Ein Kessel Buntes
Encyclopedia
Ein Kessel Buntes 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.http://www.fernsehserien.de/index.php?serie=1378 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. (scheduled to clash with the main evening news on ARD
)
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.http://www.madeinddr.de/gdrsite/tv/index4_(2).htm
The show was meant to compete with those on West German
television, (which most East Germans were able, and did, watch). To this end it was fairly successful even attracting a following in parts of West Germany which could receive Eastern TV. 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.http://www.kimwilde.com/tv/1992/00352/
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 rerun
s and best-of shows.
Numerous international stars were invited to participate: ABBA
, Amanda Lear
, Karel Gott
, Sofia Rotaru
and others.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
in the former East Germany. It broadcast from 1972 to 1992. A total of 113 shows were made, six per year.http://www.fernsehserien.de/index.php?serie=1378 As the name implies, it was broadcast in color
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
, first from the Friedrichstadtpalast theater, and later from the Palast der Republik
Palast der Republik
The Palace of the Republic in Berlin was the seat of the parliament of the German Democratic Republic, the People's Chamber, and also served various cultural purposes...
, as well as from other prominent music halls in other East German cities. Its title sequence
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
showed a series of famous clocks in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, such as that on the Rotes Rathaus
Rotes Rathaus
The Red City Hall is the town hall of Berlin, located in the Mitte district on Rathausstraße near Alexanderplatz. It is the home to the governing mayor and the government of the Federal state of Berlin...
and the Weltzeituhr at Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin, near the Fernsehturm. Berliners often call it simply Alex, referring to a larger neighborhood stretching from Mollstraße in the northeast to Spandauer Straße and the City Hall in the southwest.-Early...
displaying the time of broadcast, 8 p.m. (scheduled to clash with the main evening news on ARD
Das Erste
Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen , marketed as Das Erste , is the principal publicly owned television channel in Germany...
)
Ein Kessel Buntes was originally hosted by actors Horst Köbbert (who spoke Low German
Low German
Low German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
from the north), Lutz Stückrath (a speaker of the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
dialect), and Heinz Uhlig (who spoke Saxon
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
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.http://www.madeinddr.de/gdrsite/tv/index4_(2).htm
The show was meant to compete with those on West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
television, (which most East Germans were able, and did, watch). To this end it was fairly successful even attracting a following in parts of West Germany which could receive Eastern TV. 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.http://www.kimwilde.com/tv/1992/00352/
After German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, and the dissolution of Fernsehen der DDR, the show was broadcast for a further two years on Das Erste
Das Erste
Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen , marketed as Das Erste , is the principal publicly owned television channel in Germany...
. It is still popular in rerun
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
s and best-of shows.
Numerous international stars were invited to participate: ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, Amanda Lear
Amanda Lear
Amanda Lear is a French singer, lyricist, composer, painter, TV presenter, actress and novelist....
, Karel Gott
Karel Gott
Karel Gott is a Czech Schlager singer, and an amateur painter. He is considered as the most successful male singer in former Czechoslovakia and currently in the Czech Republic; he has being voted the Most Favorite Male Singer in the annual national pool Český slavík in total thirty-six times...
, Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru known as Sofia Rotaru is a Soviet and Ukrainian pop singer of Romanian/Moldavian heritage....
and others.
External links
- Stern article about East German television
- Short page in German about East German television with music clip from the show
- Fan description in English
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)