About all this – how the projects were born, what will delight viewers this season and who will conduct them – is told by Saulius Bartkus, the author of the most popular projects created for many years on Lithuanian television, according to a TV3 television press release.
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Return of a Legend: After More Than 20 Years – A New Stage for “Be tabu”
20 years ago, one of the first info-shows in Lithuania was born on TV3 television, which allowed a look at society and its flaws through bold and ironic glasses – “Be tabu”.
Over all 8 years of its existence, more than 800 shows were broadcast and over 6000 witty and biting stories were created. Not to mention the fifty faces who worked on the show: from Ramunė Kurienė and Greta Šapkaitė to Algis Ramanauskas-Greitai and Vytautas Tulevičius.
After more than 20 years, the popular format returns to TV3 once again. Only this time – even sharper, even more surprising, and more relevant than ever before. And the show will be conducted by a duo already well-known to today’s viewers – Keitė Arai and Tomas Ališauskas.
“Changes are an additional creative stimulus. This also led to the decision to return to TV3, where the show “Be tabu” was born, and the production company that creates it,” says S. Bartkus, the show’s creator and founder of the “Be tabu” production company.
Saulius is open – much has changed over two decades: not only the team and presenters, but also the concept itself. However, some things remain unchanged – it has always been relevant for viewers to see how our elected officials live and work.
“We want to be relevant and sharp regardless of which political party is in power. We express our personal political sympathies only in the voting booth,” he states.
Mentally transported back to 20 years ago, the creator of “Be tabu” clearly remembers – the first shows of this format received a very negative reaction from professionals. As if, is it possible to behave like that?
“And viewers were curious to see what else these guys would pull off? It was a new television genre. Of course, the rules changed. What was possible in the 2000s is now unimaginable. Generations change, and so does the attitude towards many social phenomena. However, there is no textbook describing the rules for creating an info-show. Many things had to be tried,” says S. Bartkus.
And although every show and every story remains a challenge for Saulius to this day, the main goal of “Be tabu” remains unchanged – to talk about the most complex problems clearly and understandably. And to shed light on various events from a slightly different angle than we are used to seeing in news programs or portals.
“Of course, self-irony and a light dose of humor are not alien to us, although this is not the main goal of the show. We simply want to avoid excessive dramatization or tragedy. We want more optimism and light,” says S. Bartkus.
True, if the show talks about truly interesting people, their lifestyle, and achievements, you will never feel irony here. And for political figures or those related to them – at least as far as checked recently – irony is not prohibited by law.
“Naturally, we receive reactions after sharper stories. However, we verify the facts, and only then do we publish them. Before any elections, politicians are very eager to befriend us. The reasons for such friendships are very predictable. After elections, relationships often cool down. But only until the next vote,” S. Bartkus reveals the nuances understood over many years.
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Who is right, viewers will decide: the hottest discussion show “KK2 savaitė” starts
However, “BE TABU” is not the only new creation by S. Bartkus that will delight TV3 viewers. They will also be surprised by “KK2 savaitė” – an entertainment discussion show where every week will focus on what dominates our private conversations. These are topics that stir the greatest passions, and to which, even if we sometimes say otherwise, we are all indifferent.
Ever-relevant topics are no exception. For example, who achieves more in life – someone who has studied or someone who has gone through the “university of life”? What’s better – solitude or relationships? Do money provide freedom or, conversely, slavery? What’s more reliable – youthful strength and maximalism or experience?
“Sharp discussions ignite in politics, at work, and at home, so the show’s hosts, along with guests, promise to hotly debate, clarify, and seek compromises on a wide variety of eternally relevant life issues,” says S. Bartkus.
These discussions will be led by Keitė and Mindaugas Stasiulis, a long-time TV3 personality who has joined her on this show.
“The most important quality of the hosts is empathy for the interlocutors. Keitė Arai and Mindaugas Stasiulis will help the show’s guests representing their views, but different “camps” will not become an opposition between the hosts. The interlocutors will argue their positions with examples from life experience, and Keitė and Mindaugas will help them to open up, understand each other, and not become “enemies”,” Saulius reveals.
And in another segment, Elite correspondent Domininkas Ramonas will interview a different expert each week, reflecting the show’s theme.
“Since we will be discussing different topics every week, Elite correspondent Domininkas will try to find the golden mean in the debate by interviewing experts whose views will reflect the topic being discussed. Domininkas’s questions will be very simple and perhaps even naive, but the goal is to find out the whole truth about the truth,” says S. Bartkus.
A Strong Team – The Guarantee of S. Bartkus’s Projects’ Success
Of course, no less important for these shows is a team that works precisely like a Swiss watch, currently consisting of 20 permanent employees.
Several of them have been working on the projects since day one! Therefore, as S. Bartkus says, there’s often no need for empty words – the team understands each other from half a sentence.
Is it easy, however, to earn Saulius’s trust and become part of his team?
“I admit – it’s not easy for a new person to jump onto a locomotive that has been rolling for many years. Adaptation is a very individual matter. Much also depends on a person’s personal qualities. After all, things that seem simple are often the most complex. However, everything can be understood and learned. We are open to newcomers,” he shares.
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