Mézga Géza – The ‘Hungarian Simpsons’ from the ‘70s – VIDEOS

Mézga Géza was a Hungarian cult children’s TV program from the ‘70s-80s which proved to be so widely successful that it had gotten translated into several languages. It was aired in many other European countries, including Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, former Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands. Every week, children and parents waited eagerly to catch the latest humorous and futuristic stories of the Mézga family. 

Cartoon show enthusiasts often draw a resemblance between Géza, the clumsy and comical head of the family, and Homer Simpson who is also known for his inept social skills and hilariously awkward remarks. Paula’s ’60s beehive hairstyle and dominance over her henpecked husband also show similarities to Marge Simpson’s character. Although the two series had a very different era and theme, the loveable, goofy characters of both shows landed a permanent place in the viewers’ hearts. Let’s hop into a time travel machine now to revisit the Mézga family.

The story of the iconic children’s telly 

If you grew up in Hungary in the ‘70s-’80s, this famous cartoon series must bring a truckload of memories back to your mind. The show that defined the childhood of an entire generation was born at the end of the ‘60s. The creators behind everyone’s favorite ‘70s telly are József Romhányi and József Nepp who completed four episodes by ‘68, however, production had to be halted as Pannonia Film Studio was facing serious financial troubles at that time. Luckily, János Macskássy, known as the father of Hungarian animated film, met French producer Georges de la Grandiere at Annecy International Film Festival, who offered to cover the missing budget. Finally, everything was on board to finish the first season of the cult children’s comic.

The first season, titled A Message from the Future is centered around the fantastic adventures of the Mézga family. During the preparation for his school exams, young Aladár unexpectedly gets in contact with MZ/X, the family’s 186-year old descendant from the 30th century who lives in a mushroom-shaped house on a distant planet. The relative regularly helps the family out with futuristic gadgets that they are usually unable to handle or fail to use to their advantage. These ventures often result in a giant hilarious mess. However, thanks to Aladár’s quick mind, the family manages to get out of trouble by the closing of each episode.

The second season, titled The Adventures of Aladár Mézga, took on a different theme, focusing on the family’s 14-year-old son and his faithful dog, Blöki, as the two main protagonists. Each night, Aladár ventures on a space trip visiting a different planet. In this season, Blöki miraculously learns to speak, thus making an ideal assistant to its young owner. Aladár uses a makeshift spaceship for his extraterrestrial trips built by the supply his distant cousin MZ/X sent him from the future. This season satirised various human and societal vices, and as a result, was banned in communist Czechoslovakia. 

In the series’s final season, the other family members return to the screen. Paula, the wife, gets an invitation from her old love interest who now lives in Australia. As expected, the trip turns into a disaster. The family gets stranded, abandoned and penniless in a foreign country. In their effort to make it home, they pass by the most unexpected far-flung destinations around the globe. There are no shortages of bizarre, comical situations. What the family does not suspect, however, is that they are secretly followed by Paula’s former flame who even ransacks their apartment by the time they return.

There was a failed attempt to revive the series in 2005. The post-modern season was initially called The Mézga Family and the Computer in which our favorite childhood characters were supposed to tackle their way around the confusing technologies of the new era, including the Internet. However, due to a lack of finances, the creators only succeeded to complete two episodes.

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Who are the Mézgas?

The family consists of Géza, the head of the family, his wife Paula, teenage daughter Kriszta, and son Aladár. Géza has a bit of a careless, buffoonish personality and always ends up totally messing up the things he was meant to fix. Regarding his occupation, he works as a payroll clerk. He is a big foodie and never resists a good old cigar. We also learn from one of the episodes that he has 13 siblings. Géza is a brave Hungarian fellow who fears nothing and no one, except his own wife, and he has all the reasons to do so. 

Paula is a stereotypical Hungarian housewife who ceaselessly complains about her husband’s impetuous antics. She has a strong opinion and undoubtedly dominates family affairs. Whenever Gèza messes something up, Paula is quick to point out his shortcomings as the head of the family. These times, she often expresses her regret that she chose him over another suitor. “Why didn’t I marry Pisti Hufnágel?”, is a classic line that ends almost every episode. She keeps idealising her former lover until the very last season in which Hufnágel turns out to be a swindler who invites the family to Australia and leaves them penniless and stranded.