet, and Verna Vels. Verna Vels is well known for her creation of Liewe Heksie, a feel-good series with stories of an innocent witch saving the day, purely by accident.
DUCKTALES – POPULAR CHILDREN’S TV SHOW
Another popular show was Walt Disney’s DuckTales – an American animation television series that many SA children enjoyed. It was based on Carl Barks’ Uncle Scrooge comic book series. Following the adventures of Scrooge McDuck and his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, it was an exciting show. The family embark on globe-trotting adventures and treasure hunts, uncover family secrets, and face dangerous enemies. For that reason, one can describe it as action-packed.
BIKER MICE FROM MARS (1993–1995)
Rick Ungar created Biker Mice from Mars, an American animated science fiction series that was undoubtedly a favourite for many children. The show follows three mice motorcyclists who escape a war on their home planet Mars before arriving to defend the Earth from the evil that destroyed their homeland to one day return to Mars.