A fact from Belweder (TV set) appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 5 September 2006. The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the first television set made entirely in Poland, the Belweder, cost 7000 złoty at the time when the average monthly salary ranged from 1 to 2 thousand?
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This is an attempt at a translation of the Polish Wikipedia Featured Article. I thought it would be good for it to have a counterpart in English, but I have to admit what I have created is a rather lousy attempt as of now, as I was typing that while watching the Elton John concert in the telly (no, not a Belweder). Some good copyeditining and proofreading would be very welcome. Do also forgive me for not translating all the technical details, I guess I messed it up already with the ones I tried to (I can basically turn the telly on and off, that's what I know about TV technology). Cheers, Bravada, talk - 21:29, 2 September 2006 (UTC)Reply
Was there any particular TV program that was popularized by this TV? When TV in Japan became widely available back in 1950s, sport programs and documentaries were most watched. --Revth07:45, 5 September 2006 (UTC)Reply
Well, given that all Belweders (and presumably even all Neptuns) were made before I was born, I can't answer this question with absolute certainty, but in the beginning, when there was lass than 500,000 TV sets in Poland in total, there was just one (state-run, of course) channel with only a few hours of programming per day, aired by a branch of the state-controlled Polish Radio. It was also some more or less light fare entertainment within the constraints of the political situation at that time, including a very intellectual cabaret-style unique show called Kabaret Starszych Panów (with quite elaborate numbers going live, as everything in television's early period).
I can also recall that the first TV series (i.e. pre-recorded) was Wojna domowa, also a comedy (with first-rate cast, I must say, since there was no competition for talent :D ) about everyday life and parent-child conflicts and neighbourly relations. There was also the scary lady called Irena Dziedzic (she was considered a "lady" in her own time, but I must say she had pretty rude manners and poor style for my tastes) who ran the first chat show , where she gave invited guests not only a list of questions she would ask, but also a list of what their answers should be!
If I am not mistaken, the first game show was Wielka Gra, which ran continuously until just a week or two ago, when the ingenious new management of the government-controlled TV station in Poland decided to dump it for no apparent reason! Even if this was all authority-controlled, proaganda-infested, or at least censored entertainment reflecting the bleak reality of a socialist country, I must say those programs have now achieved somewhat of a cult status in Poland. I got quite carried away, didn't I? Bravada, talk - 08:16, 5 September 2006 (UTC)Reply
