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A Breakthrough: Soukromé pasti (Private Traps) Wins
December 14, 2009, DNES
Prague - For the first time in its nine-year history of the Elsa television awards, TV Nova has beaten state television in all main categories for original drama production. Nova did so with the help of the series, ‘Soukromé pasti’ (Private Traps), which at Saturday’s awards ceremony of the Czech Film and Television Academy, won three trophies: for programme of the year, best director and Eli‘ka Balzerová as best actress.
End of monopoly?
“I have twice as much reason to be happy because ever since I was a student everyone has called me Elsa,” revealed the actress who starred in the episode ‘Risky Interview’; she also beat Dagmar Havlová in Czech Television’s competing film, ‘Kanadská noc’ (Canadian Night). Director Petr Slavík, who won for the episode ‘Tatinkova holeieká’ (Daddy’s Girl), praised the bravery shown by the private television company in backing a risky non-commercial project. Nova’s spokesperson Michaela Frieová confirmed they are already working on a second series for ‘Soukromé pasti’ (Private Traps).
The Elsa awards have never seen such a breakthrough, which previously has been dominated by Czech Television. Until now TV Nova has only won two awards, for its current affairs programme ‘Na vlastní oei’ (With Your Own Eyes) and the American series, ‘Dr. House’. In the past, HBO have also won twice, both in the foreign programmes category. Other than these, Kaveí hory (Czech Television), where the ceremony broadcasts, have always won.
This year’s Czech Television winners were only in drama, for Havlová’s partner in ‘Kanadská noc’, actor Viktor Preiss, and Josef Klíma, who commented that his award for the script of ‘Svidomí Denisy Klánové’ (Denisa Klánová’s Conscience) was a signal that “politics belongs to the arts”.
The awards for the non-drama categories, including animation and documentaries, were won by Czech Television and its presenters, from Marek Eben’s talk show ‘Na plovárni’ (At the Swimming Pool), Karel Šip’s entertainment show ‘V‘echnoparty’ (All-party) to ‘Otázky Václava Moravce’ (Questions of Vaclav Moravec). Nevertheless TV Nova could celebrate one more victory, according to people-meter measurements, the second series ‘Ordinace v ružové zahradi’ (Surgery in the Rose Garden) was the most watched programme of the year - and the only programme to have more than two million viewers.
The five most watched
Domestic films and domestic series have traditionally fought amongst themselves for the most viewers. Behind first place ‘Ordinace v ružové zahradi’, came Jan Hoebejk’s film ‘Medvídek’ (Cub bear) which was watched by 1.9 million viewers. Third place belonged to the television serial ‘Poji‘t’ovna ‘tistí’, fourth place ‘Kriminálka Andil’, the second season series of which is also being produced, and fifth place went to the hit film ‘Vratné lahve’ (Returnable Bottles) from the Svirák father and son team.
For additional information, please contact:
Romana Wyllie
Vice President of Corporate Communications
Central European Media Enterprises
Krizeneckeho nam. 1078/5
152 00 Praha 5
Czech Republic
+420 242 465 525
romana.wyllie@cme.net
