The English version was produced by Angela Beeching, with script by Nel Romano, and retitled The Legend of Tim Tyler.

Directed by Sigi Rothemund, the series became a hit in Germany and made then 14-year-old Thomas Ohrner, in the lead role of Timm Thaler (Tim Tyler), a popular teen idol of the era.

The mysterious Baron (in the novel his last name Lefuet is a German anadrome for devil, like "lived" is in English), a grumpy and very wealthy businessman always wearing a black carnation in his buttonhole, tries unsuccessfully to buy Timm's laugh.

To financially support his stepmother, Timm no longer resists the Baron and swaps his laugh for the ability to win any bet he makes, no matter how absurd it is.

Several other characters are also changed or "exchanged" in the series, including the nun, Sister Agatha instead of Kreschimir and the ship's cook, Heinrich instead of the helmsman, Jonny.

The final scene, where Tim gets his laugh back, was shot in front of the Hamburg district court and today's Brahmsplatz (then Karl-Muck-Platz).