Löwenzahn

Just at the time when Peter Lustig tells us, he's going to stop, it's getting a "cult" in Germany! I think this is the ONLY program on German television, that actually tells the Kids to switch off afterwards. The way German TV is coming along these days, the only programs that should be running should be ones like Löwenzahn (telling you to switch off afterwards) and Kalkofes Mattscheibe (telling you how stupid it actually is). Löwenzahn is running much too rarely. The last time an episode was actually coming EVERY DAY was Summer 2003, everyday 19.25 on Kinderkanal, but these days it runs once a week, Sunday morning on ZDF.

Ah yes ... Loewenzahn! If you can get past Peter Lustig's slightly condescending manner (e.g. telling viewers to switch the TV off when his programme is over), this is one of the most enjoyable shows ever to be broadcast on German television. Peter is the eccentric, ecologically-minded, healthy-living caravan dweller (it's no ordinary caravan either: the stairs up to the roof are made of a series of chairs fitted to the side of the caravan and there is a talking guitar as a motion detector) whose mission in life is to get us all to care more about the world around us. His neighbour, Mr Paschulke, is the stereotype German homeowner with an excessively neat garden where nothing much will grow except his lawn - manicured of course - who despairs at the wilderness around Peter's caravan. He doesn't understand that human beings need nature and is forever trying to tame it - and to prove his neighbour wrong!

Loewenzahn chooses themes that show how important it is to understand nature in order to live a good, healthy life. It increases awareness among the youngest television viewers while imparting some fascinating snippets of knowledge. Did you know, for instance, that if a fly gets into your drink and you manage to fish it out, you should cover it with plain old table salt which will absorb the liquid in the fly's breathing tubes and it won't die? I've tried it - it works!

"Löwenzahn" is one of the top programs of German children's TV. It is a kind of science-comedy, with main character Peter (who lives in an old caravan) investigating a different problem every episode (for example: 'where does smoke come from', of 'how does a car work', etc.). This could be kinda boring, but it is not, since the 'educational' bits are lightened up comedy bits, that always prove a point. They usually have to do with Peter's neighbor, who thinks he is right, and with Peter proving him wrong. I haven't seen the show for a while, but it is still on every morning. Watch it if you can, it is funny as well as useful.

I like the old series of Löwenzahn with Peter Lustig (9) But I don't like the new Continue Series with Guido Hammesfahr (4) The Different is also: Löwenzahn with Peter Lustig (1981-2005) was a series for the whole family but Löwenzahn with Guido Hammesfahr (Fritz Fuchs) is a series for the modern children only.

This show was suggested to me to help with learning German and I'm quite enjoying it.

I tried watching the older episodes but I prefer the newer ones with Guido Hammesfahr. It has a fun, campy feel to it and for me it's much more enjoyable and fun to watch, and I am saying this as an adult 50+ years old.

And I'm not just learning German, but as someone somewhat new to living in Germany, I'm learning a bit about the country too and how some things work. Plus a lot of new things I never knew about, such as all the things that help people with impaired vision to navigate the city.

All in all, a great show.