Also: “Heritage Austria” premiere “Vienna’s Disappeared Professions” and much more – from January 29th to February 4th, 2024
Vienna (OTS) – Four-part “ORF III Theme Monday” about the present and future of domestic winter tourism
With the new production “Luxury Skiing” ORF III starts the “ORF III Theme Monday” on Monday, January 29th at 8:15 p.m. Skiing seems to be becoming the luxury it once was. The rapidly increasing costs for equipment, ski passes and accommodation are now deterring many people. The price explosion is not only due to the usual inflation drivers, but also to the efforts of many traditional ski resorts to raise the skiing experience to 2,000 meters with guaranteed snow. We continue with the documentary “What we let skiing cost us” (9:05 p.m.). Since guests in winter no longer just demand perfect slopes, “The Business of Relaxation” (9:55 p.m.) is dedicated to the diverse wellness offerings in the winter sports resorts. “Snow from yesterday – does winter sport still have a future?” (10.45 p.m.) asks what will happen to the popular sport of skiing under these conditions.
“Heritage of Austria” with, among other things, new production “Vienna’s Disappeared Professions”
Lavender women, ash men, gaslighters, angel makers – time has rolled over many old job profiles, and some terms, such as the so-called cessation provider, seem bizarre today. The “ORF III Cultural Tuesday” on January 30th starts with the new “Erbe Österreich” documentary “Vienna’s Disappeared Professions” (8:15 p.m.). It continues with the productions “Habsburg’s Privileges” (9:05 p.m.) and “Being a Child in the Imperial House” (9:55 p.m.). Afterwards, Heinz Sichrovsky will again welcome the who’s who of the literary world in “erLesen” (10.45 p.m.). In her latest novel “The Castle,” Ursula Poznanski combines a medieval atmosphere with current debates about technology and artificial intelligence. In “The Granddaughter” Bernhard Schlink talks about escaping from the GDR, about love and complex biographies. The 2017 Bachmann Prize winner, Ferdinand Schmalz, will also be a guest.
Alcohol and cigarettes: Health focus on recreational and addictive substances
Next week in “MERYN am Montag” it will be “Finally smoke-free” (6.45 p.m.). Quitting smoking brings immediate and long-term health benefits. However, finally living a smoke-free life is not that easy for many of those affected. ORF health expert Siegfried Meryn answers viewers’ questions together with tobacco cessation expert Sophie Meingassner, technical director of the “Smoke-Free Telephone”. Open a beer at dinner, enjoy an eighth of wine on special occasions: despite the declining trend, alcohol remains a culturally anchored part of the daily life of many Austrians. In a new edition of “MERYNS sprachzimmer” (10:30 p.m.) on Wednesday, January 31st, Siegfried Meryn will discuss with Myriam Sarny, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapeutic medicine at the Anton Proksch Institute in Vienna, as well as Thomas Reiberger, internist, gastroenterologist and hepatologist Verena Titze, author, cabaret artist and dry alcoholic, the question “The whole of Austria is intoxicated – how dangerous is alcohol?” Afterwards, “treffpunkt medizin” (11:20 p.m.) focuses on the global dimension of excessive alcohol consumption in “Alcohol – The Global Intoxication”.
With documentary highlights including Styria and Carinthia
In the main Wednesday evening, “Heimat Österreich” explores “life around the Hohe Veitsch” (8:15 p.m.). “Along the Murtal” (9:05 p.m.) then moves on to “Landleben” – including Cilli Spreitzer, who runs the highest mountain farm in St. Georgen am Kreischberg with her husband at 1,275 meters. The second “Country Life” film of the evening presents “Mountain Winter in Kleinarl” (9:55 p.m.). “Land of the Mountains” explores the “Desert of the Alps” on Thursday, February 1st (8:15 p.m.). The “living Dead Mountains” from the Eisenwurzen to the Salzkammergut, with an area of more than 1,100 square kilometers, is considered the largest high alpine karst plateau in Central Europe. The film “The Wild Steiner Alps” (9 p.m.) finally takes you to the southernmost tip of Carinthia.
Humorous-musical “Thursday Night”: With, among others, “The Round Table” and “Austrofreds Barcelona”
New year, new luck is the motto on Thursday, February 1st, for Gerald Fleischhacker and his “table group” (9:50 p.m.). This time with star cabaret artist Andreas Vitásek, Benedikt Mitmannsgruber, audience favorite Antonia Stabinger and the celebrated Elli Bauer, who has received numerous young talent awards. “Cabaret in the Tower” (10:55 p.m.) features “News from the Attic” by improvisational talent Isabell Pannagl. “Nino from Vienna” will then present his “cookbook Take 16” in “Soundcheck Austria” (11:50 p.m.). ORF III met Nino Mandl in the Café Rüdigerhof for an interview, there is also a sample of his first book – and of course one or two songs shouldn’t be missing. “The Nino from Vienna and Ildikó Raimondi” then conclude the main evening together in the second edition of “Austrofreds Barcelona” (12:20 a.m.).
Double premiere in “zeit.geschichte”: “The Left Camp” and “Love and Eroticism in the Interwar Period”
On Saturday, February 3rd, the ORF III “zeit.geschichte” will focus on the interwar period in four films. The new production “Battle for Austria – The Left Camp” begins (8:15 p.m.). The collapse of the Danube Monarchy at the end of the First World War ushered in a revolutionary phase in Austria that was entirely dominated by the left-wing camp. The dominant force was the Social Democratic Workers’ Party, which followed its own political orientation with Austro-Marxism. Social achievements that have remained largely unchallenged to this day were achieved. The situation changed permanently when the Christian Social Party pushed the entire left-wing camp into illegality in the spring of 1933. Afterwards, the second TV premiere of the evening is on the schedule: “The Wild 1920s – Love and Eroticism in the Interwar Period” (9:05 p.m.). In erotic terms they weren’t that wild, the “Wild Twenties”, at least not in Austria. But they were a bit wild. The democratic revolution of 1918/19 brought significant progress in the field of women’s emancipation. In Austrofascism, the fun was over again. Everything that had to do with the joys of pleasurable physicality was once again strictly regulated and taboo. ORF III then shows the documentaries “Builders of the Republic – Michael and Marianne Hainisch” (9:55 p.m.) and “Wuchteln, Schmäh, Political Satire – History of the Austrian Cabaret 1918-1945” (10:45 p.m.).
“Experience stage”: getting in the mood for the Vienna Opera Ball
With the production “Operettas – Melodies for Millions” (8:15 p.m.), “erlebnis Bühne” invites you on Sunday, February 4th, to a lively journey through melodies that are real catchy tunes, not least during the ball season. Included are today’s world stars such as Anna Netrebko, Elīna Garanča, Plácido Domingo, Jonas Kaufmann as well as greats from back then such as Rudolf Schock, Fritz Wunderlich and Richard Tauber. In keeping with this, Barbara Rett will be reviewing the most beautiful opening dances, atmospheric but also provocative choreographies by the Vienna State Ballet and fiery vocal performances from 30 years of the Opera Ball in the tea room of the Vienna State Opera with “I want to dance – Best of Opera Ball” (9.15 p.m.). Performances will include Elīna Garanča, who will sing with Piotr Beczała at the opening of the 66th Opera Ball this year, Olga Peretyatko, Plácido Domingo, Aida Garifullina and Ioan Holender.
Further details about the ORF III Culture and Information program are available at tv.ORF.at/orf3.