In the 90s, the “13th post” revolutionized Polish television. “They said it would not catch on”

The production, for which Canal + and Polsat were responsible, was broadcast until the end of 2000 in two series (the last one independently by Canal +). A total of 83 episodes were created, written and directed by Maciej Ślesicki.

A surprising comedy from the creator of “serious cinema”

Ślesicki made himself known to Polish audiences earlier thanks to his films much more dramatic than the mocking sitcom about not very bright policemen and policewomen. It was he who created such memorable productions as “Dad” and “Sara” starring Bogusław Linda. The first of them focuses on the story of a father who fights with a despotic ex-wife for the possibility of taking care of his own daughter (Ślesicki won the award for directing at the festival in Gdynia). “Sara” tells the story of an excomand who is an alcoholic, divorced and falls in love with a 16-year-old girl – and he was only supposed to be her bodyguard.

In the new series, there is not much left of this seriousness and drama – the director only “borrowed” part of the cast. Just like in “Sara”, Marek Perepeczko plays the father of the title character, here he became the commander who goes everywhere with his beloved dog Pershing, just like Jason Lochinvar “Fatas” McCabe from the TV series “Gliniarz i prosecutor”, popular also in Poland. And let’s not forget that Agnieszka Włodarczyk, who plays Sara, played the main character’s sister in “The 13th Station”, who regularly drives him to extreme despair with her teenage ideas.

Let us add that Ślesicki comes from a recognized film family: he is the son of the famous Barbara Pec-Ślesicka, production manager of numerous feature films and TV series, long-time production director of Film Group X and co-founder of the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Directing. She worked with Wajda for many years on films such as “The Wedding”, “Man of Marble”, “Man of Iron” and “Maids of the Wolf”, and such filmmakers as Janusz Zaorski and Agnieszka Holland have also used her help. And it was she who managed her son’s productions in the 90s, including the “13th station”. And it was something that had not been available on the market before.

An original vision that has beaten foreign formats. But it has something to do with them

Police officer Cezary Cezary (Cezary Pazura) is sent to a suburban police station, where the police mistakenly mistake him for the new commandant. When the error comes to light and the current commander (Marek Perepeczko) appears, further cooperation does not look promising – this is how the comedy adventures at the “13th post” begin. In addition to the two actors mentioned, the permanent cast included, among others Aleksandra Woźniak (Kasia), Marek Walczewski (Stępień), Piotr Zelt (Arnold), Paweł Burczyk (Luksus), Joanna Sienkiewicz (Zofia) and Arkadiusz Jakubik (Rysio).

The series also featured various flavors and references to Polish cinematography, which the older viewers undoubtedly understood: e.g. the commander romances for some time with Zofia played by Ewa Szykulska – many years earlier they appeared together in the famous “Janosik”: she was the bride , he’s the main character. In one episode, soldiers with fleas appear at the police station. It just so happens that one of them bears the name of Wiaderny: just like the lieutenant played in “Kroll” by Cezary Pazura. Hence, it is not surprising when the series Cezary Cezary says: “Wiaderny? I know this name from somewhere …”.

The broadcast of the first Polish sitcom was met with great enthusiasm by viewers. The reasons can be multiplied, but the main ones are undoubtedly the involvement of well-known and liked actors, as well as a breath of fresh air in the programming, which was mentioned by Cezary Pazura in an interview with Gazeta.pl:

It was a border moment when we made a sitcom in Poland for the first time. Nobody (…) had tried to make sitcoms in Poland before, because they said that it would not be accepted. And we made a sitcom, but a noble one, based on commedia dell’arte. The characters that appear in the pantheon “13th station” can be attributed to: I was Pierrot, Kasia was a Columbine, the commandant was the Captain: these are archetypes.

We composed the whole according to this. And please note that it was not a format. This series was created in Poland, and it was rich and good enough that in each episode there were three threads that were intertwined at the end. Basically a sitcom is made this way, there is one thread for the entire episode, and we moved on. This is, of course, the undoubted merit of Maciek Ślesicki.

At the same time, let us emphasize that a large number of sitcoms that were broadcast in the 90s have a common problem – today in many moments they are no longer as fun as they used to be. A few years ago, thanks to streaming platforms, “Friends” came back to life, their premiere in 1994. Apart from the return of the production itself, it was loud because of the repeated harmful stereotypes about members of the LGBT + community or obese people, which are currently unacceptable (even if we insist it’s a social comment).

You do not have to look far for a similar situation, because there are many similar examples in “The 13th Post”. For example, the phrase “you have crooked eyes and jaundice”, addressed to the actor playing the Japanese, leaves much to be desired. Another time, the protagonist of Pazura, through touch, compares the naked breasts of his friends at the police station. In general, there is a high probability that by choosing a random episode, we will find, for example, unrefined jokes about rape, alcoholism or various types of disorders. Cezary Pazura himself in one of his YouTube materials said that the scene where he parodies the Polish national anthem, singing “bald people should be covered with tar paper, and black ones with asphalt” should be called “boor”.

Engaging in the “13th post” almost like a pact

The success of the “13th post” against all odds was for many an opportunity to gain publicity and new professional offers. Unfortunately, not every actor involved in the series can boast of such experiences. Several of the lead actors have struggled with the comedy format patch over the years.

– Due to the fact that the series turned out to be a total hit and hit, I could not free myself from it, at least in the minds of other creators. Because they clearly labeled me as Cezary Cezary, a comedy actor, and there were no other offers at that time – recalled Pazura, stressing that it was not good, because “it proves that our cinematography cannot afford the so-called healthy experiment.” – Because they gave Carrey the opportunity to play a serious role in a dramatic film, and they did not want Pazura in Poland for a long time. Until I had to mature, just like Janusz Gajos, play a few roles in the theater and wait for myself – he added.

Piotr Zelt played the role of an elderly constable Arnold, a not very smart man whose idol is his namesake – Arnold Schwarzenegger. In one of the interviews, the actor admitted that Arnie’s personality and how he created this character dragged on him for some time, but despite everything, he never regretted participating in the production. Arkadiusz Jakubik, on the other hand, recalled that he was furious with himself for a long time and was ashamed of his performance in the “13th station”, because he ended up in a drawer with the inscription “a deaf fool from Polsat”. – It is an experience that I try to remember all the time while reading subsequent scripts, various suggestions. Maybe there aren’t many of them there, but they do show up. It is an experience and the awareness that an actor has only one face and if he decides to play something, it will stay forever. Why settle for things that will be ashamed of you later? – said the actor in an interview with Gazeta.pl.

Aleksandra Woźniak was only 22 years old when she starred in “The 13th Police Station”. It was not her screen debut, as she had roles in television theater and films. Her Kasia stole the hearts of the viewers, but it was also the beginning of the end of Woźniak’s acting career. Although after the end of production, the actress played in series such as “Złotopolscy”, “Kryminalni” or “Barwy Szczęścia”, in 2020 officially announced the end of the screen activity.

In an interview she gave just over a year ago, she sincerely regretted playing with Ślesicki. – If I had known what would happen next, I wouldn’t have starred in “Post 13”. Previously, my professional path was completely different. I debuted with Dorota Kędzierzawska, I played with Feliks Falk, Filip Zylber and slowly, step by step, I was building my professional position. I was not popular, but I was appreciated in the community. Maybe if I continued this path, today I would not sign autographs, but I would achieve what I wanted, i.e. take part in ambitious projects – said Woźniak.