Pat & Mat

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Mat (left, in red) and Pat (right, in yellow)

Pat & Mat (original names in Czech Kuťáci, ... A je to!, Pat a Mat) is a Czech stop-motion animated series featuring two handymen, Pat and Mat (Czech for "Stalemate" and "Checkmate", respectively). It was created by Lubomír Beneš and Vladimír Jiránek.

Contents

[edit] The show

The show features the two characters facing mostly a self-made problem, trying to solve it using any possible and impossible tools and constructing gadgets, which leads to more problems. Yet, eventually, the two manage to get a working result with a mostly surprising solution.

According to the authors, it is the manual ineptitude that inspires the stories. The humour is not the only feature of the show, but also the optimistic approach to life. The two characters always get into problematic situations but they never give up, until they solve the problem in imaginative ways.

The show is also memorable for its soundtrack, composed by Petr Skoumal, of which the main parts consist of the theme song and a harmonica tune.

[edit] History

The two characters first appeared in a 1976 short film entitled Kuťáci (The Tinkers). Later, the characters appeared in more shorts, making their own TV series called ... A je to! (... And it's done!), where they got their final look. The two handymen got their names Pat and Mat in 1989, and this became the name of the show.

While creating the two characters, the authors had in mind especially entertainment for adults, but the show became popular with all audiences. However, in former Czechoslovakia, the first 35 episodes of the series could have been produced as children's TV programme only, in the short's format of 7 minutes.

The show became popular throughout the world, being aired in Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia), Sweden, Poland, Yugoslavia, Iceland, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Finland, Netherlands, Croatia, Norway, Spain, Iran, Hungary, Slovenia, Jordan, South Africa and some more countries.

In 1990, shortly after Czechoslovakia became open (and later the Czech and Slovak republics), Lubomír Beneš (who died in 1995) founded his own AIF Studio in Prague (production) and Zurich (marketing, sales, financing), where he and his team produced 14 more episodes, and introduced all 49 of them in the international market.

[edit] Festivals, awards, prizes

Several of the Pat & Mat episodes have received prizes and awards at world animation festivals during the years.

From the latest ones directed by Lubomír Beneš, the 38th episode The Cyclists, animated by Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly, participated at the "Annecy '93" (Annecy, France) animation festival competition, and has been invited to a number of other world festivals.

The Cyclists has also been included in the selection "The Best of Annecy '93" by Cinémathèque Québécoise (Montreal), Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Pacific Film Archive (Berkeley), Museum of Modern Art (New York) and presented by these institutions in their autumn '93 show.

The 44th episode The Billiards, animated by František Váša, has been selected for the "Annecy '95" competition, and invited to almost all otherworld film festivals.

The Billiards has got two prizes at the World Animation Celebration in Agoura (CA), March '97:

  • 1st prize - best animation for a daytime TV series
  • 2nd prize - best stop motion professional animation.

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Czechoslovakia

In socialist Czechoslovakia, the authors had to explain their "subversive" characters and stories to the Prague watch-dogs of the regime, e.g. one of the questions was if they chose the t-shirt colours, red and yellow, to make fun of the Soviet-Chinese tensions. However, their explanations were "unsatisfactory", and so the "ideologic impurity" and the ban on Pat & Mat production remained. Yet, the Slovak colleagues from Czechoslovak TV in Bratislava gave Pat & Mat the necessary support, assigned them production means, so the production began and went on in the same Czech studio in Prague where Lubomír Beneš and his crew worked, under their Slovak cover (28 episodes, 1979–1985).

[edit] Switzerland

In Switzerland, the children programmers of German Swiss TV excluded some of the episodes from broadcasting, as they deemed them "too dangerous", while the French and Italian channels had no such problems.

[edit] Iran

On October 29, 2008 (8 Aban 1387 AP), the episode Winegrowers (Vinári), produced in 1984, was broadcast from IRIB channel 2 as a part of a children programme. The episodes depict the process of winemaking and distillation into liquor. Since alcoholic beverages are illegal in Iran, this resulted in the producer and the supervisor of the programme getting fired in a few days.[1][2]

[edit] Followers

Later on there were also five DVDs released with most of the episodes. As of 2005, 78 episodes were made in total, with the idea and characters taken over by partially new teams. Among the team members on the new production was Marek Beneš, Lubomír Beneš's son.

[edit] List of show title in other languages

Here is a list of what the series was called in different countries.

original
  • Czech Republic, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia: Kuťáci, A je to!, Pat a Mat
    followers: Pat a Mat se vrací
other countries, languages (in alphabetic order)
  • Arabic: زينغو و رينغو
  • Brazil: Zeca e Joca
  • Britain, USA: ...and that's it!, Pat and Mat
  • Croatia: A je to! Pat i Mat
  • Farsi/Persian: پت و مت
  • Finland: Hupsis, Pat ja Mat
  • Germany: ...und fertig!, Peter und Paul, Pat und Mat
  • Hungary: Kétbalkezesek
  • Korean: 패트와 매트
  • Poland: Sąsiedzi, Pat i Mat
  • Switzerland: Sepp und Heiri
  • Iceland: Klaufabárðarnir
  • Iran: Hamineh
  • Netherlands: Buurman en Buurman
  • Norway: To gode naboer (Two Good Neighbours)
  • Slovenia: A je to! Pat in Mat
  • Sweden: Två snubbar (Two dudes)
  • Switzerland (German part): Dä Sepp und dä Heiri
  • Welsh: Now a Ned

[edit] Episode Names

N/e Year production English Title Czech Title
(Slovak in 1979-1985)		 Director Episode
Pilot
produced in the Barrandov animation studios, Prague
1 1976 Pat & Mat (Tinkers) Pat a Mat (Kuťáci) Lubomír Beneš
...A je to!
produced in the Barrandov animation studios, Prague, courtesy of Czechoslovak Television, Bratislava)
2 1979 Tapestry Tapety Lubomír Beneš
3 1979 Workshop Dielňa Lubomír Beneš
4 1979 Carpet Koberec Lubomír Beneš
5 1979 Rocking Chair Hojdacie kreslo Lubomír Beneš
6 1979 Picture Obraz Lubomír Beneš
7 1979 Garage Garáž Lubomír Beneš
8 1979 Light Svetlo Lubomír Beneš
9 1981 Gramophone Gramofón Lubomír Beneš
10 1981 Grill Gril Lubomír Beneš
11 1982 Removal Sťahovanie Lubomír Beneš
12 1982 Water Voda Lubomír Beneš
13 1982 Jumpers (Aerials) Skokani Lubomír Beneš
14 1982 Garden Záhradka Lubomír Beneš
15 1982 Painting Job Maľovanie Lubomír Beneš
16 1982 Crosswords Krížovka Lubomír Beneš
17 1983 Gym Telocvičňa Lubomír Beneš
18 1983 Bird Feeder Búdka Lubomír Beneš
19 1983 Big Laundry Veľké pránie Lubomír Beneš
20 1983 Breakfast (In Grass) Raňajky v tráve Lubomír Beneš
21 1983 Washing Machine Práčka Lubomír Beneš
22 1983 Rain Dážď Lubomír Beneš
23 1984 Excursion Výlet Lubomír Beneš
24 1984 Winegrowers Vinári Lubomír Beneš
25 1984 Skates Korčule Lubomír Beneš
26 1984 Piano Klavír Lubomír Beneš
27 1985 Potters Hrnčiari Lubomír Beneš
28 1985 Defect Porucha Lubomír Beneš
29 1985 Apple Jablko Lubomír Beneš
Pat a Mat
produced in the Barrandov animation studios, Prague (Krátký Film Praha)
30 1989 Key Klíč Lubomír Beneš
31 1989 Furnitures Nábytek Lubomír Beneš
32 1990 Lawnmower Sekačka Lubomír Beneš
33 1990 General Cleaning Generální úklid Lubomír Beneš
34 1990 Door Dveře Lubomír Beneš
35 1990 Roof Střecha Lubomír Beneš
Pat a Mat
produced in the authors' AIF Studio, Prague and Zurich
36 1992 Biscuits Sušenky Marek Beneš
37 1992 Door Garage Vrata Lubomír Beneš
38 1992 Cyclists Cyklisti Lubomír Beneš
39 1992 Shallows Dlaždice Lubomír Beneš
40 1992 Paquet Parkety Lubomír Beneš
41 1992 Gutter Pipe Okap Marek Beneš
42 1993 Convertible Kabriolet Lubomír Beneš
43 1994 Flat Tire Nehoda Lubomír Beneš
44 1994 Bilard Kulečník Lubomír Beneš
45 1994 Hedge Živý plot Lubomír Beneš
46 1994 Safe Trezor Lubomír Beneš
47 1994 Fender Blatník Lubomír Beneš
48 1994 Model Builders Modeláři Lubomír Beneš
49 1994 Windsurfing Windsurfing Lubomír Beneš
episode not released for distribution
(produced by part of former Lubomír Beneš team without his heirs' consent)
50 1998 The Cards Karty František Váša
Pat a Mat se vrací
(followers, with Marek Beneš or his consent)
51 2003 Barbecue Opékají špekáčky Ladislav Pálka
52 2003 Binding of Roof Opravují střechu Ladislav Pálka
53 2003 Black Box Černá bedýnka Vlasta Pospíšilová
54 2003 Wheels Kolečka Vlasta Pospíšilová
55 2003 Dog House Psí bouda Milan Šebesta
56 2003 Painting Floor Natírají podlahu Ladislav Pálka
57 2003 Glasshouse Skleník Marek Beneš
58 2003 Swing Houpačka Marek Beneš
59 2003 Unwelcome Guest Nezvaný návštěvník Marek Beneš
60 2003 Bodyguards Bodygárdi Marek Beneš
61 2003 Painting Windows Natírají okna Marek Beneš
62 2002 Puzzle Puzzle Marek Beneš
63 2003 Easter Egg Velikonoční vajíčko Vlasta Pospíšilová
64 2003 Slim Figure Štíhlá linie Vlasta Pospíšilová
65 2003 Automatic Machine Automat Marek Beneš
66 2003 Autodrome Autodráha Marek Beneš
67 2003 Aquarium Akvárium Marek Beneš
68 2003 Pumpkin Zavařují Ladislav Pálka
69 2003 Hang Glider Rogalo Ladislav Pálka
70 2004 The Golf Hrají golf Ladislav Pálka
71 2004 The Lid Někam to zapadlo Vlasta Pospíšilová
72 2004 The Swimming Pool Kopají bazén Marek Beneš
73 2004 The Landscape Painting Věší krajinu Marek Beneš
74 2004 The Christmas Tree Vánoční stromeček Marek Beneš
75 2003 The Christmas Cake Vánočka Milan Šebesta
76 2003 The Illness Stůňou Ladislav Pálka
77 2003 The Fax Machine Fax Josef Lamka
78 2003 The Strawberries Jahody Vlasta Pospíšilová

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_%26_Mat"
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