Latest news with #BernddasBrot
Euronews
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Why are European children's TV characters so terrifying?
This year, German television celebrates a mightily important anniversary. 25 years ago, a depressed loaf of bread waltzed on to children's TV screens and terrified the entire population. Bernd das Brot, or 'Bernd the bread' is a beloved mainstay of German children's television. The sour-faced sourdough first aired on the Kika channel in 2000 alongside more traditionally optimistic characters such as Chili the Sheep and Briegel the Bush. The toast of children's television, Bernd das Brot was first baked up by Tommy Krappweis and Norman Cöster. Georg Graf von Westphalen then designed Bernd as a loaf of white bread with a permanent scowl. With his petulant pessimism and signature expression 'Mist!' (crap), it wasn't long before German TV programmers had some sense and moved Bernd from the daytime to the evening slot on the children's channel. There, stoners could fully appreciate their kindred spirit and Bernd das Brot as the crusty king he always was. As we commemorate 25 years of German TV's strangest attempt at children's entertainment, we thought it would be a good opportunity to look through the annals of European TV to find other examples of the continent's greatest tradition: terrifying children. United Kingdom: Mr Blobby No list of horrifying children's characters would be complete without the UK's gallant entry into the crowded field. It was 1992 and the coke-fuelled era of TV production was clearly still in full swing when Mr Blobby came hurtling into our lives. The huge costume of a bulbous pink man with jiggling eyes and an electronically altered voice that only screams 'blobby' with the vicious intensity of a thousand death hounds, Mr Blobby's entire shtick was terror. Introduced on the show 'Noel's House Party' as a gag where they pretended Mr Blobby was an established TV character in front of unknowing celebs, Mr Blobby somehow hypnotised a nation into making him a permanent fixture, appearing on British screens regularly ever since. Blundering into rooms, chaos always followed Mr Blobby. The grotesque humanoid creature would destroy all in its path. A symbol of 90s decadence in Britain, it's hard to say what summarises Mr Blobby or the era more: that he reportedly reduced a small girl to tears after throwing her birthday cake on the floor causing her father to assault him; or that he had a number one UK Christmas single. The Netherlands: Karbonkel As mentioned above, the 90s were a weird time. Not willing to be outdone by the Brits for televisual oddities, in 1994 Dutch TV programmers signed off on the show 'Ik Mik Loreland'. On the surface, it seems like a sweet idea. Aimed at primary school children, the show was designed to encourage and support them in learning to read and spell correctly. What could be more wholesome than learning to love literacy? For all that the Dutch are praised for their rationality, this is also a nation that was put on the map for their laissez-faire approach to weed and hookers. Naturally then, the best way to teach children under 10 how to read is through the ever present threat of Karbonkel, a one-eyed monster that can't read or write and tries to stop children from doing so too. Karbonkel immediately terrified children but production was already too far along by the time the studio realised for them to change course. The studio ended up touring Karbonkel around schools to prove to children this shape-shifting monster was just a puppet. Despite traumatising a generation, 'Ik Mik Loreland' has endured as an icon of Dutch culture. Czechia: Raťafák Plachta Guillermo del Toro ain't got nothing on the Czechs. Long before he created the terrifying Pale Man character with eyes in his hands for Pan's Labyrinth, Czech TV aired the Slovak show 'Slniečko' from 1979 to 1989. 'Slniečko' translates as 'little sunshine' and the puppet show's main character was a hand puppet of the sun. But while the main mascot was largely adorable, it isn't the show's legacy. Instead, that honour falls on Raťafák Plachta, another puppet created to parody politicians – yes, it's a children's show. Raťafák Plachta or 'big nose blanket' was a huge ungainly puppet that needed to be manned by two operators draped in the blanket costume. Walking around like a prop from a cheap horror film, Raťafák Plachta needs to be killed with fire. Sadly, almost all 500 episodes of 'Slniečko' are lost. It's only due to a parody video which surfaced online of someone using the original costume that many 1980s Slovak-Czech kids were reminded of the beast haunting their nightmares.
Voice of America
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Voice of America
'Bernd das Brot,' a depressed German loaf of bread, has spent 25 years as a TV cult classic
Forget SpongeBob SquarePants, Sesame Street and the sourdough starter craze — a depressed German loaf of bread named Bernd das Brot is celebrating his 25th anniversary as the reluctant star of a children's television program that accidentally became equally popular with adults. A cult classic in Germany, Bernd das Brot (Bernd the Bread) is a puppet renowned for his deep, gloomy voice, his perpetual pessimism and his signature expression, "Mist!" (Think "Crap!" in English.) Played and voiced by puppeteer Jorg Teichgraeber, Bernd is a television presenter who wants nothing to do with TV and can't wait to go home to stare at the wallpaper. This year, his friends — a sheep and a flower bush — are urging him to become a bread influencer. Born as a sketch on the back of a napkin in a pizzeria, Bernd was drawn by Tommy Krappweis, who modeled it after co-creator Norman Coster's face. The duo had been asked to come up with mascots for KiKA, a German children's public television channel. Comic artist Georg Graf von Westphalen designed Bernd as a pullman loaf — white bread typically sliced for sandwiches — with short arms and a permanent scowl. Bernd channels German stereotypes with his grumpy disposition, penchant for complaining, and dry sense of humor and irony. Bernd's first episode aired on KiKA in 2000 alongside his more optimistic pals, Chili the Sheep and Briegel the Bush. A reluctant popularity Because KiKA is a children's channel, there was typically dead air from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. On Jan. 1, 2003, the network put Bernd's short episodes into the night loop for the first time. The move brought an adult audience into Bernd's world, often those sitting at home and smoking pot, or returning after a long night of partying. The night loop cemented his popularity as a German cult classic. In 2004, Bernd won the Adolf Grimme Prize, the German television equivalent of an Emmy. The jury said he represents "the right to be in a bad mood." "Bernd shows you that you are less vulnerable with humor and self-irony. And perhaps the most important point is: It's totally OK if you don't feel well sometimes. That's completely fine," Krappweis said in a KiKA Q&A about Bernd's anniversary. Bernd's broken heart Bernd is depressed for a multitude of reasons, including his failed attempt to be the mascot for a bakery's advertising campaign (that's how he ended up as a TV presenter, as a last resort). But it's in Episode 85 that we finally learn about Bernd's broken heart. "A long, long time ago I fell in love with a beautiful, slim baguette. She was so incredibly charming and funny," Bernd tells Chili and Briegel. But unfortunately it was in vain. "She only had eyes for this run-of-the-mill multigrain bread with its 10 types of grain. It was so depressing." The kidnapping Despite Bernd's best efforts — one of his catchphrases is "I would like to leave this show" — the episodes have never become stale. He sings, he dances, he's been to space. He's the star of merchandise, a video game and headlines like "Give Us Our Daily Bernd." He was even kidnapped. In 2009, his 2-meter-tall statue was stolen from his traditional place outside the town hall in Erfurt, where KiKA is based. A claim of responsibility surfaced on YouTube, by sympathizers of a group of demonstrators who were protesting a company that had produced cremation ovens for the Nazis' Auschwitz extermination camp. The demonstrators, however, denied involvement in Bernd's kidnapping, and the video was removed from the internet. Bernd was held hostage for nearly two weeks before being discovered unharmed in an abandoned barracks. KiKA is honoring Bernd's 25th anniversary, despite his complaints. New episodes, an update to his hit song, and online activities for kids and adults alike will be featured. The celebrations are at hand, as Bernd's birthday is Feb. 29. The latest series will premiere in September as Bernd, Chili and Briegel launch the social media channel "Better with Bernd" in their efforts to make him into a bread influencer. The trio will present inventions to make school, and life, easier for viewers, but naturally their concoctions backfire. Bernd instead becomes a defluencer — and an involuntary trendsetter.
The Independent
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bernd das Brot, a pessimistic bread puppet, celebrates 25 years on TV
Bernd das Brot, a perpetually pessimistic German bread puppet, is celebrating 25 years on TV. Initially a children's show character, Bernd gained a cult adult following after his show was aired during late-night hours. Known for his gloomy demeanour and catchphrase 'I would like to leave this show', Bernd's popularity stems from his relatable pessimism and dry humour. Bernd even won the prestigious Adolf Grimme Prize in 2004 for 'representing the right to be in a bad mood'. KiKA, the German children's channel Bernd calls home, is celebrating his anniversary with new episodes and online activities.
The Independent
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Forget SpongeBob: Meet Bernd das Brot, a depressed loaf of bread that's spent 25 years on TV
Forget SpongeBob SquarePants, Sesame Street and the sourdough starter craze: a depressed German loaf of bread named Bernd das Brot is celebrating his 25th anniversary as the reluctant star of a children's television program that accidentally became equally popular with adults. A cult classic in Germany, Bernd das Brot (Bernd the Bread) is a puppet renowned for his deep, gloomy voice, his perpetual pessimism and his signature expression, " Mist!" (Think 'crap!' in English.) Played and voiced by puppeteer Jörg Teichgraeber, Bernd is a television presenter who wants nothing to do with TV and can't wait to go home to stare at the wallpaper. This year, his friends — a sheep and a flower bush — are urging him to become a bread influencer. Born as a sketch on the back of a napkin in a pizzeria, creator Tommy Krappweis drew Bernd's infamous grimace after co-creator Norman Cöster's face when they were asked to come up with mascots for KiKA, a German children's public television channel. Comic artist Georg Graf von Westphalen designed Bernd as a pullman loaf — white bread typically sliced for sandwiches — with short arms and a permanent scowl. Bernd channels German stereotypes with his grumpy disposition, penchant for complaining and dry sense of humor and irony. Bernd's first episode aired on KiKA in 2000 alongside his more-optimistic pals, Chili the Sheep and Briegel the Bush. Because KiKA is a children's channel, there was typically dead air from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. On Jan. 1, 2003, the network put Bernd's short episodes into the night loop for the first time. The move brought an adult audience — often those sitting at home and smoking pot, or returning after a long night of partying — into Bernd's world, cementing his popularity as a German cult classic. In 2004, Bernd won the Adolf Grimme Prize — the German television equivalent of an Emmy — because the jury said he represents 'the right to be in a bad mood.' 'Bernd shows you that you are less vulnerable with humor and self-irony. And perhaps the most important point is: It's totally okay if you don't feel well sometimes. That's completely fine,' Krappweis, Bernd's creator, said in a KiKA Q&A about Bernd's anniversary. Bernd is depressed for a multitude of reasons, including his failed attempt to be the mascot for a bakery's advertising campaign (that's how he ended up as a TV presenter, as a last resort). But it's in Episode 85 that we finally learn about Bernd's broken heart. 'A long, long time ago I fell in love with a beautiful, slim baguette. She was so incredibly charming and funny,' Bernd tells Chili and Briegel. 'But unfortunately it was in vain. 'She only had eyes for this run-of-the-mill multigrain bread with its 10 types of grain. It was so depressing.' Despite Bernd's best efforts — one of his catchphrases is 'I would like to leave this show' — the episodes have never become stale. He sings, he dances, he's been to space. He's the star of merchandise, a video game and headlines like 'Give Us Our Daily Bernd.' He was even kidnapped! In 2009, his 2-meter-tall (6.56 feet) statue was stolen from his traditional place outside the town hall in Erfurt, where KiKA is based. A claim of responsibility surfaced on YouTube, by sympathizers of a group of demonstrators who were protesting a company that had produced cremation ovens for the Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz. The demonstrators, however, denied involvement in Bernd's kidnapping and the video was removed from the internet. Bernd was held hostage for nearly two weeks before being discovered unharmed in an abandoned barracks. KiKA is honoring Bernd's 25th anniversary — despite his complaints — with new episodes, an update to his hit song and online activities for kids and adults alike. The celebrations begin now, as Bernd's birthday is Feb. 29. The latest series will premiere in September as Bernd, Chili and Briegel launch the social media channel 'Better with Bernd" in their efforts to make him into a bread influencer. The trio will present inventions to make school, and life, easier for viewers but naturally their concoctions backfire. Bernd instead becomes a defluencer — and an involuntary trendsetter.
Washington Post
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Meet Bernd das Brot, a depressed German loaf of bread that's spent 25 years as a TV cult classic
BERLIN — Forget SpongeBob SquarePants, Sesame Street and the sourdough starter craze: a depressed German loaf of bread named Bernd das Brot is celebrating his 25th anniversary as the reluctant star of a children's television program that accidentally became equally popular with adults. A cult classic in Germany , Bernd das Brot (Bernd the Bread) is a puppet renowned for his deep, gloomy voice, his perpetual pessimism and his signature expression, 'Mist!' (Think 'crap!' in English.) Played and voiced by puppeteer Jörg Teichgraeber, Bernd is a television presenter who wants nothing to do with TV and can't wait to go home to stare at the wallpaper.
