Index – Culture – Would you like a bloody New Year’s Eve?

A special category is marked by the retro New Year as a mix of genres. For those who have lived, for those who did not know, this era can be loved for its strange charm, its often smiling naive hobbyist, its childish self-forgetfulness.

Decades ago, one of the highlights of the year was clearly the New Years Eve TV show. Since only the entire country could watch a single channel, more precisely one and a half, show 2 was more of an experimental supplemental channel at the time. The December 31 show was a common experience of generations, a common topic of conversation: was it better than the year before?

The Hungarian Television program on December 31, 1977 begins strongly:

Starting at 9 in the morning, Kati Müller and István Bérczi, a couple of physical education teachers (older people can also start), encourage the population to attend a television tournament. Then the Hungarian heroes of the stars Eger beat the Turks in the movie with the biggest Hungarian budget in a long time. There were no thematic channels at this time. So the eye didn’t blink when János Egri appeared in the room after the last cannon roar, but before lunch, and Playing the Letters (Hungarian TV scrabble show) played with us.

After that, Idesüss! Her children’s program guide led her gently to Dumas’s film about the hunting swordsman Four Musketeers.

As the lessons go by, the atmosphere becomes more and more cheerful. Meteorologists were already smiling at the funny weather “unusual”, which Júlia Kudlik sold selflessly, if József Árkus had to dare to joke about politics in his Superball program.

It was nothing more than a special New Years Eve edition of the popular show Parabola. Originally a foreign policy show, it gradually morphed into a show of national political humor. During satirical comments, naked women would also occasionally appear, further increasing the success.

There must have been times when “light” music was dosed quite narrowly. Therefore, the One Million Important Notes program to fill in the gaps was a treasure. However, the chronic deficit economy of El Musicd Juhász’s Music Boutique did not satisfy many.

The great emotion may have been resolved by Cat Vision. Yes, on Saturdays, and also on New Years Eve, it was not TV Maci but Cat Kision saying goodbye to the children. The last day of the year with quite modest success.

By then, the inimitable retro delicacies had already appeared in most families.

If it’s eight o’clock, it’s a crime. A bald Kojak rug molded by Telly Savalas, but his tough New York detective designed the round lollipop and quartz clock. After a film screening of the harem lady, the long-awaited New Year’s Eve Hof arrived. Like some kind of open institution, he was like that at the time.

This was by far the most watched television production.

With the hymn and the champagne and the firecracker appearing, the Song of Songs immediately sounded, but the young people had some delights too: light music again. rang, with a title as irresistibly cool as “The Trendy Pop Music of the Time.” But who could follow the frenzied waves of western fashion at the time? Therefore, Czechoslovak singer star Karel Gott always had a rented spot on the show.

But if it’s already a retro New Year’s Eve, what would you consume besides citing the past?

(Cover image: Géza Hofi in the sixth studio of the Hungarian Radio, on the recording of BÚÉK 1979. Photo: Zoltán Szalay / Fortepan)