Heidi (2015 TV series)
Heidi is an animated children's television series, based on the 1881 novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri. The original television series from 2007 was a Swiss-French-Italian-Australian co-production in 27 episodes of 26 minutes.
A "remake" of Heidi, Girl of the Alps, much of the story is the same; the titular character is a then-eight-year-old girl, who is taken to her grandfather on the Swiss Alps by her aunt Dete to live with him and while the girl ends up improving his life, she also befriends Peter, the goatherd of the village Dorfli below and the one who causes her to find a big passion of hers, goats and other animals in general.
In this version, there is also a trio, Karl, Theresa, and William, who usually try to do something that would degrade Peter, whom they often refer to as a mountain goat, in some way or another. In the first winter up there, a letter is eventually gotten and what results from there will end up changing another's life, as well.
The series has been distributed in 138 countries around the world.
A second season had been released in 2019 with Studio 100's Australian animation studio Flying Bark Productions dropping out of the series and a different voice cast just like Studio 100 Animation's other animated series Maya the Bee.
Characters
The actors cited are from the English cast.Meier family
Adelaide "Heidi" Meier is the titular character, an 8-year-old cute and innocent orphan girl who is taken to her grandfather, like the base series and novel. She loves her family and her friends so much.Ernst Meier is Heidi's grandfather, a gentle and but slightly grumpy old man who works as a carpenter. Nicknamed the "Alps Uncle", he owns Little Bear and Little Swan, and later Snowdrop after Little Swan dies in episode 1 of season 2. After a fall in season 2, Ernst starts having trouble doing his work. After an accident with Heidi near the Meier Bridge, Ernst decides to go to Frankfurt to see Dr. Beckmann, who recommends a surgery which he takes after talking with Frieda.Joseph is Heidi's grandfather's Saint Bernard dog.Caruso is Heidi's grandmother's Bulldog.Chippy is goldfinch that Heidi takes in after it has been attacked by a predator. He leaves for warmer places, like Africa, during winter, but always comes back in the spring.Tobias Meier is Heidi's deceased father, who never finished building the Devil's Bridge over a mountain gap he and his father Ernst Meier/ Heidi's grandfather worked on.Adelaide Meier is Heidi's deceased mother, and Dete's older sister.Anna Meier is Heidi's grandmother and Ernst's wife. She disappeared in a shipwreck off the coast of Salerno, Italy before Heidi was born. It is later revealed that she woke up in a hospital in Sicily, having no memory of her family in Dorfli, and grew up as the Countess 'Alice di Burgo, the widow of Count di Burgo from Salerno, Italy, looking after the hospital and an orphanage. After spending time in Dorfli, Anna's memories soon return. She decides to stay with Ernst as Heidi is enrolled in a school in Zurich.Aunt Dete' is Heidi's maternal aunt who forcibly leaves Heidi with her grandfather and shows saccharine self-righteousness with those around her, including her own niece. She works as a partly cooking maid in the Sesemann household, with butler Sebastian who she eventually falls in love with and marries, though where is not actually specified.Bendorf family
Peter Bendorf is an 11 year old goatherd and Heidi's best friend. He owns the goat Goldfinch, who becomes a mother to baby Mischief. He reunites with his father, Anton Bendorf, while in Frankfurt in season 2.Bridget is Peter's mother. Together with her mother, Susanne, she made up the story about Peter's father being a man from Spain named Pablo who died in a war to protect Peter.Anton Bendorf is Peter's father, who is watchmaker from Frankfurt and the owner of Bendorf's Watchmakers. Even though he was already married, he fell in love with Bridget. Years later, his wife got sick and died, and he closed his shop for lack of customers.Susanne is Peter's blind grandmother and Bridget's mother.Traber family
Karl Traber is the leader of Theresa and William's gang. He is an adventurer and treasure hunter, who likes to collect valuable things such as fossils, semi-precious stones and insects. He was Peter's friend, but something made them part. He used to call Peter "Billy Goat" until an incident where he saved Karl's life.Mr. Traber is Karl's father is the school teacher. He and Karl move to Maienfield before Clara's visit. Mr. Traber returned in season 2, but Karl is not specified.Keller family
Theresa Keller owns the goat Sweetheart. Theresa is usually jealous, conceited, and mean to Heidi and Peter, along with Karl and William, but accepts them in episode 33 with Clara and starts to be much nicer, until season 2.Johann Keller is Dorfli's grocer, Theresa's father, and Alda's husband.Alda Keller is Theresa's snobby mother and Johann's wife. She is less reasonable than Johann, as she only cares about money, her pride and her family.Hopfer family
William Hopfer is a short and obese member of the trio-turned-duo, tends to be distracted by thoughts of food and gets easily filled with fear and has a goat owned by his own family. He is revealed to have found a fox he named Flame.Barbel Hopfer is a friend of Dete's, and William's mother.Hans Hopfer is Barbel's husband, the village blacksmith, and William's father.Sesemann family
Clara Sesemann is the 12-year-old daughter of Friedrich Sesemann and Constance Sesemann. She is a sweet rich girl who used to be in a wheelchair, but in episode 37 she starts walking for the first time. As of season 2, Clara takes up ballet with Susanne Linke as her teacher.Friedrich Sesemann is Clara's father and Constance's husband. He married Constance on his wedding just before Clara was born. In season 2, he is revealed to be in love with an American woman named Elizabeth. He was angry with Clara sometimes in both episode 14 and 15, but when Clara got upset, he reconciles with Clara with help from Heidi.Constance Sesemann is Clara's late mother and Mr. Sesemann's wife and the late Mrs. Sesemann. She is said to have been a great ballerina. When Clara was a little girl, her mother took her to the Park along with her father. Clara took her first steps in the park when she was a baby. Her father was proud of her progress. Before she died, she asked her husband to watch over her daughter always so that Clara will have a new mother after her death and asks her husband if she could hold her little girl one last time before she goes to heaven.Grandmamma Sesemann is Clara's kind and youthful grandmother. She is an actress in the theatre. She only made an appearance in Season 2, Episode 2, but is mentioned by Clara in "The Matchmakers".Miss Vera Rottenmeier is the Sesemann household's strict governess, who has an overblown worry of Clara's health, focus on the kids' education and reactions towards animals, highly conformist and attentively enforcing of it, the most on "Adelaide", and refuses other's opinions more often than not, in useless stubbornness. Eventually, she comes to view Heidi as a friend as well as Clara's.Sebastian is the Sesemann household's butler who falls in love with Aunt Dete.Elizabeth is a Texan woman Friedrich Sesemann met in the United States. She becomes Friedrich's fiancé in season 2. She declares that as soon as she and Friedrich get married, they will get babies, but Clara dislikes Elizabeth. Clara is upset that if she leaves Frankfurt, she will never see her friend Heidi again, but Friedrich comforts Clara by telling her that he loves her. Elizabeth asks a stranger to buy some ballet tickets for Clara and Friedrich Sesemann to have their first Dance at the Ballet Academy. Friedrich asks his daughter to be his escort at the dance.Lamfredi family
Rico Lamfredi is a 7-year-old boy from Puglia, Italy whom Heidi and Ernst take in. He is revealed to be a skilled violinist and can craft wooden sculptures really well.Francesco Lamfredi is Rico's father. His late wife was named Stella. Originally wanting to go to Marseille in France, he and Rico settle in Dorfli.Flavio is Francesco's donkey.Other characters
Hans Bakker is a home-school teacher who excessively punishes Heidi for her confusions and whose own teaching method includes torture, involving holding heavy books, which gets him fired from teaching at the Sesemann Household.Ticket inspector is a friendly and helpful train attendant. Rudy is a boy in Frankfurt who plays a barrel organ in the street. He is a friend of Clara and Heidi. He owns the kittens, Socks and Star.Park ranger is a harsh park ranger who's keen on flowers and doesn't take care of the animals at the park.Dr. Beckmann is the Sesemann family doctor, and helps Ernst Meier with an operation in season 2.Mr. Dinkelmann: In one episode he came to the Sesemann's house to be regarding an adoption for Heidi to be Clara's sister.Friedrich is Miss Vera Rottenmeier's old friend from Auringen near Frankfurt.Henry Mason is a man from Liverpool, England who comes to Dorfli. It is eventually revealed that he was after quartz crystals on the White Peak. His actions cause an avalanche that destroys the chalet in the mountains, but is later caught by Grandfather, Heidi and Rico while Mr. Mason tries to escape back to England. Mr. Mason is arrested and Grandfather and Francesco rebuilt the chalet.Susanne Linke is Clara's ballet instructor.Frieda: An orphaned girl Dr. Beckmann once treated, she works for her landlady to hopefully bring her little brother Ulrich to live with her. Because she has never been to school, she never learned to read. Thanks to Heidi though, she managed to learn. On Christmas Eve, Frieda reunites with Ulrich at the Sesemann Household. Ulrich's foster parents agree to adopt Frieda as well and are impatient to meet her.Ulrich is Frieda's little brother.Frau Decker is Frieda's cruel landlady.Alfredo is Countess di Burgo's caretaker. When Grandfather walks in the Frankfurt Park with Heidi after his operation, he finds a woman with Alfredo whom he thinks is his wife Anna. He chases "Anna" but the lady ignores him. Heartbroken, grandfather faints in the park and Heidi begs for him to wake up.Fritz Newman is a man from Frankfurt in charge of the clock at the library. He tried to sabotage Anton Bendorf's work on the clock. Fritz calls a policeman and accuses Anton of ruining the clock, but thanks to Frieda's evidence, the policeman arrests Fritz Newman and it is unknown what happens to him after that.Helmut is a boy living under Frau Decker.Episode list
Season 1
- Up to the Mountain
- First Day in the Mountains
- The Challenge
- Save Chippy
- The Treehouse Oath
- A Night Out
- For a Loaf of Bread
- Trapped in the Manor
- Beware of the Wolf
- Peter's Treasure
- Attack the Treehouse!
- Save Sweetheart
- The End of Spring
- Clara
- The Bell Tower
- The Promise
- Papa Returns
- Home Schooled
- Let's Make a Show
- At the Park
- Clara Stands
- Goats in the City
- The Resignation
- A Tree for Shelter
- The Ghost
- The Letter
- Back to Dörfli
- A New Goat in the Herd
- The Broken Statue
- The Brooch
- The School Test
- Scavenger Hunt
- Goat's Hour
- The Storm
- The Devil's Bridge
- Friedrich
- The Wheelchair
- Forgiven
- The Edelweiss
Season 2
Dubbed "Heidi: New Adventures" on Netflix.- My Best Friend
- Goodbye Little Swan
- Rico
- The Hike
- The Competition
- Bridget's Secret
- The Violin
- Francesco
- The Watch
- The Resolution
- The Choice
- The Operation
- The Lady in Red
- The Matchmakers
- A Marriage is Announced
- Reunited
- A Question of Time
- Under the Christmas Tree
- The Cabin
- The Endangered Mountain
- The Accident
- The Wolpertinger
- Anna
- The Beehives
- A Tough Break
- A Difficult Choice
Production
Heidi was produced by ZDF, one of the series' co-producers, with the intention of renewing Heidi, Girl of the Alps and fellow series to the modern children's audience. The series was produced from 2013 to 2014, mainly in France, much like Maya the Bee and Vicky the Viking before, including being done by the same main studio, on the behalf of ZDF, but in this production, multiple other companies, including the Australia-based, specifically-made Heidi Pyl, joined in on making the series.In the first production, from the writing bible, written by Christel Gonnard, the first twenty-seven episodes had their locations shot with high-definition footage, for reference to the animators making the now-fictionalized locations of the series, in Haute-Savoie for the Alps and in Friborg for Frankfurt, similarly to Zuyio 's team shooting pictures of the official locations themselves, and for the setting references to background painters and writers, for the base series. The two halves that happened to be made in that production were directed, respectively, by Pierre-Antoine Hiroz and Anne Deluz. The theme music was two songs at the time; the credits song, replaced by a piece of background music from the series, when the series was bought the rights out of, was sung by Cindy Santos, first known in 2006, when she participated in the French show Nouvelle Star.
The first three episodes were screened as a "world preview" at Geneva's Tout Ecran Movie Festival on October 31, 2007. Later, a twenty-episode documentary series, of three minutes each episode, and produced by Rita and Chocolat TV Productions, aired on Télévision Suisse Romande as well as on Chocolat's website, before the latter was removed, which documented the first production. Afterwards, an account of a promoter, impersonating an now-teenage Heidi, was opened on a blog and a MySpace page, where the character promoted the series. The series premiered on the Swiss network Télévision Suisse Romande the same year on December 22, in Swiss HD. In France, Studio 100 Animation bought the rights in 2013 and produced a 3D series of 39 episodes of 26 minutes each, now directed by Jérôme Mouscadet, from that year to 2014 and the completed series began airing in 2015.
Due to the partnership of Eurovision Fiction, the series was sent to their affiliated countries, including Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland and aired on the EBU member chains of those countries.
A second season with 26 episodes was soon made.