Peppi en Kokki

Even in the seventies Peppi and Kokki were a throwback to an era long gone. Although they were dressed as sailors, they were more like carnies really and obviously inspired by Laurel and Hardy. Not surprisingly, thin Kokki was the most athletic, though fat Peppi mastered the art of balancing a chair on the chin. Each week they would try out a new job and Kokki would eventually botch it up (unless there was food involved, then the blame was on Peppi) whether they were firemen, cooks, stagehands, shopkeepers or detectives. All the action was accompanied by a single piano, with the unmistakable sound of Joop Stokkermans tickling the ivory.You see this was shot like a silent movie, except for narration by Prins Tor van Sombrië himself, Will van Selst (and Bob Verstraete before him). It's funny to hear the all knowing narrator speak old fashioned correct KRO Dutch, proving once again how much times have changed.

Later on, having exhausted every job imaginable, they would just stay home on their boat Alma and bother a neighbour called Buurman Beer and his wife Madelief every Saturday afternoon. Occasionally there would have a multi part story, the longest being "Pepi en Kokki bij de Marine" which somehow merited a cinema release. Aimed at pre-schoolers the pace is almost unbearably slow, making the 15 minute running time seem twice as long. The two mock-sailors finally called it quits just shy of one hundred episodes but still kept on touring the country. Eventually Kokki had enough and went looking for more grown up acting jobs (reappearing as a sleazy character on the popular sitcom "Zeg 'ns Aaa"). However Peppi swiftly found a replacement and wore the sailor suit till he died. The original couple can still be seen in reruns today.

6 out of 10 for old time's sake