Series
The television series Kabouter Plop (Plop the Gnome) is directed by Bart Van Leemputten [nl] and consists of short episodes, each lasting approximately five minutes. These episodes usually take place in Plop's milk inn (Mushroom cottage), where Plop Milk and Plop Cookies are available, or in the Gnome Forest. Often, the story unfolds after a mischievous joke by the naughty Klus (Fixy the Gnome).
Each episode begins with Plop lying in bed and telling about the day's adventures. At the end of the episode, he mentions that he is going to 'Gnome Dreamland.' Usually, each episode conveys a small life lesson.
The television series has been (or was) broadcast on:
Episodes
The first episode of Kabouter Plop was "De slingergrammofoon (The pendulum gramophone)," which aired on August 27, 1997. The second episode, "Taart voor Kwebbel (Pie for Kwebbel)," was broadcast on August 28, 1997. In total, 295 episodes were recorded and aired. Afterward, several movies were also produced. Starting from September 2017, new episodes were aired under the name Plop en Felle.
Characters
The characters in the episodes are caricatural. Each gnome has their own peculiarities. Common to all gnomes are their large bellies, long elf noses, oversized clown shoes, and two-pointed toques that go up in the air when the gnomes are startled, surprised, or scared, accompanied. Their language is also unique, especially in their exclamations.
Kabouter Plop (Plop the Gnome)
Kabouter Plop (Plop the Gnome) is the wisest and most responsible gnome. He is the owner of the milk inn. He has a heart on his toque, a white beard, and glasses.
Kabouter Kwebbel (Chatty the Gnome)
Kabouter Kwebbel is a female gnome with long blonde braids. She is talkative and repeats everything that happens or is said unnecessarily. She has a small flower on her toque and is somewhat fearful and easily offended. When she enters a room, she says, "Dag, dag, dag, dag" (Hello).
Kabouter Lui (Lazy the Gnome)
Kabouter Lui, officially named Lucibert, is a postman by profession. After his characteristic phrase, "Ik word daar zo moe van" (I'm getting so tired of this), he usually falls asleep immediately, although this is not always the case. His toque has a carrier pigeon with a letter, and he has a dark beard (sometimes dark gray, sometimes dark brown). When he enters a room, he says, "Volk" (Hi People).
Kabouter Klus (Fixy the Gnome)
Kabouter Klus often plays pranks that usually backfire on him, and he enjoys fixing things. Klus tries to excel in everything or boast about his skills, which often gets him into trouble. Before he shows off his skills, he usually says, "Ja, dat is normaal, hè? Ah ja, ik ben als het ware de beste (...)er van heel het Kabouterdorp" (Yes, that's not a surprise! Ah yes, I'm actually kind of the best (...) in the whole Gnome Village). His toque is patched up, he wears overalls with a hammer, has a reddish beard, and wears glasses. When he enters a room, his standard greeting is "Hallokidoki" (Hello there). Something else he often says, especially when he's planning something, is "Tsjoep Tsjoep."
Kabouter Smul (Glutton the Gnome)
This character was added in 1998. Smul has an obsession with food, eats a lot, and can't control himself. He is a professional cook. This gnome is much thicker than the other gnomes in the Gnome Forest. He has a neck beard, and a rolling pin is depicted on his toque. When he enters a room, he says, "Hoipiepeloi." (Hi everyone).
Kabouter Smal (Small the Gnome)
This character was added in 1999. She is the most beautiful gnome in the Gnome Forest, and is slimmer than the other gnomes. A butterfly is depicted on her toque. In the pocket of her skirt, she always carries a mirror and a powder brush, which she uses when she says, "Oepsie poepsie, dan ga ik me eerst nog een beetje mooi maken" (Oopsie poopsie, I'll make myself a little prettier). After this, the male gnomes usually respond with, "Maar nee Smalletje, je bent al mooi genoeg!" (But no Smal, you're already beautiful enough!). When she enters a room, she greets the attendees with "Halloetoedeloe" (Hello there).
Kabouter Felle (Felle the Gnome)
This character was added in 2017, in celebration of Kabouter Plop's 20th anniversary. Felle is the young niece of Kabouter Plop. Felle, like Plop, has a heart on her toque and is recognizable by her bright blue shoes.
Songs
The songs of Kabouter Plop were highly popular with both children and adults. Hits like "De Kabouterdans [nl]" spent weeks on the charts in both Belgium and the Netherlands and were played at parties with an often adult target audience. "De Kabouterdans" spent 64 weeks in the Dutch Mega Top 100 in 2000, 2001 and 2002, setting a record as the longest-charting single for eight years. The record was eventually broken on February 2, 2010, after 'De Kabouterdans' spent 67 weeks in the Top 100.
Most of the songs were associated with specific, simple dance moves (such as the "Ganzenpas".
