Večerníček
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Večerníček (- in Czech and Slovak; literally Little Eveninger) is a television programme for the children in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia (before 1993 two different versions aired in the Czech part and in the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia). It has been regularly broadcasted for over 40 years. A similar concept is called Sandmännchen in Germany and Esti mese in Hungary.
Večerníček is televised every day in the evening, in the Czech Republic currently at 18:45, when the children are supposed to go to sleep. It lasts for seven minutes. Every fairy tale takes about five minutes, and a Večerníček series typically contain 10 - 20 parts.
The format of the programme has been unchanged for decades, making it part of the Czech and Slovak culture.
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[edit] Logo
In the Czech Republic, the programme's opening and final parts, between which the story is shown, feature a little boy (called "Večerníček") in a car turning into a wooden horse and finally into a bike. The boy says "Good Evening!" (Dobrý večer!) to the children at the beginning and "Good Night!" (Dobrou noc!) at the end. This opening and final part (logo) is the longest running one that has ever been broadcasted in the country. The graphics were designed by Radek Pilař, the music by Ladislav Simon.
In Slovakia, the programme's opening and final parts, between which the story is shown, feature an old man (probably a shepherd) living in a house on a hill with a dog living in a kennel. The old man accompanied by the dog "switches on" stars on the sky using a special stick, and then the story is shown. After the story, the old man and the dog return to their house and kennel, respectively. The old man is called "Grandpa Večerníček" and has even had an own Večerníček series in the 1980s. This opening and final part (logo) is the longest running one that has ever been broadcasted in Slovakia; it has been revamped (better colors, a cat has been added etc.) recently however.
[edit] History of the programme
A similar programme named "Small Silver Mirror" (Stříbrné zrcátko) has been televised by the Czech part of the Czechoslovak television since 1963 on Sundays. On January 2, 1965 a programme named Večerníček appeared; since summer of 1965 the current logo was used. In Slovakia, the original name was "Good Night Story" (Rozprávka na dobrú noc), the current name and logo were introduced in 1965 ((?)1966).
Milan Nápravník has designed the concept and was the first dramaturgist of the Czech version. Since 1973 the Večerníček has been shown in color.
Practically all famous Czech and Slovak illustrators, writers, animators and directors participated in the programme. Foreign series took a relatively small part of the air time.
After 1989, Večerníček withstood several attempts to change the logo or even replace the programme.
[edit] When it was shown
Information about the Czech version of the programme, from [1]:
- During 1965 - end of July 1966 it was broadcasted on Sundays,
- September 1966 - end of December 1966: Thu, Sun,
- 1967 - end of August 1970: Tue, Thu, Sun (different series each day),
- September 1970 - end of August 1971: Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun (different series),
- September 1971 - end of December 1971: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun,
- 1972: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun at 18:40 on the first channel of Czechoslovak TV, Sundays at 18:50 at the second channel (different series),
- 1973 - end of December 1975: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun on the first channel, Saturdays on the second channel (different series),
- since January 1976 every day on the first channel, one series for a block of days. Several attempts to broadcast the same or different series on the second channel.
[edit] Website
The Večerníček website was founded by Robert Štípek in 2005 as a specialised database about the series of short movies for children. The goal is to provide complete history of the programme.
[edit] Trivia
Asteroid 33377 Večerníček, discovered by Petr Pravec at Ondřejov Observatory on 12 February 1999, was named after the animated boy.
