Haas Das se Nuuskas (Haas Das's News Box) was a weekly short television show in South Africa about a rabbit and a mouse running a news broadcast in Diere Land (Animal Land). Created by Louise Smit in 1976, at the time of television's introduction in South Africa, it was the first children's television programme in that country. The "news" typically revolved around all the animals' complaints, achievements and scandals. The voice of Haas Das was performed by a real South African news anchorman, Riaan Cruywagen.

Characters

Creative team

• Creator: Louise Smit
• Writer: Louise Smit
• Graphic Artist and Animator: Butch Stoltz
• Channel: SAUK/SABC
• Voice Talents:- Riaan Cruywagen
• Original Puppet Builder: Alida von Maltitz/van Deventer
• Theme Song: Gert Van Tonder

Revival

The show was revived as a direct-to-DVD movie in 2007 and released by Sony BMG. Just like Wielie Walie, it was the first of Louise Smit's original creations to be redone. Haas Das hou konsert (Haas Das holds a concert), a movie based on the new book by Smit, was all about Koning Leeu (King Lion) having a terrible headache from all the animals' complaints, and Haas Das organising a concert in his honour to make him feel better. All of the original animated characters were recreated as puppets for this production, and even a few new characters were added, like Boeboe Bobbejaan (Boeboe Baboon) and Stinkie Muishond (Stinky Skunk). The new puppet versions of Haas Das and Piet Muis were designed and made by Althea Oelofse while some of the other puppets were supplied by Antoinette Snyman, Morgwyn Fourie and Elize Jordan. Riaan Cruywagen returned as voice talent. Gert Van Tonder from Wielie Walie makes a guest appearance.

Other appearances

Haas Das and Piet Muis (the show's original puppets) appeared in the ads for the KKNK (Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees/Klein Karoo National Arts Festival) in 2002, where he announced the festival. The ads included TV ads and posters. On the TV ads he was a news reader at DNN (Diere Nuus Netwerk/Animal News Network), but on the posters he was seen as a DJ sitting at a spinning table, instead of his well-known news desk.

After that he also performed shows at arts festivals, with puppets made by Hansie Visagie, in his own unique style.

Haas Das also recently appeared in an ad-campaign for ATKV/Pendoring to promote Afrikaans. He is pictured as a fat bum in a living room, on a couch with cans all around him (with the name "Das bier/Das beer" on the cans), but here he is not a puppet, he is a full body costume/puppet resembling the original puppet. The campaign shows what happens to the characters when if the language is unused or extinct. This is the usual message of the ATKV (Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuur Vereeniging/Afrikaans Language and Culture Organisation).

Books

Louise Smit has written two Haas Das books: Haas Das se Nuuskas (2006), illustrated by Fred Mouton, and Haas Das raak weg (2008), illustrated by Tanja Joubert. Both are published by Human & Rousseau.

DVDs

The original Haas Das Nuuskas-series and Haas Das hou konsert-movie are available in South Africa on DVD.

See also

• Louise Smit
• Wielie Walie
• Liewe Heksie
• Verna Vels
• Riaan Cruywagen

External links

• Creator Louise Smit's Official Website
• Puppetmaker Althea Oelofse's website
• Television in South Africa
• List of South African television series