Professor Balthazar () is a Croatian children's animated television series that aired between 1967 and 1978. It was created by animator Zlatko GrgiÃÂ. The characters of the series do not speak in any intelligible language, and the plot instead recounted by a narrator in voice-over.
The series revolves around benevolent genius Professor Balthazar. In each episode, someone in his surroundings has a problem, which he considers and finds a solution to. Professor Balthazar activates a magical machine and produces an invention that will solve the problem.
Professor Balthazar was created for television by the Croatian animator Zlatko GrgiÃÂ at the Zagreb Film studio. Fifty-nine episodes of the cartoon were made between 1967 and 1978. The series has been broadcast subsequently in several countries besides the former Yugoslavia, Denmark, Finland, Germany (Westdeutscher Rundfunk), Iran, Italy, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Sweden and Israel.
Professor Balthazar was praised for the general absence of violence or force as a means of solving problems. The professor himself is depicted as benevolent and pacifistic, always aiming to solve problems through imagination and reason, as well as ensuring that everyone ends up better off.
In 2011, all 59 episodes have been restored by DVDlab, and published on DVD. A new episode was produced in 2019, "Third time lucky", 52 years after the original show premiered.
(Order and titles according to region 2 DVD)
(order and titles according to region 2 DVD)
(order and titles according to region 2 DVD)
American animator and creator Craig McCracken called Professor Balthazar 'brilliant', citing it as a significant design influence for his 2013 series Wander Over Yonder.