Vecernícek
Encyclopedia
Večerníček 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 broadcast 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 contains 10 - 20 parts.
The format of the programme has been unchanged for decades, making it part of the Czech and Slovak culture.
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 broadcast in Slovakia; it has been revamped (better colors, a cat has been added etc.) recently however.
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 airtime.
After 1989, Večerníček withstood several attempts to change the logo or even replace the programme.
, discovered by Petr Pravec
at Ondřejov Observatory
on 12 February 1999, was named after the animated boy.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programme for the children in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
(before 1993 two different versions aired in the Czech part and in the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
). It has been regularly broadcast for over 40 years. A similar concept is called Sandmännchen
Sandmännchen
Unser Sandmännchen, Das Sandmännchen, Abendgruß, Sandmann, Sandmännchen is a German children's bedtime television programme using stop motion animation...
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 contains 10 - 20 parts.
The format of the programme has been unchanged for decades, making it part of the Czech and Slovak culture.
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 broadcast 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 broadcast in Slovakia; it has been revamped (better colors, a cat has been added etc.) recently however.
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 airtime.
After 1989, Večerníček withstood several attempts to change the logo or even replace the programme.
When it was shown
Information about the Czech version of the programme, from http://www.vecernicek.com/clanek.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1141199043&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&:- During 1965 - end of July 1966 it was broadcast 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.
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.Trivia
Asteroid 33377 Večerníček33377 Vecernícek
33377 Večerníček is a main belt asteroid with an orbital period of about 1256 days . The asteroid was discovered on February 12, 1999. For the meaning of the name see Večerníček.-References:...
, discovered by Petr Pravec
Petr Pravec
Petr Pravec is a Czech astronomer, born in Třinec, a prolific discoverer of binary asteroids using lightcurve photometric studies. He is leading the effort of a large consortium of stations called BinAst to look for multiplicity in the NEA and inner main-belt populations...
at Ondřejov Observatory
Ondrejov Observatory
The Ondřejov Observatory is the principal observatory of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. It is located near the village of Ondřejov, 35 km southeast of Prague....
on 12 February 1999, was named after the animated boy.
External links
- opening (and final) part:
- Czech version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ni6dIpQ2yM&feature=related
- Slovak version: winter (old version)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbXExfy-U4s, summer (old version)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfSft4Q9R1I&feature=related, spring (new version)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55zUpnvbE8U&feature=related
- Article about the Czech programme
- History of Večerníček on Czech TV (in Czech)
- Online database covering the whole history of Večerníček (in Czech)