Alfred J. Kwak production episode list

Character height sheet for episodes 12, which will later be episode 11 from Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak.

The original production episode list is a list of episode names based on the character height charts from the Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak book. This book featured character designs by Harald Siepermann and Hans Bacher based on all the episode outlines written by Herman van Veen and was presented to TV Tokyo. The production team reviewed the episode outlines and concluded that several things needed to be shifted, specifically some longer arcs needed to be shortened, which called for extra episodes to be written to fill in the gaps. The comparison bweteen the production episode list and the eventual episode list tells a lot about how the production of these stories went.

Episode names comparison

The episode names listed here are presented in Dutch as they are in Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak with their final counterparts on the right. For clarity, every title has been given a literal translation into English. All episodes have been divided into their own storylines as delineated by the book.

Original production names	Final Dutch episode names
Season 1
1. De Eieren (lit. "The Eggs")	1. De eieren (lit. "The eggs") 2. Het verjaardagsfeestje (lit. "The birthday party") 3. Het kroonjuweel (lit. "The crown jewel")
2. Achter Tralies (lit. "Behind Bars") 3. Het Kroonjuweel (lit. "The Crown Jewel")
4. Op School (lit. "In School") 5. De Kater (lit. "The Tomcat")	4. Op school (lit. "In school") 5. De kater (lit. "The tomcat")
6. De Olympiade (lit. "The Olympiad")	6. De olympiade (lit. "The olympiad")
7. De Trip (lit. "The Trip")
8. Bij de Marine (lit. "In the Navy") 9. De Spion (lit. "The Spy")	7. De zeeverkenners (lit. "The sea scouts") 8. De spion (lit. "The spy")
10. De Geest in de Fles (lit. "The Genie in the Bottle") 11. De Heilige Tulband (lit. "The Sacred Turban")	9. De geest in de fles (lit. "The genie in the bottle") 10. De heilige tulband (lit. "The sacred turban")
12. Het Cirkus [sic] (lit. "The Circus")	11. Het circus (lit. "The circus")
13. Het Schaakspel (lit. "The Chess Game") 14. De Witte Kroon (lit. "The White Crown")	12. Het schaakspel (lit. "The chess game") 13. De witte koningin (lit. "The white queen")
15. Vissen in Troebel Water (lit. "Fish in Cloudy Water") 16. De Ontploffing (lit. "The Explosion")	14. Vissen in troebel water (lit. "Fish in cloudy water") 15. De ontploffing (lit. "The explosion")
17. Rang Pang	16. Rangpang
	17. Vrienden vanuit de ruimte (lit. "Friends from outer space")
18. De Poolster (lit. "The North Star")	18. De poolster (lit. "The North Star")
19. Professor Paljas (lit. "Professor Buffon") 20. De Walvis (lit. "The Whale")	19. De walvis (lit. "The whale")
21. De Nachtmerrie (lit. "The Nightmare")	20. De nachtmerrie (lit. "The nightmare")
22. De Bijen (lit. "The Bees")	21. De bijen (lit. "The bees")
23. De Kraaienpartij (lit. "The Crow Party") 24. De Slag om Polderstad (lit. "The Battle for Poldertown") 25. Het Plan (lit. "The Plan") 26. De Bevrijding (lit. "The Liberation")	22. De kraaienpartij (lit. "The Crow Party") 23. De slag om Polderstad (lit. "The battle for Poldertown") 24. Het plan (lit. "The plan") 25. De bevrijding (lit. "The liberation")
	26. De lieve sneeuwman (lit. "The sweet snowman")
Season 2
27. Verliefd (lit. "In love")	27. Verliefd (lit. "In love") 28. Een geschenk van de koning (lit. "A gift from the King") 29. De boerenganzen (lit. "The domestic geese")
28. De Boerenganzen (lit. "The Domestic Geese")
29. De Lieve Sneeuman [sic] (lit. "The Sweet Snowman")
30. Op Vakantie (lit. "On a Holiday")	30. Op vakantie (lit. "On a holiday")
31. Booreiland (lit. "Drilling Rig") 32. Atlantis 33. Verdwaald (lit. "Lost")	31. Het booreiland (lit. "The drilling rig") 32. Atlantis
	33. Cowboys en indianen (lit. "Cowboys and indians")
34. De Schat van Toet Kat Kanmon [sic] (lit. "Top Cat Cammoon's Treasure") 35. De Slang (lit. "The Snake")	34. De schat van Toet Kat Kamon (lit. "Top Cat Cammoon's treasure") 35. De slang (lit. "The snake")
	36. Michael Duckson
36. Gekaapt (lit. "Seized") 37. Neven en Nichten (lit. "Nephews and Neices") 38. De Watersnood (lit. "The Flood") 39. De Redder (lit. "The Saviour")	37. De ontvoering (lit. "The abduction") 38. De burenruzie (lit. "The neighbour quarrel")
40. De Heks (lit. "The Witch")	39. De heks (lit. "The witch")
41. Het Stuwmeer (lit. "The Dam")	40. Het stuwmeer (lit. "The dam")
42. De Vulkaan (lit. "The Volcano") 43. De Draak (lit. "The Dragon")	41. De vulkaan (lit. "The volcano") 42. De draak (lit. "The dragon")
	43. Groot Waterland krijgt een president (lit. "Waterland gets a president") 44. De watersnood (lit. "The flood")
44. Het Land van twee [sic] (lit. "The Land of two") 45. De Mosonen (lit. "The Mosons") 46. Pierrot 47. Eind goed, al goed (lit. "All's well that ends well")	45. Het Land van Twee (lit. "The Land of Two") 46. Pierrot 47. Eind goed, al goed (lit. "All's well that ends well")
	48. Een partijtje golf (lit. "A game of golf")
48. De Regenboog ("lit. "The Rainbow") 49. ZwartWit (lit. "BlackWhite") 50. Het Casino (lit. "The Casino")	49. De regenboog (lit. "The rainbow") 50. Het casino (lit. "The casino")
51. Op Water (lit. "On Water")	51. Het regenwoud (lit. "The rainforest")
52. Nog Lang en Gelukkig (lit. "Happily Ever After")	52. Nog lang en gelukkig (lit. "Happily ever after")

Analysis

Pacing issues

After receiving the episode outlines and the character design book, the production team likely asked for changes based on how well they perceived the pacing of the episodes was going to end up like. A good example of this is the first episode. The episode outline would cover events all the way up to Alfred and Henk reaching Waterland and Henk's grandfather's mine house. Episodes 2 and 3 would be the self-contained two-parter about Alfred's birthday, the visit to the King's castle up to and including the trial. However, the first outline seemed to cover quite a stretch of the story and the production team likely considered that too much for one episode, so some of the story bled into episode 2. This would've also made sure that episode 1 didn't end on an emotionally low point in the story, which would've been more suitable for children.

Likely something similar happened to the episodes De Poolster, Professor Paljas, and De Walvis (18, 19, and 20 respectively in the original production order). The plot that originally became episode 18 and 19 was likely based off of three episode outlines, but was spread too thin according to the production team. Similarly the original four-parter set in the Land of Two, turned into a three-parter, the three-parter featuring Atlantis turned into a two-parter, and the three-parter about finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow turned into a two-parter as well.

Inversely, one storyline was expanded into more episodes. The Wana family looking to emigrate to Waterland starting at episode 27 was expanded to a second episode. Notably, Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak marks a clear split between the episode the Wana's arrive in Waterland and the episode that Alfred joins Kwa and Blanche Wana to Atrique. Eventually this storyline turns into a full three-parter contained in episode 27, 28 and 29.

Episode order changes

The episode regarding the abominable snowman was likely shifted around to account for a one-episode shortage in season 1. This explains why it is placed at the end of season 1, instead of the original intended four-parter Crow Party storyline, which makes more sense as a season climax.

Another notable change is that according to the original production order, the story that would become the two-parter featuring Yale and Salam, was originally a four-parter. Interestingly, the original character designs for the Princess of Yale and the Prince of Salam were not sheep and goat respectively, but instead were caterpillars. Sjeik Alham, from the storyline with the magical lamp was set to be the ruler of Salam and the father to the Prince of Salam (who remains unnamed in Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak). The sjeik of Yale would also have been a caterpillar. In the eventual episode both the sjeiks and the prince and princess were given new goat and sheep designs. There are several guards and other characters that do remain consistent and end up featuring in this storyline. Strangly, the second half of this episode doesn't seem to focus on Yale and Salam anymore as the previously mentioned characters are not set to feature. Instead King Radbout de Derde, Ollie de Ooievaar, Pikkie de Ekster and a character called Al Oog are featured. The name for the third episode in this storyline is called "De Watersnood", which is also the name of the second episode of the storyline that is about Waterland turning into a constitutional monarchy, which has a similar roster of characters, even though keymembers like Florijn Duisenberg are missing. It is unknown what this original four-episode story would entail, but it's possible that both the Yale/Salam story and the constitutional monarchy story were once fused together and taken apart and refined later.

Newly created episodes

Several episodes had to be created to fill in the gaps left by the shortened storylines and scrapped episodes. Likely, Herman van Veen and possibly also Harald Siepermann and Hans Bacher, were consulted for ideas for these episodes and then further elaborated on by Akira Miyazaki who was screenwriter for the animation production. These were mostly short single episode stories like Vrienden uit de ruimte (lit. "Friends from outer space"), Michael Duckson, and Een partijtje golf. Possibly, also the episodes concerning Waterland turning into a constitutional monarchy as previously mentioned could fall under this category.

Censorship

Specifically one episode was cut whole-sale, namely episode 7, De Trip (lit. "The Trip"), as it centered on smoking and recreational drug use. Even though the story was meant as a warning for drug use, this was likely deemed improper subject material for a children's cartoon as it did seem to condone smoking. This is corroborated by the fact that several of the characters in Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak are seen smoking, but don't smoke in the actual animated series.

Changed episodes

Alfred Jodocus Kwak in his navy outfit, which also reflects his design from Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak, where he is depicted as an adult.

From the plans laid out by the Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak book we can deduce that several changes have taken place to the overall story and the individual episodes. For example, Alfred was set to go to university in never made episode De Trip, which would've been the University Winnie would later work at as the assistent of Professor Ramses. This would bridge a gap between Alfred's childhood and him moving out. The two-episode storyline about Alfred going to the Sea Scouts had previously been about Alfred going into the navy as a late teen or adult instead, as De Trip is set just before these episodes. He would likely have looked as he was depicted in the opening animation, with a more adult body and trimmed hair, similar to military service. This is also evidenced by the title differences of the episode, changing from Bij de Marine (lit. In the Navy) to De zeeverkenners (lit. The sea scouts).

According to the character design sheets, the storyline about the golden pot at the end of the rainbow would've also included appearances by Kwa Wana and Blanche Wana, suggesting that Atrique might be part of the Arlon continent. Several other characters, likely set to appear in Morena also don't appear, suggesting there might've been a different direction to that part of the story originally.

The original ideas for the last episode, Nog lang, en gelukkig also seem to be vastly different from the end result. A variety of characters, of which at least one character is from the Alfred J. Kwak version of the United Nations, would've featured in that episode, but never did. These characters don't feature in Dolf's nightmare. The designs from the character design book for these characters were however reused to fill the Wat wijzer met Alfred Jodocus Kwak book, which is in turn an alternate retelling of Alfred loaning money for interest, but this time to a bank. Conceivably these could've been characters working at a bank where Alfred is supposed to withdraw 10,000 gold coins. This episode would've also featured Alfred and Winnie's children.