The “New Stories from Pumuckl” hasn’t even started yet, the new edition of the children’s series won’t premiere until the weekend at the Munich Film Festival. Nevertheless, there is already trouble: The US giant Amazon, which has been showing all 52 episodes of the television series “Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl” exclusively on its Prime Video streaming service for several years, has imposed an age rating of 12 years on several episodes.
The episodes “Spuk in der Werkstatt”, “Pumuckl’s Holidays” or “Playing with Fire” are only recommended for older children. This has nothing to do with the age limit of the voluntary self-control of the film industry (FSK), which even rated Pumuckl in the theatrical version from 1982 with an FSK 0 – so without any age limit.
It’s probably due to Amazon’s guidelines, but they haven’t commented on it so far. The excitement is still great: In online forums it is suspected that the US group could be bothered by topics such as “violence, alcohol consumption and smoking”. In the series based on the books by Ellis Kaut, there are, for example, when Master Eder, played by Gustl Bayrhammer, drinks beer in the tavern. There is also cursing, smoking or beating in this 40-year-old series, which some viewers may see differently today. It is to be hoped that this will not turn into a Kulturkampf, given the upcoming state elections in Bavaria, politicians or populists could use the topic as an instrument.
At least the trouble with the age should be absent for the “New Stories from Pumuckl”: Marcus H. Rosenmüller staged the 13 new episodes not for Amazon, but for the German streaming service RTL +. They are to be shown there after the premiere at the film festival at the end of the year.