Ein Kessel Buntes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ein Kessel Buntes ("A Kettle of Color") was a television variety show in the former East Germany. It broadcast from 1972 to 1992. A total of 113 shows were made, six per year.[1] As the name implies, it was broadcast in color, first from the Friedrichstadtpalast theater, and later from the Palast der Republik, as well as from other prominent music halls in other East German cities. Its title sequence showed a series of famous clocks in East Berlin, such as that on the Rotes Rathaus and the Weltzeituhr at Alexanderplatz displaying the time of broadcast, 8 p.m.

Ein Kessel Buntes was originally hosted by actors Horst Köbbert (who spoke Low German from the north), Lutz Stückrath (a speaker of the Berlin dialect), and Heinz Uhlig (who spoke Saxon from the south), whose satirical commentary during the live broadcasts often criticized the East German government. They were soon replaced by a rotating cast of celebrities.[2]

The show was meant to compete with those on West German television, which East Germans could, and did, watch. Its production values were high. Apart from song and dance numbers and appearances from East German celebrities, almost every broadcast featured well-known stars from the west, often after their popularity had peaked in their home countries.[3]

After German reunification, and the dissolution of Fernsehen der DDR, the show was broadcast for a further two years on Das Erste. It is still popular in reruns and best-of shows.

[edit] External links

[edit] Literature

  • Das war unser Kessel Buntes, Hans-Ulrich Brandt, Angela Kaiser, Evelin Matt, Günther Steinbacher (ISBN 3-89706-890-7)
  • Ein Kessel Buntes und mehr, Hendrik Petzold (ISBN 3-89812-090-2)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../e/i/n/Ein_Kessel_Buntes_f0d8.html"
In other languages