what was the TV programme?

Question

it was from the mid seventies and it had an evil dwarf in it a bear something to do with a tree and i think it was polish in origin you know the BBC in those days gave us mince to watch

Answer 1

A bit before my time, but a bit of research suggests you are probably thinking of "The Singing Ringing Tree"... The following is a quote from an Amazon review of a VHS release...

"During the period 1964-69, the BBC ran the 'Tales from Europe' series of tea-time fairy tales, all of them in black-and-white, some of them created by the BBC itself but many of them coming from the East German DEFA stable. THE SINGING, RINGING TREE was for many British children, the most memorable, not just because the BBC ran it several times, but also because it was the most scary. This film has almost archetype status for many of us now in our forties.
Dwarves (or should it be dwarfs?) do not get a good press in this story. The evil dwarf is a hideous, voyeuristic presence throughout much of the story. (This story is not about the Eastern bloc, but if the bear and the princess are imprisoned behind an impenetrable iron curtain, the dwarf could represent a Stasi spy.) I am sure this story influenced many of us children to look upon dwarves as malign, and that may be why this film isn't more widely available. We certainly need the likes of Tolkien to provide children with a far more positive view of dwarves.

Seeing this again for the first time in more than thirty years has been almost a psychological release for me. The dwarf isn't all evil. The good-looking couple both have their individual faults. The sets aren't very well done. My 10-year-old daughter laughed when the fish turned up in the magic pool. The film has lost much of its psychic power because in comparison to today's big-budget productions, it just isn't convincing. It's just a fairy tale well told."

I saw my fair share of weirdo Euro dubbed kids dramas in my time, but am kinda glad I didn't catch this one!

Answer 2

The Singing Ringing Tree it was one of the stories in a series of Tales from Europe and it's the only one I remember.I've got a copy of it on dvd and although it's as old as the hills and I've watched it over and over again I love it,it takes me back to my childhood

Answer 3

It was called The Singing Ringing Tree
I loved that programme
Do you remember also
The Flashing Blade that was also very good
Belle and Sebastian
and the White Horses

Answer 4

The Singing Ringing Tree??

This is weird I was talking about this only today!!

Answer 5

It was something like the magic silver fairy garden, or something. It was Eastern European and I think it was in black and white, though I'm not sure. I wasn't too keen of the dwarf myself.

Answer 6

Manbearpig?

Answer 7

the singing ringing tree?

http://uk.geocities.com/singringtree/

Answer 8

the dr dootlies