Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver

The story begins on a tiny island called Morrowland, which has just enough space for a small palace, a train station and rails all around the island, a grocery store, a small house, a king, two subjects, a locomotive named Emma, and a locomotive engineer by the name of Luke.

Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver (1977) is a German children's puppet miniseries created by Michael Ende and Manfred Jenning for hr-fernsehen, produced by the Augsburger Puppenkiste marionette theatre. Across four short episodes of about twenty-nine minutes each, the story follows the locomotive engineer Luke, voiced by Manfred Jenning, and the boy Jim Button, voiced by Winfried Küppers, as they tend the locomotive Emma on the tiny island of Morrowland. King Alfons der Viertel-vor-Zwölfte, played by Gerhard Jentsch, rules over a realm so small it holds only a palace, a train station, a grocery and a single house. The engine of each episode is simple and gently human: a modest island life disturbed by a small desire to go beyond the rails and meet the wider world. Handcrafted marionettes move across miniature sets, and the warm, whimsical register feels like a bedtime fable brought to life. Fans of The Storyteller and The Neverending Story will find the same storybook charm, while younger viewers and lovers of puppetry will find it a gentle, comforting watch with an easy, sincere heart throughout.

• The Storytellergentle whimsical adventure, children's fantasy journey, puppet craft
• The Neverending Storyfamily fantasy adventure with quirky companions and a kindly protagonist
• Thomas & Friendscharming train-centred children's storytelling, gentle absurdist tone

Created by

Michael Ende, Manfred Jenning

Release Date

1977-02-06

Episode runtime

29 min

Rating

8.1 / 10 (16)

What is Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver about?

A small marionette-puppet adventure in which a locomotive engineer and a boy named Jim Button bring a tiny island's whimsical world to life.

What is Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver.

Which shows are like Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver?

Shows with a similar feel include The Storyteller, The Neverending Story, and Thomas & Friends.

How long is Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver?

Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver: 1 season, 4 episodes.

Is Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver still running?

No, Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver has ended.