Celebrating 25 Years of Bernd das Brot: A Look Back at Europe’s Most Terrifying Children’s Characters
This year marks a significant milestone in German television as it celebrates 25 years since the iconic yet melancholic loaf of bread, Bernd das Brot, made his debut on children’s screens. First introduced to young audiences in 2000 on the Kika channel, Bernd, with his perpetual frown, quickly became a beloved figure, capturing the hearts—and nightmares—of children across Germany. Alongside cheerful companions like Chili the Sheep and Briegel the Bush, Bernd’s sour personality stood out, making him a unique character in the realm of children’s entertainment.
Created by the talented duo of Tommy Krappweis and Norman Cöster, and designed by Georg Graf von Westphalen, Bernd is a loaf of white bread characterized by his permanent scowl and signature phrase “Mist!” (translated as “crap”). His pessimism resonated so deeply with viewers that television programmers recognized the need to shift Bernd’s appearances from daytime to the evening slot on the children’s channel, where a more mature audience could appreciate his grumpy charm. As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of this unconventional character, let’s delve into the archives of European television to uncover other memorable—and often terrifying—figures in children’s programming.
United Kingdom: Mr Blobby
No exploration of frightening children’s characters would be complete without the UK’s infamous Mr Blobby. Bursting onto the scene in 1992, during a wildly extravagant era of television production, Mr Blobby was a colossal, bulbous figure with a pink exterior, wobbly eyes, and an electronically altered voice that only uttered the word “blobby” with the alarming intensity of a beast unleashed. His entire persona was built around chaos and terror.
Initially introduced on the show ‘Noel’s House Party’ as a prank, where unsuspecting celebrities were led to believe he was an established TV character, Mr Blobby managed to captivate a nation, becoming a mainstay on British television. His clumsy antics often resulted in pandemonium as he clumsily stumbled into rooms, leaving destruction in his wake. Representing the decadence of 90s Britain, Mr Blobby is a character that evokes both nostalgia and fear, whether through the tale of him accidentally ruining a young girl’s birthday cake—prompting her father to confront him—or his unexpected success with a number one Christmas single in the UK.
The Netherlands: Karbonkel
In a bid to compete with the British for the title of most bizarre children’s character, Dutch television introduced Karbonkel in 1994 as part of the show ‘Ik Mik Loreland’. On the surface, the program aimed to foster literacy among young children, a noble endeavor indeed. However, in true Dutch fashion, the execution was anything but conventional.
Rather than a warm and inviting learning environment, children were met with the ever-looming threat of Karbonkel, a one-eyed monster who was utterly illiterate and actively discouraged children from learning to read and write. The character instantly terrified young viewers, but by the time the production team realized the full extent of the fear they had instigated, it was too late to make changes. To mitigate the damage, the studio embarked on a tour of schools, showcasing Karbonkel as a mere puppet to reassure children. Despite its traumatizing impact, ‘Ik Mik Loreland’ has remained a cultural touchstone in the Netherlands.
Czechia: Raťafák Plachta
Long before Guillermo del Toro captivated audiences with his haunting characters, Czech television aired the Slovak show ‘Slniečko’ from 1979 to 1989. While the title translates to “little sunshine” and featured a friendly hand puppet representing the sun, the true legacy of the show lies with Raťafák Plachta, a puppet created as a satirical take on politicians—a unique twist for a children’s program.
Known as “big nose blanket,” Raťafák Plachta was an enormous, ungainly puppet requiring two operators to bring him to life, making him appear like a creature from a low-budget horror film. His unsettling presence was enough to haunt the dreams of countless children. Unfortunately, most of the 500 episodes of ‘Slniečko’ have been lost to time, but a parody video featuring the original costume has resurfaced, rekindling the fears of a generation of Slovak-Czech children who remember the nightmare that was Raťafák Plachta.