# Arabela (1980)

> A Czechoslovak children's fantasy in which a princess and a clever household family get caught up in a magician's schemes.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/16489

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 13
- Episode runtime: 29 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: family, fantasy, comedy
- Created by: Václav Vorlíček, Miloš Macourek
- Network: Československá televize
- Cast: Vladimír Menšík, Stella Zázvorková, Vladimír Dlouhý, Jana Nagyová Pulm, Veronika Týblová, Jiří Lábus, Gustav Opočenský, Jana Brejchová
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175381/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: whimsical, playful, warm, comedic, innocent

## Synopsis

Arabela (1980-1981) is a Czechoslovak children's fantasy series produced by Československá televize and Filmové studio Barrandov, created by Václav Vorlíček and Miloš Macourek. Across thirteen half-hour episodes, the story follows the ordinary Majer family, with Karel Majer (Vladimír Menšík) and Věra Majerová (Stella Zázvorková) and their son Petr (Vladimír Dlouhý), whose lives become entangled with a magical kingdom. Princess Arabela (Jana Nagyová Pulm) is at the heart of the adventure, while the bumbling second rank magician Rumburak (Jiří Lábus) pursues ambitions that keep his schemes in motion. Each episode mixes playful fairy tale mischief with household comedy, and the engine is simple: a magical intrusion into everyday life that the family must navigate. The tone is whimsical, warm and gently comic, with an innocent storybook atmosphere that carries a light sense of wonder. Viewers who grew up on Czech fairy tale films and classic children's fantasy will recognize its charm, and fans of Pan Tau and The Chronicles of Narnia will find similar resonance. The series is a single season of thirteen episodes, a compact and enduring piece of Central European children's television that families still rewatch with affection.

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