Swiebertje
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| Swiebertje | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First appearance | 1936 |
| Created by | John Henri uit den Bogaard |
| Portrayed by | Joop Doderer |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | Dutch |
Swiebertje is a character from the books of Dutch author John Henri uit den Bogaard, who wrote a series of children's books based on the character from 1936 to 1974. The books were adapted for television (Joop Doderer playing the title role), in a series of shows which aired on NCRV in the 1960s and 1970s, one of the longest-running and most popular shows in Dutch TV history.
The character Swiebertje is a tramp, and is supposed to be inspired by a drawing by Tjeerd Bottema. He is a "lovable vagabond", and his character as well as the TV show "present a comforting image of a simple rural past".[1] His wanderings, during which he typically got in trouble but always found a happy ending, evoked romanticism and adventure.[2] The "innocent" show was the second-most popular show among Dutch children in 1966; the most popular was the more adult program Bonanza.[3]
Regular characters included, besides Swiebertje, the police officer Bromsnor (Lou Geels), housekeeper Saartje (Riek Schagen), and shopkeeper Malle Pietje (Piet Ekel).[4] The vagabond 'Swiebertje' as well as the old-fashioned constable 'Bromsnor' and rag-and-bone man 'Malle Pietje' have grown to become household eponyms in the Dutch language.