Winfried Debertin
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Winfried Debertin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 January 1953 Osnabrück, West Germany |
| Occupations | Writer, producer |
Winfried Debertin (born 24 January 1953 in Glandorf, Osnabrück, West Germany) is a freelance producer and director known for his contributions to Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), and as the founder of a production company, Penta TV. He has worked as a director and producer since 1988. He received the 2006 ECHO Klassik Award in the Classical Music for Children category.
Debertin began working with NDR after university, where he studied communications, social sciences and political science. At NDR he managed an editorial working group referred to as Preschool Television, where he focused on creating content similar to Sesame Street. He developed several television and movie concepts, including Hallo Spencer, Spencer Holiday Tips, and Rollercoaster. He is also a songwriter, and has written about 600 songs.
Television career
Debertin developed the concept for the TV series Hallo Spencer in the late 1970s. He was inspired to create it when he learned of the growing demand for a German-language equivalent to the American children's series Sesame Street. In 1977, broadcasters were wary of the prevalence of American influence on German children's media, and felt that NDR should create a series similar to Sesame Street for German children's television. Filming of Hallo Spencer began in Studio Hamburg in 1978, featuring puppets and educational content designed to foster early childhood development. In later episodes, puppet-makers sought guidance from American artists; and the following year, Hallo Spencer debuted in Sesame Street's former time slot.
Until the late 1980s, Debertin and his partner Angelika Paetow co-led the show's production team. He became managing director of the film and television company PentaTV, where he created several more productions, including Leonie Lionheart, Tricky Toons, The Adventures of Max and Molly, The Supercool Südpoolgang and, most recently, Little Amadeus. Many of the Penta series were produced on behalf of NDR, SWR, HR, ARD / Ki.Ka and ORF.
