It takes courage to bring a cult children’s series from the 1980s back to life. Bringing this to the screen with the original voice is like a suicide mission. RTL tries this with Pumuckl and with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The new versions of children’s cult series such as Maya the Bee or Heidi show: computer-animated wax figures destroy lovingly drawn figures. Fortunately, RTL does not make this mistake.
The audience breathes a sigh of relief at the world premiere of “New Stories from Pumuckl” at the Munich Film Festival. The cheeky little goblin with the messy red hair and bare feet that are much too big still hops across the screen like he did just over 30 years ago. Cartoon characters just don’t know a pension.
Pumuckl smirks like before
Much more amazing: Pumuckl even speaks like in the TV series from the 1980s. After all, it is this unmistakable voice that fascinates many, now adult fans to this day. It belongs to the actor Hans Clarin and he has been dead for 18 years. How can that be? AI makes it possible. But not only.
In the new series, cabaret artist Maxi Schafroth speaks Pumuckl. His voice is transformed by AI into that of Hans Clarin. RTL does not provide any further information on exactly how this works and what software was used for it. Interested parties can find out for themselves on the broadcaster’s own media portal RTL+. The station has stored sequences there in which Pumuckl can be heard with the original voice of Maxi Schafroth. At the same time, the same scene can be admired with Hans Clarin’s AI voice.
Microsoft is experimenting with AI language software
The effect is really amazing. If you close your eyes while watching and only concentrate on Pumuckl’s voice, you will hardly notice any difference to the voice of the late Hans Clarin. Microsoft recently released the AI language software Vall-E presented. This means that every private user can have text read out with their own voice. Only short audio clips of your own voice are sufficient as training for the AI. Vall-E takes care of the rest.
A similar so-called text-to-speech (TTS) AI model was also used in the “New Stories from Pumuckl”. Of course, the actual tuner, Maxi Schafroth, also adopted certain language-typical characteristics of Hans Clarin. This makes the astonishment of the audience all the greater and the effect almost perfect.
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Is RTL crossing a “moral” line?
In the film industry, there have long been considerations of using computers to bring deceased actors back onto the screen. With the help of AI, this dream seems to have become a little more real. However, there has been criticism of these Hollywood dreams for some time. Is it morally okay to bring the dead to life? A difficult subject if it’s not a zombie flick. RTL says it was the first time that a voice had been simulated to this extent using AI. At the same time, the broadcaster emphasizes on his websiteHans Clarin’s voice will not be recreated, but interpreted by Maxi Schafroth and converted by AI.
Pumuckl on air from the end of 2023
As “proof”, RTL will offer the new Pumuckl series in two versions, one with the original voice of Maxi Schafroth and the other with the AI voice of Hans Clarin. The “New Stories from Pumuckl” are scheduled to run on RTL at the end of 2023. It remains to be seen whether the 13 new episodes will inspire children from then and now equally.
The new Pumuckl definitely deserves a chance. After all, the makers left the entire setting and appearance almost unchanged, except for the voice. So it soon sounds cheeky again: “Hooray, hooray, the Pumuckl is here!”