Stanisława Ryster not only hosted “Wielka Gê” for years, but also prepared questions for the players with experts, and supported the latter – but at the same time kept them in check – on the set. A lawyer by education, a leader probably by vocation.
Marta Korycka: How do you remember Stanisława Ryster?
Wojciech Goljat: We, as “big players”, approached Mrs. Stanisława with great respect and sympathy, even though she was a determined person, she was not lacking in kindness. She was consistent, sticking to the “Big Game” pattern. In difficult moments, she tried to help players who had problems resulting from stress and stage fright and motivated them to perform, and with many successes.
Was she always present at the qualifying rounds, or did you only meet during the recording of “The Big Game”?
She was always present at the qualifying rounds. Practically, it was the idea of Ryszard Serefinowicz, who adapted the American game show in 1962, but in Poland, since 1975, Stanisława Ryster was the host, and practically for us she personified the entire “Big Game”. For us, Mrs. Ryster and “The Big Game” were synonymous.
During the eliminations, there were usually much fewer ladies than men, and Mrs. Stanisława always looked at them with kindness. Sometimes, as men, we were even a little jealous of it. However, everything was always very fair and reliable – if someone was eliminated, it was because they had weaker points. However, she had a heart for novices and compared to veterans such as Mariusz Machnikowski, who won 11 times, and me (seven times), she put us at the end of the queue. But only with the same number of points.
She also selected experts very carefully. Among them were, for example, prof. Henryk Samsonowicz, who was the Minister of National Education in Tadeusz Mazowiecki’s government, prof. Ewa Wipszycka, prof. Janusz Ekiert or prof. Janusz Michałowski, brother of the famous archaeologist Kazimierz Michałowski.
You are a seven-time game show winner. Did you keep in touch when the recording ended and “The Big Game” ended?
Even though “The Big Game” has been off the air for 18 years, we maintained sporadic and infrequent telephone contact, the last time we saw each other was a few years ago. Truly, she was a television lady. She knew how to behave – when to smile, when to soften, when to say “it should be like this”. We were sometimes rowdy, but she knew how to deal with us and always commanded respect.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
