The Little Polar Bear
The Little Polar Bear (German: Der kleine Eisbär) is a franchise about a polar bear cub named Lars who first starred in a number of books written by Dutch author, Hans de Beer.
It later became an animated TV series for BBC TV, Lars, der Kleine Eisbär, in the 1990s. The show proved to be popular in Germany, but its English-dubbed version has also gained a cult following with UK viewers.
The show was later revived between 2001 and 2003. For its first film, subtitled Der Kinofilm, Warner Bros. and animation studio Rothkirch Cartoon Film bought the rights to adapt the children's books into a feature-length film, released in 2001.
After the success of the feature, several direct-to-video features were released, one of the new characters included was a tiger cub. In 2005, another film, The Little Polar Bear 2 – The Mysterious Island (German: Der Kleine Eisbär 2: Die geheimnisvolle Insel) was released and also proved successful.
The score to The Little Polar Bear (1) was composed by Nigel Clarke & Michael Csanyi-Wills and recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and was nominated for several awards.
Contents
Original BBC TV series adaptation[edit]
The Little Polar Bear | |
---|---|
Genre | Animation |
Created by | Hans de Beer (Novel) |
Voices of | Sue Sheridan Jimmy Hibbert |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | German |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 18 |
In the mid-1990s there was a TV adaptation for the BBC, featuring the voice talents of Sue Sheridan and Jimmy Hibbert.
- Susan Sheridan - Lars, Lena, Peeps, Mummy Polar Bear,
- Jimmy Hibbert - Daddy Polar Bear, various male voices
Characters[edit]
- Lars - the little polar bear, main character of the show
- Frieda, Lars' mother
- Mika, Lars' father
- Lena - the Arctic hare,
- Peeps - the snow goose,
- Brownie Brown Bear,
- Mummy Brown Bear, Brownie's mother
- Daddy Brown Bear, Brownie's father
- The seagull acrobites
- Fussy Husky
- Zoophoo (walrus)
Episodes[edit]
No. | Cartoons | Original airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | "The Ice Floe" | 1994 |
Lars is carried across the sea on a drifting sheet of ice, until he reaches an island. There he makes friends with Hippo and is given a lift home by Orca. | ||
2 | "The Snow Storm" | 1994 |
While playing in the snow, Lars meets Lena. They both get trapped in a snow storm, but Lars manages to find his way home. | ||
3 | "The Egg" | 1994 |
Lars stumbles across a goose egg and warms it, till out hatches a gosling he names Peeps. | ||
4 | "The Polar Station" | 1994 |
Lars ventures into the Polar Station. Lena is almost caught by a man, but Lena and Lars make their escape back to the safety of their home. | ||
5 | "The Net" | 1994 |
While swimming, Lars is caught in a fish net and loaded onto a fishing freighter. He is met by the ship's cat Nemo, who helps him off the ship. | ||
6 | "The Trap" | 1994 |
In a game of hide n' seek, Lena and Peeps get caught in a cage trap. Lars manages to release them and take them to safety from the hunting dogs. | ||
7 | "The Mission" | 1994 |
Lars goes to the forest to get some honey medicine for his ill parents. Daddy Brown Bear provides the medicine and Brownie accompanies Lars back home. | ||
8 | "The Ice Cave" | 1994 |
While exploring Lars, Lena and Peeps plunge deep into an ice grotto. They make a hasty exit as the cave collapses and Orca takes them to safety. | ||
9 | "The Hunter" | 1994 |
Lars and Brownie are captured by a hunter. Lars releases himself and Brownie, then they release all the other captured animals, before making their way home. | ||
10 | "The Labyrinth" | 1994 |
Lena and Peeps are carried off into an ice labyrinth surrounded by thick fog. As Lars finds them, the fog disperses. | ||
11 | "The Weather Balloon" | 1994 |
As Lars examines a weather balloon, Peeps gets carried off in it. The seagulls save Peeps, while Lars recovers the seagull's bell clapper. | ||
12 | "The Boat" | 1994 |
Lena finds a deserted boat and with Lars and Peeps sails. Lars jumps overboard with the life belt and then saves Lena and Peeps from an iceberg. | ||
13 | "The Barrel" | 1994 |
On a journey to find fish, Lars comes across a wooden barrel full of dried herrings. Lena helps Lars to move it, to provide food for Daddy and Mummy Polar Bear. | ||
14 | "The Book" | 1994 |
More icy escapades with Lars the polar bear and his friends. | ||
15 | "The Honeycomb" | 1994 |
In his icy homeland of the North Pole, Lars follows his curiosity, which not only leads him into many adventures, but enables him to meet new friends along the way. | ||
16 | "The Flower" | 1994 |
Lars stumbles across a rare flower and patiently waits for it to grow. Lena and Peeps help Lars protect the flower. | ||
17 | "The Teddy Bear" | 1994 |
In his icy homeland of the North Pole, Lars follows his curiosity, which not only leads him into many adventures, but enables him to meet other bears along the way. | ||
18 | "The White Bear" | 1994 |
Lars the little polar bear follows his curiosity and meets new friends along the way. | ||
18 | "The White Bear" | 1994 |
Lars the little polar bear follows his curiosity and meets new friends along the way. | ||
19 | "The Concert" | 1994 |
Lars the curious Polar Bear has great fun in the North Pole and has many friends to share adventures with. | ||
20 | "The Competition" | 1994 |
Lars can't help but let his curiosity lead him all over the North Pole where he meets many new friends and has lots of adventures. | ||
21 | "The Camp Fire" | 1994 |
Lars can't help but let his curiosity lead him all over the North Pole where he meets many new friends and has lots of adventures. | ||
22 | "The Polar Night" | 1994 |
Lars follows his curiosity into the night, which leads him into adventures and helps him meet many new friends. | ||
23 | "The Prank" | 1994 |
Lars follows his curiosity, which leads him into adventures and helps him meet many new friends. | ||
24 | "Tummy Ache" | 1994 |
Lars follows his curiosity, which not only leads him into many adventures, but enables him to meet new friends on the way. | ||
25 | "The Love Story" | 1994 |
In his icy homeland of the North Pole, Lars follows his curiosity, which not only leads him into many adventures, but enables him to meet new friends on the way. |
Film[edit]
The Little Polar Bear | |
---|---|
![]() DVD cover
|
|
Directed by | Piet De Rycker Thilo Rothkirch |
Produced by | Willi Geike |
Written by | Piet De Rycker Bert Schrickel Thomas Wittenburg |
Music by | Nigel Clarke Michael Csányi-Wills |
Edited by | Bettina Behrens Nadia Hennrich |
Production
company |
Rothkirch Cartoon Film
|
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates
|
4 October 2001 |
Running time
|
77 minutes |
Country | Germany |
Language | German English |
This film was followed by five sequels:
- The Little Polar Bear: Lars and the Little Tiger (2002)
- The Little Polar Bear: The Dream of Flying (2003)
- The Little Polar Bear: Nanouk's Rescue (2003)
- The Little Polar Bear: A Visitor from the South Pole (2004)
- The Little Polar Bear: The Mysterious Island (2005)
Voice cast[edit]
Character | German Version | English Version |
---|---|---|
Lars |
|
Wesley Singerman |
Robby | Maximilian Artajo | Brianne Siddall |
Kalle | Jochen Busse | |
Nalle | Mike Krüger | |
Palle | Bernd Stelter | |
Mika | Ingolf Lück | Michael McConnohie |
Manili | Vanessa Petruo | |
Greta | Jeanette Biedermann | RuDee Sade |
Caruso | Dirk Bach | Joe Ochman |
Pieps | Sandro Blümel | Sandy Fox |
Hippo | Harry Rowohlt | |
Lena | Adak Azdasht | Kimberly J. Brown |
Sopho / Sophocles | Wolfgang Völz | Ralph Votrian |
Großmutter | Barbara Adolph | |
Mutter Eisbär | Anke Engelke | |
Lemmings |
|
|
Seagulls / Möwe |
|
Additional English Voices
- Daran Norris ... Brutus
- Neil Kaplan ... Bert
- Tom Fahn ... Boris
- Rebecca Forstadt ... Anna
- Steve Blum ... Henry
- Mari Devon ... Nina
- Edie Mirman ... Grandmother
- Steve Bulen ... Other
- Richard Cansino ... Other
- Melora Harte ... Other
Voices in Brazil
- Cáio César ...Lars
- Charles Emmanuel...Robby
- Luísa Palomanes...Greta
External links[edit]
- Der Kleine Eisbär at the Internet Movie Database
- Der kleine Eisbär - Neue Abenteuer, neue Freunde at the Internet Movie Database
- Der kleine Eisbär - Neue Abenteuer, neue Freunde 2 at the Internet Movie Database
- Der kleine Eisbär - Besuch vom Südpol at the Internet Movie Database
- Der kleine Eisbär - Nanouks Rettung at the Internet Movie Database
- Der kleine Eisbär 2 - Die geheimnisvolle Insel at the Internet Movie Database
- Original Score: Nigel Clarke & Michael Csanyi Wills
- 1992 German television series debuts
- 1990s German television series
- 2000s German television series
- German animated television series
- German-language television programming
- Television programs based on children's books
- Television shows set in the Arctic
- Das Erste television series
- 1994 British television programme debuts
- 1994 British television programme endings
- 1990s British television series
- German children's literature
- 2001 films
- 2001 animated films
- German animated films
- British animated films
- German children's films
- German films
- German-language films
- Warner Bros. films
- Warner Bros. animated films
- Films featuring anthropomorphic characters
- Films set in the Arctic
- Animated films based on children's books
- Fictional polar bears