Timm Thaler is a 1979 children's television miniseries based on the 1962 children's novel by German writer James Krüss. The series originally aired in Germany as the first Christmas series on German national broadcaster ZDF. In 1988, the series was acquired for transmission in the United Kingdom by the BBC. The English version was produced by Angela Beeching, with script by Nel Romano, and retitled The Legend of Tim Tyler. It aired during Children's BBC in the weekday afternoons. The screenplay was written by Justus Pfaue and Peter M. Thouet and differs somewhat from the original novel. Directed by Sigi Rothemund, the series became a hit in Germany and made then 14-year-old Tommi Ohrner, in the lead role of Timm Thaler, a popular teen idol of the era. The role of the Baron was played by Horst Frank.
Lawyer Maria “Mai” Gardner moves from Berlin to Vogtland for a mandate. There are pretty villages, spruce forests, and even skiing is possible. People are proud and stubborn, for better or worse. In the local community people like to sort things out among themselves.
Two families have created an idyllic life for themselves on one of the Oxen Islands. But when tragedy strikes, long-buried secrets come to light, friendships are undermined, and the paradise they built begins to fall apart.