The Triplets

Updated on Jan 20, 2024

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Creator Roser Capdevila

Similar Tom Thumb, Ali Baba, Sandokan, Big Bad Wolf, King Fergus

The Triplets (Catalan: Les tres bessones; Spanish: Las tres mellizas; Occitan: Es tres bessoes) are three fictional characters (Anna, Teresa and Helena) created by Spanish illustrator Roser Capdevila.

The Triplets were created in 1983, based on Capdevila's own daughters, three actual triplets born in 1969. The stories were immediately successful and began publishing in many countries. In 1985 a new character, the "Bored Witch" (La Bruixa Avorrida) was added to the plots to form a collection of classical stories, "The Triplets and (...)".

In 1994, television producer Cromosoma and the Catalan TV corporation Televisió de Catalunya adapted the stories to make a cartoon series based on the books. It became very successful and profitable and led to the production of a second series with the Bored Witch as main character, together with France 3, Canal J and Storimages.

By 2004, The Triplets series consisted of 104 episodes, while The Bored Witch reached 52. They've been translated to 35 different languages and have been shown in 158 countries or territories.

Plot

The plots of The Triplets follow a definite pattern. The sisters play some prank or manage to annoy the Bored Witch, and, to punish them, she sends them into a classical tale, legend, or children's or adult's (such as Frankenstein or The Phantom of The Opera) literary work. The main structure of the classic remains, but some twists (often hilarious anachronisms such as showing The forty thieves getting distracted from robbing a house by a camel race on TV or Dr. Frankenstein as a veterinarian) are introduced to favour each plot and define the sisters' personalities.

Characters

Teresa (Tessa in the English dub) - She is the triplet with the pink ribbon. She is the most adventurous triplet and comes up with the most ambitious ideas, but she's not necessarily the leader.

Anna (Annie in the English dub) - She is the triplet with the blue ribbon. She's laid-back and more peaceful than her sisters. She's also quite curious. Anna tends to be a bit romantic at times.

Helena (Nellie in the English dub) - She is the triplet with the green ribbon. She has the sweetest demeanour of the triplets. She also has a love for food and sweets, which sometimes leads to trouble.

The Bored Witch - She is a overweighted, 700-year-old witch who is always bored, despite having great magical powers. She serves as a day sitter for the triplets, but when they start acting disorderly, she uses her magic to send the girls into stories. No matter what, she never uses magic to directly hinder the girls in their adventures, although tends to join forces with every story's antagonist. Despite her role of antagonist, she is not an evil character, and always keeps her word to return the girls to their world.

The Owl - He's a purple owl who serves as an assistant to the Bored Witch. He is quite nervous and requires coffee to stay awake during the day.