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Sonda
TV series · 30 min episodes · 1 season
Created by Andrzej Kurek, Zdzisław Kamiński, Marek Siudym, Tomasz Pyć, Piotr Andrzejewski, Bogdan Borusławski, Marcin Kunicki, Zofia Żukowska, Rafał Skibiński, Wanda Konarzewska
Sonda was a Polish television popular science series broadcast between 1977 and 1989. It was presented by Zdzisław Kamiński and Andrzej Kurek. During the period of 12 years of broadcasting, the programme was the most popular and appreciated science TV show in Poland, becoming cult viewing for a generation. The program ended with the death of its hosts in a car accident on September 29, 1989. The programme owes its popularity to its unique formula: In each episode, one particular problem from the field of science or technology was addressed. The show had the form of a “never-ending” discussion between a sceptic and an enthusiast, who carried out hands-on demonstrations and experiments to illustrate their arguments. The discussion contained elements of humour and performance, the hosts were often dressed up in costumes. The show was interspersed with documentary footage presenting a broader view of the issues discussed. A total of 529 episodes were broadcast. Most of the broadcast tapes have been deleted.
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The best thing about Sonda was that one of the hosts took a position on the episode's theme, and the other - an opposite one, even if just for the sake of discourse.
I was just a kid in the 80s, but indeed remember watching "Sonda" - it was fantastic! Going through some episodes now on youtube, does bring back memories. There was another show in the late 80s called "Bliżej świata" (English: "Closer to the World"), which would run for an hour or so on a Sunday night and show snippets from western tv shows. The contrast to the (usually) very bleak communist Polish TV, was striking. For me, back then, watching both of these shows felt like looking through a window into a different world.