On December 1, 2023, writer, radio maker and producer Burny Bos (1944) passed away in his hometown of Amsterdam.

Bos, who started as a primary school teacher, developed into a writer of children’s books and as an idiosyncratic radio, television and filmmaker for youth. His mission was to make quality programs and films for children and their parents.

In the 1970s, Burny Bos started youth radio for the AVRO. In addition to the Radio Lawaaipapegaai program, he created the Ko de Boswachter show, which for years attracted more than a million listeners on Sunday mornings at seven in the morning.
In the 1980s he launched youth television on Sunday mornings at VPRO. He started the controversial program Villa Achterwerk in which young makers were given the freedom to make idiosyncratic programs such as Theo and Thea and Rembo and Rembo.

In 1989, Burny Bos founded production company BosBros. Bos and his team made many successful films and television programs that won numerous international prizes all over the world. He initiated youth series such as The Penknife, Children of Waterland and Class Dismissed, inspiring countless makers at home and abroad to make youth films and series that children take seriously. Convinced that Dutch audiences deserve home-grown films, he started filming the books by Annie M.G. in the 1990s. Schmidt. The Flying Liftboy was followed by classics such as Otje, Miss Minoes, Pluk and his Tow Truck and The Amazing Wiplala, which Bos developed with his daughter Tamara, who wrote the screenplays. The films based on original scripts, such as Winky’s Horse, Fidgety Bram and Romy’s Salon, also received numerous prizes and won several Golden Calves. Bos himself received several personal awards, including the Jantje Beton Prize in 1996 for his contribution to Dutch youth culture and a special Golden Calf in 2014 for his special services to Dutch film culture. In 1999 Bos was elected Broadcaster of the Year.

A year ago, in 2022, Bos and his oeuvre were honored at Cinekid. Burny Bos said at the time: ‘I am happy and proud that the rich oeuvre of production house BosBros, to which so many talented makers have contributed, can now be seen by a new generation thanks to Cinekid.’

Burny’s most recent scenarios for two animated films about the ginger tomcat Tummy Tom, for which Bos provided the voiceovers, are currently in production.

In addition to an awe-inspiring oeuvre, Burny Bos leaves behind his wife, two daughters, three sons and seven grandchildren.