On Magyar Posta’s numbered special souvenir sheet issued on the theme Cartoon and Fairy Tale Characters, the main character of the lead-in sequence for The Bedtime Story, the TV Teddy, is shown. The TV Teddy was the creation of the writer Ágnes Bálint and the puppet designer Ottó Foky and was made in the MTVA’s former studio. Fifty thousand copies of the souvenir sheet designed by the graphic artist István Weisenburger were produced by the banknote printing company Pénzjegynyomda Zrt. The new issue will be released on 8 June 2023. It is available from Filaposta, philately specialist services, designated post offices and www.posta.hu.
The TV Teddy first appeared on Hungarian Television on 15 April 1963 as the lead-in sequence for The Bedtime Story. Its official birthday is 23 October, the same day as the birthday of Ágnes Bálint, the writer of the original script of the lead-in sequence for The Bedtime Story and the creatorof the character of the TV Teddy. The puppet was made by the applied artist László Szabó. The TV Teddy of the 1960s and 70s was designed by Zsolt Lengyel and made by Tibor Köber. In 1970 Ágnes Bálint wrote a book about him called Night, Night, Teddy. The TV Teddy was such a success that he even accompanied the astronaut Bertalan Farkas into zero gravity, and in 1980 they told a story together from outer space. In 1981, the TV Teddy and his surroundings were brought up to date. The designer Aurél Koch and the director and animator A. Pál Tóth were responsible for the workover. The TV Teddy’s toy, Valérka, was changed for the doll Csutkababa. The TV Teddy was also given new clothes and furniture, and learned to play the guitar in keeping with the fashion of the time. His home was made by Márta Kende and her colleagues. Ágnes Bálint wrote a new book about him called I am the TV Teddy.
The next update for the TV Teddy, using a stop-motion puppet film technique, was made by Ottó Foky at the Pannónia Film Studio in 1982. The TV Teddy was now joined by the character of Kasper, who was no longer just a doll, but also played a role in the stories. In 1998, when Ottó Foky’s 1982 TV Teddy was taken off the air, there was such an outcry from viewers that it was back on the state television channel M2 six months later. On 15 April 2012, yet another attempt was made to introduce a new version. This TV Teddy no longer sat alone in front of the screen in the evenings, but with his brother and, in keeping with the spirit of the times, also used a computer. However, this new version was again unsuccessful, and after four months it was taken off the screen and Otto Foky’s TV Teddy resumed his previous place. The charming character of the TV Teddy sometimes attracted more interest than the animated films themselves and, although originally intended as a lead-in sequence, in the end the TV Teddy took on a life of his own, being loved by viewers and treated as an independent story character.
In the three denominations of the special souvenir sheet and in its frame as well as on the first day cover, the TV Teddy and Kasper are shown in characteristic situations. The main element in the imprint of the special postmark on the first day cover is the stylised portrait of the TV Teddy.
An interesting feature of the souvenir sheet is that further information about the topic can be accessed after scanning the QR code on it.
