The protagonist Pan Tau, who generally didn't speak and communicated through pantomime, was played by Otto Šimánek (1925–1992). The series was written by Ota Hofman and directed by Jindřich Polák. The plot of each episode was generally comical but contained some kind of problem for a child, and here Pan Tau found the way to solve the problem.
Pan Tau always had a gentle expression and a friendly smile, he was elegantly dressed in a stroller, with an umbrella and a white carnation in the lapel. Foremost, he was famous for his magic bowler hat. By tapping on his hat, Pan Tau was able to change his appearance into a puppet, to conjure up miscellaneous objects or to do other magic. His most characteristic behaviour is that he would help children who were experiencing some sort of difficulties in-between their dreams and reality, like finding a place for skiing, settling family problems on Christmas, and even give a boy a good time at a fair when he is supposed to have piano lessons. To adults, he usually remained invisible.
Although Czechoslovakia then was under a Communist regime, this never was very obvious for the viewers. Pan Tau was a popular children's program in several countries at both sides of the Iron Curtain (such as in both West and East Germany and also in the Scandinavian countries), which also appealed to the adult viewers to a certain degree.
Ten years after the end of the series, Šimánek again appeared as Pan Tau in a 1988 cinema film. He was also featured in the German singer Nena's 1990 music video for Du bist überall ("You Are Everywhere", from her Wunder gescheh'n studio album), which was shot in Prague.[2]
In 2020 a reboot with Matt Edwards as Pan Tau produced by German broadcaster ARD was broadcast.
Series overview
Pan Tau and First Adventure
Plot summary
Pan Tau makes his first appearance helping a young boy, who is reluctantly attending piano lessons, to overcome his boredom.
Pan Tau meets dysfunctional family Urban and decides to bring back Alfonz, Father Urban's brother (and a dead lookalike of Pan Tau), from a lonely island Alfonz has fled to in his adventurous youth for a Robinson-like life.
Julie Jurištová - Terezka / the lead of girls in the pioneer camp
Jan Sedláček - Láďa / the lead of boys in the pioneer camp
Episodes
Pan Tau a první dobrodružství - Pan Tau and first adventure
First series
Pan Tau přichází - Pan Tau is coming
Pan Tau naděluje - Pan Tau gives gifts
Pan Tau na horách - Pan Tau in the mountains
Pan Tau a neděle - Pan Tau Sunday
Pan Tau jde do školy - Pan Tau goes to school
Pan Tau a samá voda - Pan Tau and a lot water.
Pan Tau a Claudie - Pan Tau and Claudie
Pan Tau to zařídí - Pan Tau will arrange it
Pan Tau a cesta kolem světa - Pan Tau and journey around the world
Pan Tau v cirkusu - Pan Tau in the circus
Hledá se pan Tau - looking for Pan Tau
Pan Tau a tisíc kouzel - Pan Tau and a thousand spells
Second series
Pan Tau se vrací - Pan Tau is coming back
Pan Tau a robinson - Pan Tau and robinson
Pan Tau a příliš velký balón - Pan Tau and too big balloon
Pan Tau a pes kozopes - Pan Tau and Dog Goat-Dog
Pan Tau a rodinná slavnost - Pan Tau and Family festival
Pan Tau jde do práce - Pan Tau go to work
Pan Tau pět hrušek a tři jablka - Pan Tau five pear's and Three apple's
Pan Tau a černý deštiník - Pan Tau and black umbrella
Pan Tau a Velký Ples - Pan Tau and big festival
Pan Tau a rosnička - Pan Tau and frog
Pan Tau a Aladinova lampa - Pan Tau and Aladin's Lamp
Pan Tau a zlatý kufr - Pan Tau and gold suitcase
Pan Tau odchází - Pan Tau leaving
Third Series
Poplach v oblacích - Alarm in the clouds
Lov na Slona - Elephant hunting
Noc v safari - Night in safari
Pan Tau a kouzelnice - Pan Tau and sorceress
Pan Tau na pionýrském táboře - Pan Tau on the pioneer camp
A která je ta pravá - And which is the right one?
Od zítřka nečaruji - From tomorrow I'm so not using magic
Third Series (7 episodes) was cut into two films - Poplach v oblacích (Czech - Alarm in the clouds, 1 - 3 episodes and episode 4 miss) and Od zítřka nečaruji (From tomorrow I'm so not using magic, 5 - 7 episodes)
Trivia
In 1970, a then unknown Ivana Marie Zelníčková (later Ivana Trump) appeared on Pan Tau in Season 1, Episode 3 "Pan Tau na horách" (Pan Tau in the mountains), which was her first television role.[3][4][5]
