Title: ABECEDA: A Popular Czech TV Show That Left a Lasting Impact
Introduction:
ABECEDA, a popular Czech TV show that aired from 1985 to 1991, brought together artists associated with specific letters of the traditional 26-letter alphabet. The show gained immense popularity among viewers, with each episode featuring a different pair of letters and showcasing talented performers whose surnames began with those letters. However, ABECEDA was not just a source of entertainment; it also became associated with some of the saddest events in Czech television history.
The Concept:
The original idea behind ABECEDA was to bring artists associated with specific letters of the alphabet onto the stage. The diacritics and the letter Q were excluded, while the letter CH was added. In each episode, two letters were drawn from transparent lottery boxes, and the selected pair determined the performers who would appear on the show. Not being chosen meant missing out on the opportunity to showcase one’s talent.
The Performers:
The show featured a wide range of artists, including actors, singers, and comedians. Some notable performers who appeared on ABECEDA include Zlata Adamovská, Josef Abrhám, Pavel Zedníček, Hana Zagorová, Jitka Zelenková, and Miroslav Žbirka. Each episode was hosted by a different presenter whose surname corresponded to the letters drawn in the previous episode.
Twelve Episodes and the Unfinished Thirteenth:
ABECEDA was filmed at the symbolic Divadlo ABC in Prague, with a total of twelve episodes produced between 1985 and 1991. The planned thirteenth episode, featuring artists with surnames starting with the letters E and T, never materialized due to the transformation of Czechoslovak Television. The era of similar variety shows was coming to an end, and television entertainment was heading in a different direction.
The Last Performance:
ABECEDA is not only remembered for its entertainment value but also for one of the saddest moments in Czech television history. It marked the last public appearance of legendary actor, comedian, and national favorite Vladimír Menšík. Despite being seriously ill, Menšík managed to entertain the audience for almost fifteen minutes, although he had to sit during his monologue. When the episode is re-aired, his entrance is edited down to just two minutes. Menšík’s health deteriorated rapidly after the show, and he passed away two days later.
Tragic Farewells:
ABECEDA also became the final performance for actress Laďka Kozderková, who bid farewell to the earthly world with a piano accompaniment, singing the song “Já už vím” (I Already Know). The lyrics, which spoke of realization, sudden downfall, and disappointment, seemed to resonate with her soul. Kozderková, who was battling cancer, passed away a few weeks later. Singer Waldemar Matuška also bid farewell to Czech audiences through ABECEDA before emigrating to the USA.
Conclusion:
ABECEDA left a lasting impact on Czech television and its viewers. The show’s unique concept and the talented performers it showcased made it a beloved program. However, it is also remembered for the tragic events associated with some of its participants, including the final performances of Vladimír Menšík and Laďka Kozderková. ABECEDA will forever be etched in the memories of Czech television history.ABECEDA: A Popular Czech TV Show from the 1980s
The popular Czech TV show ABECEDA, which aired from 1985 to 1991, brought together artists associated with specific letters of the traditional 26-letter alphabet. The show excluded diacritics and the letter Q, but added the letter CH.
In each episode, the letters were predetermined, while the performers were selected from transparent lottery boxes. The two letters drawn became the key for selecting the participants, and it was as if those who did not appear in the ABECEDA show did not exist.
The show quickly gained popularity among viewers, and every actor, singer, or comedian hoped that their last name would start with the chosen letter and that the production would remember them. However, due to the limited time of each episode, not everyone could be featured, leaving some unlucky individuals disappointed.
Some of the selected artists included Zlata Adamovská, Josef Abrhám, Pavel Zedníček, Hana Zagorová, Jitka Zelenková, and Miroslav Žbirka for the letter A. For the letter H, there were Miroslav Horníček, Jana Hlaváčová, Hana Hegerová, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jiří Helekal, Vlastimil Harapes, Petr Hapka, Stanislav Hložek, Pavel Horňák, and for W, Jiří Wimer, among others.
Each episode was hosted by a different person, whose last name corresponded to the letters drawn in the previous episode.
The show was filmed at the symbolic venue of the ABC Theater in Prague, where a total of twelve episodes were recorded from 1985 to 1991. Unfortunately, due to the transformation of Czechoslovak Television, the planned thirteenth episode, featuring artists with last names starting with E and T, was never produced. Similar variety shows gradually lost their popularity, and television entertainment took a different direction.
Nevertheless, ABECEDA left a significant mark. The script was written by a number of people, including František Polák, a pioneer of television entertainment at the time, who was involved in every episode. Miroslav Horníček and Milan Lasica also occasionally contributed to the show.
ABECEDA is not only remembered for bringing joy to viewers but also for being associated with one of the saddest events in Czech history. It marked the last public appearance of the legendary actor, comedian, and national favorite Vladimír Menšík. He was already seriously ill and had to sit on a chair during his monologue. Despite his condition, he managed to entertain the audience for almost fifteen minutes. Interestingly, when the Czech Television replays this episode, his entrance is edited to only a few seconds.
How did the transformation of Czechoslovak Television and changing trends in television entertainment impact the production of the thirteenth episode of ABECEDA?
The show and the vast number of talented performers, not everyone had the opportunity to showcase their talent on ABECEDA.
Some notable performers who appeared on the show include Zlata Adamovská, Josef Abrhám, Pavel Zedníček, Hana Zagorová, Jitka Zelenková, and Miroslav Žbirka. Each episode was hosted by a different presenter, and the chosen presenter’s surname had to correspond to the letters drawn in the previous episode.
In total, twelve episodes of ABECEDA were produced between 1985 and 1991. However, the planned thirteenth episode, featuring artists with surnames starting with the letters E and T, never materialized. This was due to the transformation of Czechoslovak Television and the changing trends in television entertainment.
ABECEDA is not just remembered for its entertainment value, but also for the tragic events associated with some of its participants. The show marked the last public appearance of the legendary actor and comedian Vladimír Menšík, who was seriously ill at the time. Despite his deteriorating health, Menšík managed to entertain the audience for almost fifteen minutes before passing away just two days later.
ABECEDA also became the final performance for actress Laďka Kozderková, who sang the song “Já už vím” (I Already Know) with piano accompaniment. The lyrics of the song seemed to resonate with Kozderková, who was battling cancer. She passed away a few weeks after her performance on the show.
Singer Waldemar Matuška also bid farewell to Czech audiences through ABECEDA before emigrating to the USA.
ABECEDA left a lasting impact on Czech television and its viewers. The show’s unique concept and the talented performers it showcased made it a beloved program. However, it is also remembered for the tragic events associated with some of its participants. ABECEDA will forever be etched in the memories of Czech television history.
