Gusztáv

Pannónia Filmstúdió

Animation
Hungarian     10     1966     Hungary

Overview

Gusztáv, also known as Gustavus, was Hungarian series of animated short cartoons for adults. It was extremely popular in Eastern Europe, where it has achieved cult status. It ran from 1964-1977. Each episode tells an adventure of the main character, Gustav, related to the gray realities of urban life. Characteristic feature of the show was that episodes were independent: for example, Gustav is sometimes a bachelor, sometimes has large family. In Eastern Europe and Yugoslavia the episodes were broadcast on TV in the 80s, usually as airtime filler. The series was also broadcast in Western Europe and even in New Zealand - because it was not using language, other than gibberish sound, it was able to easily transcend boundaries.

Similar

Peep and the Big Wide World is an animated cartoon that teaches nature and basic science concepts to preschoolers. The main characters include a yellow baby chick named Peep and his friends Quack, a teenaged blue drake, and Chirp, a baby red robin with pink eyelids. The current show, narrated by Joan Cusack is based on a National Film Board of Canada cartoon short of the same name, created in 1988 by Kaj Pindal and narrated by Peter Ustinov, and another short, "The Peep Show", from 1962. The original short comprised three 10-minute films featuring Peep, Quack, and Chirp as they meet a cat, a ladybug, a turtle and a frog who speaks from both sides of his mouth. The show is produced by WGBH in Boston and 9 Story Entertainment in Toronto, Canada. In the US, this show formerly aired on Discovery Kids as part of its commercial-free and sponsor-free "Ready, Set, Learn!" programming block. It now airs nationally in the United States on public television, distributed by American Public Television. In Canada, it airs on TVOntario. DVDs and books are also available for purchase. Peep and the Big Wide World is currently sponsored by the National Science Foundation in conjunction with WGBH-TV as part of an education and outreach program. The principal investigator is Kate Taylor, also of the ZOOM block. The National Science Foundation is the only permanent sponsor of the show. Northrop Grumman, The Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Toyota funded the show for only season two. The Discovery Kids Foundation funded the show for only season one. In 1999, the show was produced by Clumsy PriStar Television. The VHS copies are produced from Clumsy Pristar's home viewings.

More info
Peep and the Big Wide World
2004