Czech โฃTelevision’s “I, Mattoni“โค Faces Criticism Afterโ costly Production Falls Flat
Prague, Czech Republic – A Czech Television (CT) past drama, “I, Mattoni,” budgeted at 120 โmillion CZKโฃ (approximately $5.3 million USD), โis โfacing widespread criticism for failing to resonate with audiences and reviewers despite its record-breaking price tag. The โขseries,โข intended to showcase Czech โproductionโข capabilities,โฃ is nowโ being described โas aโ notable disappointment and a cautionary tale ofโ wasted resources.
The series recounts the life โฃof Jan E. Mattoni, the founder of the mattoni mineral waterโ company.โข However, critics have lambasted the show for a lack of engaging plotlinesโฃ and a protagonist described โขas “a selfish skirt without moral scruples.” One โreviewer stated, โค”Boring, lack of interest. It โขlooks like a standardโค production, what madeโฃ here โtenโ years โคago, you just know a little that it’s โคexpensive.”
Comparisons to triumphant British historical โขsagas highlight the Czech production’s shortcomings. Reviewers noted the inabilityโข to manage multiple storylines โฃeffectively,unlike itsโ foreign โคcounterparts,and โคa failure to extract tension,emotion,or humor from the available material.
Despite a large-scale advertisingโฃ campaign, including prominent placement โduring the Karlovy Vary festival, viewership declined sharply afterโ the initial episodes. โOnlineโ discussions reportedlyโ reflected “anger and disillusionment”โ from viewers.
CT director General Petr Dvoลรกk approved the series,aiming โto compete with international productions. however, the outcome serves as a stark reminder that “finance will not replace talent โand good processing,” and โฃthat “an attempt toโข please everyone means not toโข satisfy anyone.”