Nightmare Stage
Encyclopedia
Nightmare Stage (OTV 1992 - 2005), (Z1
2005 - 2010) was a late night talk show
on Croatia
n TV station Z1
hosted by maverick traveller and author Željko Malnar
.
The contact anti-show, starts airing on October 3, 1992 live on Saturday nights 22:00-03:00 (sometimes to 04:00 - 06:00), pushes the boundaries of television programming. The host throws all tact and taste through the window, taking rough manners from the street to the screen without either diluting them with etiquette
or stylizing them for theatrical effect. He asks his guests uncomfortable and aggressive questions in order to expose their flaws and often resorts to flat insults. The show also has elements of a freak show
, featuring pitoresque recurring characters with unusual mental makeups (nicknamed Cezar, Tarzan, Jaran, Remzo, Laki, Ševa) from the streets of Peščenica
, Malnar's neighborhood in Zagreb
. Malnar has ostensibly proclaimed Peščenica an independent Republic of Peščenica
with him as president
and this cast as his cabinet
. Often is the case that phonecallers and the hosts and guests of this show insult each other.
Show sometimes ends with Malnar's angry message to viewer(s)/caller "" (You miserable people, turn off the TV and go to bed! You idiot, don't you have a better thing to do at 3AM than watch TV? Come on, good night! What is it, you poor thing, you have no money to go out on Saturday, so you have to watch me on your small black and white TV?)
Nightmare Stage is also the title of a column written by Malnar regularly appearing in the weekly Globus
.
In 2002 Nightmare Stage hosted Dennis Rodman
who came to Zagreb only for the show after his Croat friend showed it to him through internet streaming. When the usual receiving of viewer's telephone calls occurred, many female viewers flirted with Rodman and wanted sex with him. He readily invited them to his hotel room and told them the address while being live in the studio.
In 2004 the cast of the show starred in a feature film of the same name.
On May 5, 2010 the most popular character Zvonimir Levačić - Ševa died at age 67. Following the death of Ševa, Nightmare Stage formally ended on June 26, 2010 after 18 years of live airing and 878 shows. However on October 9, 2010 Malnar started a new show called Mali Noćni Razgovori.
Zagrebacka Televizija
Zagrebačka Televizija , also known as Z1 Televizija, is a local commercial television station based in capital city of Croatia, Zagreb. Television started its broadcasting in summer 2004 on one channel, Z1. A notable TV talk show produced and aired on Z1 is the Nightmare Stage by Željko...
2005 - 2010) was a late night talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
on Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n TV station Z1
Zagrebacka Televizija
Zagrebačka Televizija , also known as Z1 Televizija, is a local commercial television station based in capital city of Croatia, Zagreb. Television started its broadcasting in summer 2004 on one channel, Z1. A notable TV talk show produced and aired on Z1 is the Nightmare Stage by Željko...
hosted by maverick traveller and author Željko Malnar
Željko Malnar
Željko Malnar is a Croatian maverick traveller, writer and a minor television celebrity, best known for his own weekly show Nightmare Stage and his satirical micronation the Republic of Peščenica. He lives and works in Zagreb.-Biography:In last 45 years he has traveled the Middle East, Pakistan...
.
The contact anti-show, starts airing on October 3, 1992 live on Saturday nights 22:00-03:00 (sometimes to 04:00 - 06:00), pushes the boundaries of television programming. The host throws all tact and taste through the window, taking rough manners from the street to the screen without either diluting them with etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
or stylizing them for theatrical effect. He asks his guests uncomfortable and aggressive questions in order to expose their flaws and often resorts to flat insults. The show also has elements of a freak show
Freak show
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and...
, featuring pitoresque recurring characters with unusual mental makeups (nicknamed Cezar, Tarzan, Jaran, Remzo, Laki, Ševa) from the streets of Peščenica
Pešcenica - Žitnjak
Peščenica – Žitnjak is a city district in the southeastern part of Zagreb, Croatia. It consists of two parts: Peščenica, a set of neighborhoods; and Žitnjak, a large industrial zone on the city outskirts, and has a total population of 58,283....
, Malnar's neighborhood in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. Malnar has ostensibly proclaimed Peščenica an independent Republic of Peščenica
Republic of Pešcenica
Republika Peščenica is a satirical-parodical project of dictator-ruled republic by famous Croatian maverick traveller Željko Malnar. It is named after the Zagreb neighbourhood of Peščenica....
with him as president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and this cast as his cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. Often is the case that phonecallers and the hosts and guests of this show insult each other.
Show sometimes ends with Malnar's angry message to viewer(s)/caller "" (You miserable people, turn off the TV and go to bed! You idiot, don't you have a better thing to do at 3AM than watch TV? Come on, good night! What is it, you poor thing, you have no money to go out on Saturday, so you have to watch me on your small black and white TV?)
Nightmare Stage is also the title of a column written by Malnar regularly appearing in the weekly Globus
Globus (weekly)
Globus is a Croatian weekly news magazine published in Zagreb.The magazine was started in 1990, having some of its first issues published during the Croatian War of Independence. Originally devised as tabloid, it never took an openly chauvinist approach of Slobodni tjednik and always tried to give...
.
In 2002 Nightmare Stage hosted Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
who came to Zagreb only for the show after his Croat friend showed it to him through internet streaming. When the usual receiving of viewer's telephone calls occurred, many female viewers flirted with Rodman and wanted sex with him. He readily invited them to his hotel room and told them the address while being live in the studio.
In 2004 the cast of the show starred in a feature film of the same name.
On May 5, 2010 the most popular character Zvonimir Levačić - Ševa died at age 67. Following the death of Ševa, Nightmare Stage formally ended on June 26, 2010 after 18 years of live airing and 878 shows. However on October 9, 2010 Malnar started a new show called Mali Noćni Razgovori.