Kancelář Blaník (The Office Blanik) is a Czech web series that premiered between 2014 and 2018 on internet television
Stream.cz. The main role of lobbyist Tonda Blaník is played by
Marek Daniel, his assistants are Michal Dalecký and Halka Třešňáková. The directors are Marek Najbrt and Bohdan Sláma. It was written by Robert Geisler, Benjamin Tuček, Marek Najbrt, Tomáš Hodan, Jan Bartes, Milan Kuchynka and also Marek Daniel. Related film
Prezident Blaník was released in 2018.
Form and inspiration
The behind-the-scenes series of Czech politics is loosely inspired by the British series
The Thick of It
''The Thick of It'' is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of British government. Written and directed by Armando Iannucci, it was first broadcast for two short series on BBC Four in 2005, initially with a smal ...
.
and at the same time by Czech police wiretapping that leaked to the media. Individual episodes are created on the basis of public media reports on current cases that resonate in society.
The main character is the lobbyist Tonda Blaník, who works on behalf of Czech politicians, can arrange the impossible, and his office therefore functions as an "alternative power center of Czech politics". The title of the series and the name of the main character are derived from Prague's Blaník passage, in which, according to a modern myth, a kind of "shadow municipality" led by businessmen
Roman Janoušek and Karel Stejskal operated during the era of Mayor
Pavel Bém
Pavel Bém (born 18 July 1963) is a Czech physician and politician. Between 28 November 2002 and 30 November 2010 he served as the Mayor of the Capital City of Prague, and re-elected in 2006. On 19 November 2006 he was elected Deputy Leader o ...
.
The plot is based on dialogues, especially by Tonda Blaník, who is constantly on the phone, and contains many allusions to the current Czech social reality. The directing style approaches the mockumentary trend, thanks to the use of a seemingly amateur camera, the impression is created that it is not a fictional series, but rather a documentary.
Cast
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Marek Daniel as Antonín „Tonda“ Blaník, lobbyist and owner of Office Blaník
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Michal Dalecký as Luboš „Žížala“ Havránek, Blaník's assistant
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Halka Třešňáková as Lenka, Blaník's secretary
References
External links
Website (in Czech)IMDb.com
2014 Czech television series debuts
Czech political television series
Czech comedy television series
Stream.cz original programming
Czech web series
Czech Lion Awards winners (television series)
{{CzechRepublic-tv-prog-stub