Benjamin the Elephant
Benjamin the Elephant is an animated children's television show produced by Kiddinx Studios in Berlin. The show is based on audio stories by Elfie Donnelly. The audio series has been running since 1977 and has 142 stories as of 2019. On the show, the eponymous main character resides at the Newtown Zoo, with friends Otto and Stella. The adventures Benjamin gets involved in often require slipping into various roles, learning new jobs, or discovering new and distant places.
Characters
- Benjamin - an elephant, is big and strong, cuddly and good-natured. He loves lazing around. But when something is going on around him, he is on his feet in a trice and ready to act. He is known for his unmistakable "Toroo!" call. He is very helpful and reliable. Benjamin's home is Neustadt Zoo, and the Zoo Director Herr Tierlieb, Karl the Keeper and all the animals are his family. His best friend of all is a boy named Otto. Benjamin spends nearly every afternoon with him and every weekend, and together they have many adventures. Voiced by Dave Pettitt and Jürgen Kluckert.
- Otto - Benjamin's best friend. He is nice, polite, friendly and a very sensible boy. Since Otto knows a lot for a boy his age, he is able to explain things to Benjamin at times when he gets stuck. Otto visits Benjamin in the zoo just about every afternoon after school. They also spend nearly every weekend and the holidays together. From time to time, they even go on their travels together. Voiced by M.J. McCann.
- Stella Stellini - Otto's classmate and also a friend of Benjamin's. Stella is cheeky, energetic, adventurous and very sporty. Unlike Otto, Stella is very independent and often starts something on her own. When she is dealing with injustice or being headstrong, she often runs at brick walls. If Stella can't make any headway with a problem, or something goes wrong, then Benjamin and Otto are by her side to help out. Stella didn't make her first appearance until very late in the series.
- The Zoo Director, Herr Tierlieb - a good-natured, friendly elderly man. He lives and breathes his job as zoo director. Nothing is more important to him than the well-being of his animals. He is in charge of Neustadt Zoo and looks after all its inhabitants as if they were his children. It often troubles him that the zoo isn't making as much money as it should in order to provide food for all animals. The Zoo Director trusts Benjamin completely. If ever he needs his help, he is always able to count on his talking elephant. Voiced by Dean Galloway.
- Karl the Keeper - the zoo director's right hand, is well loved by all zoo animals. He looks after them with great love and care, keeps the enclosures in good repair, mends fences, fixes the heating when it breaks down and also orders the animal's food. Karl the Keeper loves his job. It is from Karl that Benjamin always finds out the latest news about the zoo and the animals. Voiced by Dan Gascon.
- Gulliver - the cheeky raven who thinks he knows everything and can do everything better than the others. The odd misfortune here or there does nothing to change his impetuous character. Gulliver only appears in the TV show, where he replaces the narrator. Voiced by David Lawrence Brown.
- Karla Kolumna - Benjamin is friends with Karla Kolumna, a somewhat overexcitable reporter. Everyone in Neustadt knows her cheery "Hello there!" and her famous "Sensationell!". She is always on hand to help, especially when it's a matter of publicizing any scandals or injustices hatched by the Mayor of Neustadt. In such cases, Benjamin, Karla and Otto all work together. Voiced by Debbie Munro.
- The Mayor - carries weight as Neustadt's premier citizen, as well as on his person. His name is Bruno Presssack, but he is usually referred to as "the Mayor". He is rather vain and high-handed and is therefore often unjust. However, Benjamin, Otto and Karla always manage to make him change his attitude with their clever ideas. In the end, they find a fair solution for everything. Voiced by Doug de Nance.
- Secretary Pichler - the Mayor's secretary. Although he always conforms to duty, he is a clever man with a sense of justice. When Benjamin and his friends are able to assert themselves against the Mayor, he is always secretly pleased. On a few occasions, he even secretly undermines the Mayor's plans. Voiced by Dean Galloway
- Baron Blunderbuss - a haughty aristocrat. He lives in a villa with enormous grounds right next to Newtown Zoo. The Baron has close contact to the Mayor and they support each other when it comes to promoting their interests. The Baron doesn't have much good to say about Benjamin the Elephant. His loud "Toroo!", which often reverberates around the zoo walls, disturb his peace and quiet. Voiced by Clark Robertson.
- Hinky and Pinky - two crooks from Newtown. Hinky is tall and thin and a bit stupid, Pinky is fat and much cleverer. Wherever the pair appear, they are up to no good. But Benjamin and Otto are always on the spot and are able to get the pair arrested in the end. Voiced by Ben Jeffrey and Kevin Tokarsky. Do not appear until very late in the series.
- Mr. Flatterer is a businessman in different professions. He uses flattery methods to trick people into deals, ranging sometimes to outright fraud. Usually among the villains of the story.
- Otto's Mother -
Book Series
- 1. Wo ist Winnie Waschbär?
- 2.
Audio Drama
- 1. Benjamin Blümchen als Wetterelefant
- 2. Benjamin Blümchen rettet den Zoo
- 3. Benjamin Blümchen Kampf dem Lärm
- 4. Benjamin Blümchen in Afrika
- 5. Benjamin Blümchen auf Hoher See "
- 6. Benjamin Blümchen und die Schule
- 7. Benjamin Blümchen Verliebt Sich
- 8. Benjamin Blümchen auf dem Baum
- 9. Benjamin Blümchen hat Geburtstag
- 10. Benjamin Blümchen und das Schloss
- 11. Benjamin Blümchen auf dem Mond
- 12. Benjamin Blümchen als Briefträger
- 13. Benjamin Blümchen im Krankenhaus
- 14. Benjamin Blümchen als Filmstar
- 15. Benjamin Blümchen im Urlaub
- 16. Benjamin Blümchen Träumt
- 17. Benjamin Blümchen Der Skiurlaub
- 18. Benjamin Blümchen als Schornsteinfeger
- 19. Benjamin Blümchen als Fussballstar
- 20. Benjamin Blümchen und Bibi Blocksberg
- 21. Benjamin Blümchen als Weihnachtsmann
- 22. Benjamin Blümchen als Kinderarzt
- 23. Benjamin Blümchen als Koch
- 24. Benjamin Blümchen als Detektiv
- 25. Benjamin Blümchen auf Kreuzfahrt
- 26. Benjamin Blümchen als Bademeister
- 27. Benjamin Blümchen auf dem Bauernhof
- 28. Benjamin Blümchen Rettet den Kindergarten
- 29. Benjamin Blümchen auf dem Rummel
- 30. Benjamin Blümchen als Pilot
- 31. Benjamin Blümchen als Feuerwehrmann
- 32. Die Verkehrsschule
- 33. Das Osterfest
- 34. Benjamin Blümchen als Lokomotivführer
- 35. Benjamin Blümchen hat Zahnweh
- 36. Benjamin Blümchen wird Verhext
- 37. Der Gorilla ist Weg
- 38. Der Zoo zieht Um
- 39. Benjamin Blümchen Kauft Ein
- 40. Benjamin Blümchen Zieht Aus
- 41. Benjamin Blümchen als Pirat
- 42. Benjamin Blümchen als Ritter
- 43. Benjamin Blümchen und die Autorallye
- 44. Benjamin Blümchen als Bäcker
- 45. Benjamin Blümchen als Zirkusclown
- 46. Benjamin Blümchen
- 47. Benjamin Blümchen als Gärtner
- 48. Benjamin Blümchen Kriegt ein Geschenk
- 49. Benjamin Blümchen als Müllmann
- 50. Benjamin Blümchen als Sheriff
- 51. Der Weihnachtsabend
- 52. Der Weihnachtstraum
- 53. Benjamin Blümchen Wird Reich
- 54. Benjamin Blümchen ist Krank
- 55. Benjamin Blümchen und die Astrofanten
- 56. Benjamin Blümchen als Reporter
- 57. Benjamin Blümchen als Bürgermeister
- 58. Die Wünschelrute
- 59. Benjamin Blümchen Findet einen Schatz
- 60. Der Doppelgänger
- 61. Otto ist Krank
- 62. Benjamin Blümchen in der Steinzeit
- 63. Der Computer
- 64. Benjamin Blümchen als Butler
- 65. Wo ist Otto?
- 66. Benjamin Blümchen als Ballonfahrer
- 67. Meine Schönsten Lieder
- 68. Benjamin Blümchen als Taxifahrer
- 69. Benjamin Blümchen als Zoodirektor
- 70. Benjamin Blümchen und Bibi in Indien
- 71. Alle Meine Freunde
- 72. Benjamin Blümchen und Bino
- 73. Benjamin Blümchen und der Weihnachtsmann
- 74. Benjamin Blümchen Singt Weihnachtslieder
- 75. Der Geheimnisvolle Brief
- 76. Benjamin Blümchen als Förster
- 77. Benjamin Blümchen und die Eisprinzessin
- 78. Benjamin Blümchen und der Kleine Hund
- 79. Die Zirkuslöwen
- 80. Die Neue Zooheizung
- 81. Das Geheimnis der Templkatze
- 82. Der Weisse Elefant
- 83. Benjamin Blümchen als Gespenst
- 84. Der Kleine Ausreisser
- 85. Benjamin Blümchen als Tierarzt
- 86. Das Nilpferdbaby
- 87. Das Laternenfest
- 88. Benjamin Blümchen als Cowboy
- 89. Der Rote Luftballon
- 90. Das Zoojubiläum
- 91. Benjamin Blümchen als Leuchtturmwätrter
- 92. Benjamin Blümchen bei den Eskimos
- 93. Das Walbaby
- 94. Der Streichelzoo
- 95. Die Wunderblume
- 96. Der Bananendieb
- 97. Die Gespensterkinder
- 98. Benjamin Blümchen und die Murmeltiere
- 99. Der Geheimgang
- 100. Ottos Neue Freundin, Teil 1
- 101. Ottos Neue Freundin, Teil 2
- 102. Das Penguin-El
- 103. 5:0 Für Benjamin
- 104. Die Zoo-Olympiade
- 105. Das Fleissige Faultier
- 106. Das Spaghetti-Eis-Fest
- 107. Benjamin Blümchen in Schottland
- 108. Ottos Kleines Geheimnis
- 109. Benjamin Blümchen als Baggerfahrer
- 110. Hilfe für das Pandababy
- 111. Sei Nicht Traurig, Benjamin!
- 112. Die Elefantenkönigin
Animated Series
- Season 1
- *1. Das Zookonzert
- *2. Benjamin Blümchen auf hoher See
- *3. Benjamin Blümchen als Detektiv
- *4. Benjamin Blümchen als Feuerwehrmann
- *5. Benjamin Blümchen und Bibi Blocksberg
- *6. Benjamin Blümchen als Ritter
- *7. Benjamin Blümchen in der Steinzeit
- *8. Benjamin Blümchen als Koch
- *9. Benjamin Blümchen als Butler
- *10. Wo ist Otto?
- *11. Benjamin Blümchen als Ballonfahrer
- *12. Benjamin Blümchen als Taxifahrer
- *13. Benjamin Blümchen auf dem Bauernhof
- *15. Benjamin Blümchen und die Eisprinzessin
- *16. Die Zirkuslöwen
- *17. Das Geheimnis der Tempelkatze
- Season 2
- *1. Das Zoofest
- *2. Benjamin Blümchen als Tierarzt
- *3. Benjamin Blümchen als Wetterelefant
- Season 1
- *1. The Zoo Festival
- *2.
Film