Večerníček, Czech Television’s iconic bedtime series, celebrates 60 years
January marks 60 years since the launch of Večerníček, a beloved Czech children’s TV programme that airs every evening. Czechoslovak Television broadcast the first episode of the bedtime series on January 2, 1965, and it has since become a treasured part of Czech cultural heritage.
The very first episode of Czechoslovak Television’s bedtime series, called Večerníček, was a nine-minute film by Ludvík Ráža titled The Boy and the Comet.
The iconic introduction to Večerníček, featuring a boy with a paper hat sitting on a rocking horse, who greets children with ‘good evening’ at the beginning of the programme and ‘good night’ at the end, first appeared on television in August of the same year.
The memorable jingle was created by illustrator Radek Pilař, director Václav Bedřich, and composer Ladislav Simon. His son, pianist Jan Simon, told Czech Radio why he thinks it still resonates after all these years:
“Whoever you ask to sing the jingle or play it on a musical instrument, it’s terribly difficult. In fact, it seems unmemorable. Maybe it is thanks to its complexity that even if the child is in the next room somewhere and can’t see the TV but can hear the jingle, it’s so special in that it actually draws those children to the TV screen.”
Czech Television began broadcasting just eleven years before the ‘birth’ of Večerníček, and at the time, television was not yet accessible to everyone. By December 1969, three million Czechoslovaks owned a television set, and by 1978, the number exceeded four million. Meanwhile, the popularity of Večerníček continued to grow.
For the first two years, bedtime stories were acted and narrated. It wasn’t until October 1967 that the first animated series were introduced. These were The Fairy Tales of Sheep Grandmother, which remain popular even today.
Over the decades, Večerníček has become a platform showcasing the talents of outstanding Czech illustrators, writers, animators, and directors.
Among the classic, most-loved bedtime cartoon classics that have emerged over the six decades are Bob and Bobek – the Rabbits from a Hat, The Tales of Moss and Fern and Maxipes Fík.
According to data from Czech Television, the most-watched Večerníček episodes between 2008 and 2019 were Krkonošské pohádky (The Giant Mountains Fairy Tales), featuring the mythical ruler of the Giant Mountains.
Today, Večerníček continues to delight children, airing on Czech Television’s children’s channel Děčko every day at 7 p.m.
