This Swedish/West German series was an adaptation of the bestselling series of children’s books by author Astrid Lindgren.
Nine-year-old Pippi Longstocking (played by 12-year-old Inger Nilsson) lives alone with a pet monkey called Mr Nilsson and a horse in a large house called ‘Villa Villekulla’, and has befriended the two children living next door, Tommy (Pär Sundberg) and Annika (Maria Persson).
She is occasionally visited by her widowed buccaneer father who she has previously accompanied around the world.
Pippi is a free spirit, uneducated and rough-mannered but kindhearted, anti-authoritarian and playful. Her trademarks are superhuman strength (often demonstrated by lifting her horse single-handedly) and carrot-coloured pigtails at right angles to her head.
The series of half-hour episodes was made in 1969 and aired by ITV in the UK in 1971 after it had been dubbed into English in America. It was the first European children’s series to be screened in Britain by ITV.
The series was also screened in the USA, Canada and Australia.
Filming took place on Gotland with most of the island used for locations, particularly the old part of Visby.
Two subsequent tie-in films were produced in 1970 – Pippi in the South Seas and Pippi on the Run.
Pippi Longstocking
Inger Nilsson
Zubeida Kaker (English voice) Annika
Maria Persson Tommy
Pär Sundberg Captain Efraim Longstocking
Beppe Wolgers Mrs Prysselius
Margot Trooger Dunder-Karlsson
Hans Clarin Blom
Paul Esser Kling
Ulf G. Johnsson Klang
Göthe Grefbo Mr Settergren
Fredrik Ohlsson Mrs Settergren
Öllegård Wellton Benke
Staffan Hallerstam
Episodes
Pippi Moves into Villa Villekulla | Pippi is a Thing-Finder and Goes to a Party | Pippi Goes Shopping | Pippi Arranges a Trip | Pippi is Visited by Thieves | Pippi Goes to the Amusement Park | Pippi and the First Snow | Pippi’s Christmas | Pippi Finds a ‘Spunk'” | Pippi’s Balloon Ride | Pippi is Shipwrecked | Pippi Has a Farewell Party | Pippi Goes on Board
Nine-year-old Pippi Longstocking (played by 12-year-old Inger Nilsson) lives alone with a pet monkey called Mr Nilsson and a horse in a large house called ‘Villa Villekulla’, and has befriended the two children living next door, Tommy (Pär Sundberg) and Annika (Maria Persson).
The series of half-hour episodes was made in 1969 and aired by ITV in the UK in 1971 after it had been dubbed into English in America. It was the first European children’s series to be screened in Britain by ITV.
