Pat & Mat

Pat & Mat
File:PMtrezor.jpg Pat (left) and Mat (right)
Genre	Animated television series
Created by	Lubomír Beneš Vladimír Jiránek
Written by	Lubomír Beneš Vladimír Jiránek Jiří Kubíček Vendulka Čvančarová Marek Beneš others
Directed by	Lubomír Beneš Marek Beneš others
Theme music composer	Petr Skoumal
Composers	Luboš Fišer (ep. 1) Petr Skoumal (ep. 2-91)
Country of origin	Czechoslovakia Czech Republic
No. of episodes	91
Production
Running time	6 - 9 min.
Production companies	Krátký Film Praha aiF Studio Patmat film s.r.o. others
Original release
Network	ČST ČT STV
Release	1976 – present

Pat & Mat (Czech: 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, which ultimately come from Persian terms in chess: pāt (Persian: پات) and māt (Persian: مات), the latter word being the root for English checkmate). It was created by Lubomír Beneš and Vladimír Jiránek.

The show

The show features the two characters facing mostly self-made problems, trying to solve them using any possible and impossible tools and construction gadgets. This leads to even more problems and 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. Another feature is having an optimistic approach towards 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.

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 series on Slovak TV entitled ... A je to! (... And that's it!), 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 29 episodes of the series could have been produced as children's TV programme only, in the short's format of 7–9 minutes.

Thanks to its distinct lack of spoken dialogue, the show became popular throughout the world, being aired in nations that include Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia), Sweden, Syria, Iraq, Poland, former Yugoslavia, Iceland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Brazil, Finland, Japan, Norway, Spain, Iran, Hungary, Jordan, South Africa, and South Korea. In the Netherlands, the characters are given dubbed dialogue (with the voices of Kees Prins and Siem van Leeuwen)

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

Three years after Beneš's death in 1995, his studio went into bankruptcy, igniting some copyright issues over the characters and the 50th episode, which therefore was never released. In the meantime, Beneš's son Marek founded his own studio, Patmat film. Production of episodes was resumed in 2002 by Ateliéry Bonton Zlín, resulting in 28 episodes produced by three studios (Ateliéry Bonton, Anima and Patmat) in just three years. Many crew members were veterans who worked on the original TV series.

The characters were revived once again in 2011 by Beneš for a new series, Pat a Mat na venkově (Pat & Mat in the Country). The pilot, Postele (The Beds), produced in 2009, premiered at the 50th Zlín Film Festival in 2010. Twelve more episodes followed from 2011 to 2015, produced at Patmat film and filmed in 16:9. Beneš directed and wrote all 13 episodes. The episodes were released on DVD in 2013 and received their TV premiere on the Dutch channel VPRO on 9 June 2013. New episodes are currently in production.

Cinema

To celebrate the show's 40th anniversary, in some countries including the Netherlands, seven new episodes were shown in cinema in 2016. Gusto Entertainment announced in December 2015 that there will be a full-length feature film that will be released in cinemas in 2016.

Festivals, awards, prizes

Several 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 1993 show.

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

The Billiards got two prizes at the World Animation Celebration in Agoura (CA), March 1997:

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

The 50th episode Playing Cards (original name Karty) written, animated and directed by František Váša, has been selected for the "Annecy '99" TV competition.

Controversies

Czechoslovakia

Pat (right) and Mat (left) during the 1979-1985 era.

In socialist Czechoslovakia, the authors had to explain their "subversive" characters and stories to the Prague watch-dogs of the regime, with one of the questions being whether they chose the shirt colours, red and yellow, to make fun of the Soviet-Chinese tensions. However, their explanations were "unsatisfactory", and so the "ideologic impurity" remained and further production on Pat & Mat was banned. Yet, the Slovak colleagues from Czechoslovak TV in Bratislava gave Pat & Mat the necessary support and assigned them production means so the production resumed in the same Czech studio in Prague where Lubomír Beneš and his crew worked, under their Slovak cover (28 episodes, 1979–1985). However, Mat's shirt was changed from red to a neutral grey (which changed back to red in 1989).

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the children programmers of German-language Swiss TV excluded some of the episodes from broadcasting because they contained high amounts of slapstick violence, which they deemed "too dangerous", while the French- and Italian-language channels had no such problems.

Home media

After appearing on VHS for a decade, the first 35 episodes were released on DVD in the early 2000s, with the 28 new episodes ending the releases in 2005. Shorts from the AIF era were initially unavailable because of copyright issues, which continued until 2007, when the remaining aired episodes appeared on DVD for the first time.

List of show title in other languages

Original

• Czech Republic, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia: Kuťáci, A je to!, Pat a Mat
  followers: Pat a Mat se vracejí

Other languages (in alphabetic order)

• Arabic: زينغو و رينغو
• Croatian: A je to! (I to je to!) Pat i Mat
• Catalan: En Pat i en Mat
• Dutch*: Buurman en Buurman (Neighbour and Neighbour), Formerly: De twee stuntels (The two klutzes)
• English: ...and that's it!, Pat and Mat
• Finnish: Hupsis!, Pat ja Mat (Oops!, Pat and Mat)
• German: ...und fertig!, Peter und Paul, Pat und Mat, Sepp und Heiri
• Hungarian: Kétbalkezesek (Fumblers) (literally "2 Left Handers"), Pat és Mat
• Icelandic: Klaufabárðarnir (The clumsy guys)
• Japanese: パットとマット
• Korean: 패트와 매트
• Macedonian: Пат и Мат
• Norwegian: To gode naboer (Two Good Neighbours)
• Persian: !همینه (That's it!) also "پت و مت" (Pat & Mat)
• Polish: Sąsiedzi (Neighbours), Pat i Mat
• Portuguese: Zeca e Joca
• Russian: Тяпа и Ляпа, Пат и Мат, Соседи (Neighbours)
• Slovenian: A je to! Pat in Mat
• Spanish: "Los Chapuceros", Pat y Mat
• Swedish: Två snubbar (Two dudes)
• Welsh: Now a Ned

* In the Dutch version the characters talk, whereas in the original and all other countries there is no dialogue. Pat is voiced by Kees Prins and Mat by Simon van Leeuwen.

List of episodes

N/e	Year of production	English Title	Czech Title (Slovak in 1979-1985)	Episode Director
Pilot produced in the Barrandov animation studios (Krátký Film), Prague
1	1976	Tinkers	Kuťáci	Lubomír Beneš
...A je to! produced in the Barrandov animation studios (Krátký Film), Prague, courtesy of Czechoslovak Television, Bratislava
2	1979	Wallpaper	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	The Light	Svetlo	Lubomír Beneš
9	1981	Gramophone	Gramofón	Lubomír Beneš
10	1981	Grill	Gril	Lubomír Beneš
11	1982	Moving Day	Sťahovanie	Lubomír Beneš
12	1982	Water	Voda	Lubomír Beneš
13	1982	Garden	Záhradka	Lubomír Beneš
14	1982	Paint Job	Maľovanie	Lubomír Beneš
15	1982	Crossword Puzzle	Krížovka	Lubomír Beneš
16	1982	Jumpers (Aerials)	Skokani	Lubomír Beneš
17	1983	Birdhouse	Búdka	Lubomír Beneš
18	1983	Laundry Day	Veľké pranie	Lubomír Beneš
19	1983	Breakfast in Grass	Raňajky v tráve	Lubomír Beneš
20	1983	Washing Machine	Práčka	Lubomír Beneš
21	1983	Rain	Dážď	Lubomír Beneš
22	1983	The Gym	Telocvičňa	Lubomír Beneš
23	1984	Trip	Výlet	Lubomír Beneš
24	1984	Winemakers	Vinári	Lubomír Beneš
25	1984	Skates	Korčule	Lubomír Beneš
26	1984	Piano	Klavír	Lubomír Beneš
27	1985	Potters	Hrnčiari	Lubomír Beneš
28	1985	Malfunction	Porucha	Lubomír Beneš
29	1985	Apple	Jablko	Lubomír Beneš
Pat & Mat produced in the Barrandov animation studios (Krátký Film), Prague
30	1989	The Key	Klíč	Lubomír Beneš
31	1989	Furniture	Nábytek	Lubomír Beneš
32	1990	Lawnmower	Sekačka	Lubomír Beneš
33	1990	Cleaning Day	Generální úklid	Lubomír Beneš
34	1990	Door	Dveře	Lubomír Beneš
35	1990	Roof	Střecha	Lubomír Beneš
Pat & Mat produced in the authors' AIF Studio, Prague
36	1992	Biscuits	Sušenky	Marek Beneš
37	1992	Garage Door	Vrata	Lubomír Beneš
38	1992	Cyclists	Cyklisti	Lubomír Beneš
39	1992	Tiles	Dlaždice	Lubomír Beneš
40	1992	Parquet	Parkety	Lubomír Beneš
41	1992	Gutter Pipe	Okap	Marek Beneš
42	1992	Convertible	Kabriolet	Lubomír Beneš
43	1994	Accident	Nehoda	Lubomír Beneš
44	1994	Billiard	Kulečník	Lubomír Beneš
45	1994	Hedgerow	Živý plot	Lubomír Beneš
46	1994	The 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 the former Lubomír Beneš's team without his heirs' consent)
50	1998	The Cards	Karty	František Váša
Pat a Mat, Pat a Mat se vracejí (followers, with Marek Beneš or his consent)
51	2002	Puzzle	Puzzle	Marek Beneš
52	2003	Roasted Sausages	Opékají špekáčky	Ladislav Pálka
53	2003	Roof Repair	Opravují střechu	Ladislav Pálka
54	2003	Black Box	Černá bedýnka	Vlasta Pospíšilová
55	2003	Wheels	Kolečka	Vlasta Pospíšilová
56	2003	Dog House	Psí bouda	Milan Šebesta
57	2003	Lacquering the Floor	Natírají podlahu	Ladislav Pálka
58	2003	The Greenhouse	Skleník	Marek Beneš
59	2003	The Swing	Houpačka	Marek Beneš
60	2003	Unwanted Guest	Nezvaný návštěvník	Marek Beneš
61	2003	Bodyguards	Bodygárdi	Marek Beneš
62	2003	Painting The Windows	Natírají okna	Marek Beneš
63	2003	Easter Egg	Velikonoční vajíčko	Vlasta Pospíšilová
64	2003	Slim Figure	Štíhlá linie	Vlasta Pospíšilová
65	2003	Vending Machine	Automat	Marek Beneš
66	2003	Autodrome	Autodráha	Marek Beneš
67	2003	Aquarium	Akvárium	Marek Beneš
68	2003	Canning	Zavařují	Ladislav Pálka
69	2003	Hang Glider	Rogalo	Ladislav Pálka
70	2003	Christmas Cake	Vánočka	Milan Šebesta
71	2003	Flu	Stůňou	Ladislav Pálka
72	2003	Fax Machine	Fax	Josef Lamka
73	2003	Strawberries	Jahody	Vlasta Pospíšilová
74	2004	Playing Golf	Hrají golf	Ladislav Pálka
75	2004	Bottle Cap	Někam to zapadlo	Vlasta Pospíšilová
76	2004	Swimming Pool	Kopají bazén	Marek Beneš
77	2004	Hanging A Painting	Věší krajinu	Marek Beneš
78	2004	Christmas Tree	Vánoční stromeček	Marek Beneš
Pat a Mat na venkově produced by Patmat film, Prague
79	2009	Beds	Postele	Marek Beneš
80	2011	Paper Plates	Papírový servis	Marek Beneš
81	2011	Water Supply	Vodovod	Marek Beneš
82	2011	Projector	Promítačka	Marek Beneš
83	2012	Vacuum Cleaner	Vysavač	Marek Beneš
84	2012	The Floor	Podlaha	Marek Beneš
85	2012	The Pool	Bazén	Marek Beneš
86	2013	Deadwood	Suchý strom	Marek Beneš
87	2014	Orange juice	Pomerančová šťáva	Marek Beneš
88	2014	Bicycle	Rotoped	Marek Beneš
89	2015	Cactus	Kaktus	Marek Beneš
90	2015	Cover	Slunecni clona	Marek Beneš
91	2015	Bathroom tiles	Obkladacky	Marek Beneš

The 50th episode The Cards (original name Karty) completed in 1998 by some people of the original AIF Studio and originally prepared with Lubomir Beneš, was to be the beginning of a new format of the show. It was directed, animated and written by František Váša, different from earlier episodes and filmed in widescreen format (16:9), slightly longer (lasting 11 minutes), had a dialogue, a new soundtrack and new opening and closing sequences. The characters were voiced by Czech actor David Nykl.

The original plan, of Beneš and Jiránek, was to make further episodes of the new series, possibly also half-hours, and a feature film. Its implementation, however, did not come into effect due to embezzlement of funds and trust by two members of the former Czech management. And, as made without any knowledge of Lubomír Beneš' heirs, it was the only episode filmed that was not distributed or released as the Zurich management member and worldwide distributor refused to do so, while terminating any contacts to the Prague former colleagues.

Lubomír Beneš died in 1995, and the two of the Czech management of the then quickly dissipating Prague AIF Studio didn't have access to the rights to the characters any longer, as both Marek Beneš and Vladimír Jiránek left their studio in grave disagreement with them. The Prague management planned to get the rights from Lubomir Beneš's heirs, but they had to sort the embezzlement part first. One of them even promised to do so in a meeting with the angry team, yet soon after they completed the episode they decided to declare bankruptcy. Due to these circumstances, this episode has never been released or distributed.

The only trace from this episode was a screenshot posted on the AIF Studio Pat & Mat (original) website. However, the former management set up their studio called Animation People [3] and posted more screenshots on their website. The screenshots disappeared in the middle of September 2010 when the studio modified their website. However, the same studio later uploaded a small clip of the episode on the website. The episode was eventually uploaded to YouTube, sourced from a Korean VHS.

Books

At least two books with the series' characters were published:

• Michl, Jiří (1994). Pat & Mat : …a je to!. Czech Republic: Egmont.
• Sýkora, Pavel; Jiránek, Vladimír; Beneš, Lubomír (2010). Pat a Mat dokážou všechno (3rd ed.). Albatros. ISBN 9788000025933. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

Video game

On 1 August 2007 a Czech computer development company, Centauri Production, announced on their website that they have secured the rights to Pat and Mat to create a video game of the same name. The game was released in Czech Republic on 1 October 2009. It was released in other EU countries in 2010. The game is available in English and Czech. It is also available for purchase via Steam and Desura.

Merchandise

There is a wide range of all kind of merchandise articles of Pat & Mat, including games, dolls, key rings, office material, posters, T-shirts, etc.. In Dutch supermarkets also food including cookies is available.

External links

• Pat & Mat at IMDb
• official site of Lubomír Beneš' AIF Studio
• official site of Lubomír Beneš' followers
• fansite about Pat & Mat
• official site of the video game
• Pat & Mat (PC game) on Steam