Alfred Biolek | |
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| Born | Alfred Franz Maria Biolek (1934-07-10)10 July 1934 |
| Died | 23 July 2021(2021-07-23) (aged 87) Cologne,North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
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| Known for | Bio's Bahnhof,Boulevard Bio,alfredissimo! |
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Alfred Franz Maria Biolek (10 July 1934 – 23 July 2021) was a German entertainer and television producer. Biolek held a PhD in law and was an honorary professor at theAcademy of Media Arts Cologne. He received many awards for his work on television which included popular long-running series, and pioneering work fortalk shows andcooking shows in the 1970s. He also received awards for his efforts for promoting the culture of food and wine. He supported and founded charities for Africa.
Biolek was born inFreistadt (Fryštát) inCzechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), into aSudeten German family.[1] His father was a lawyer.[2] Afterexpulsion from Czechoslovakia in 1946, the Biolek family moved toWaiblingen nearStuttgart, where Biolek's father practiced law again.[3] Biolek was raised aCatholic, and served as analtar boy. Later he temporarily joined the German conservative partyCDU.[4]
He attended theGymnasium inWaiblingen and graduated in 1954.[5] He then studied law inFreiburg im Breisgau,Munich, andVienna.[6] In 1958 he took afirst state exam of law (third-best exam in Baden-Württemberg) and graduated with honors.[7] In 1962 he achieved a doctorate, followed by a second state examination in law in 1963.[3] In 1969 Biolek moved to Munich[8] and worked for a larger law firm. Living in the city, Biolek underwent a radical change and distanced himself from his previous conservative mindset. He took part in thebohemian community in Munich, and belonged to filmmakerRainer Werner Fassbinder's social circle.[7]
From 1963, Biolek worked as an assessor in the legal department of the new public German TV channelZDF where he soon switched to editorial tasks.[2][9] He became the anchor man of the TV showDrehscheibe.[10] From 1970 to 1973, he was head of the main entertainment department at the Bavaria film and television production company in Munich.[3] In 1974, he developed for the broadcasterWDR in Cologne, together withRudi Carrell, the show seriesAm laufenden Band [de]. The successful Saturday night show became his breakthrough.[2]
From 1975, he was presenter of a new talk show, with the journalistDieter Thoma [de],Kölner Treff [de] (Meeting in Cologne).[2][4] In February 1978, he started his first produced and moderated show, titledBio's Bahnhof (Bio's station),[2] where e.g.Kate Bush had her television debut.[11] In the 1980s, commercially less successful shows followed:Bei Bio,Show Bühne, and the game showMensch Meier.[12]Boulevard Bio [de] ran from 1991 for 12 years,[2] andalfredissimo! [de] was last broadcast in 2007.[2]
While visiting the UK in the early 1970s, Biolek caught notice of the British comedy troupeMonty Python, and excited by their innovative, absurd sketches, he invited them over to Germany in 1971 and 1972 to write and act in two special German episodes of their showMonty Python's Flying Circus. The result,Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus, was produced by Biolek in co-production withWestdeutscher Rundfunk.[13]
With his own company Pro GmbH,[14][15] Between 1991 and 2003, Biolek produced his weekly showBoulevard Bio.[3] Biolek developed the art of sensitive conversation and attracted much attention. From 1994[9] to 2006, he also cooked with celebrities on his showalfredissimo!.[2]
Besides his media career, Biolek taught as an honorary professor at theAcademy of Media Arts, Cologne from 1990 onwards.[6]
He supported the intercultural work of theAmerican Field Service Deutschland, with which he spent a year abroad in the US as one of the first German exchange students in the 1950s.[6]
He was actively engaged in the struggle againstAIDS and unwanted pregnancy in Africa. In 2000, he was appointed the first GermanUNFPA Goodwill Ambassador.[16] In October 2005, Biolek founded the charity fund Alfred Biolek Stiftung – Hilfe für Afrika, to give African youngsters the opportunity of a better start in life.[17] He was on the advisory board for theGerman Foundation for World Population.[18]
As a patron of the arts, Biolek was committed to supportingcabaret. He was one of the patrons of thevaudeville theatre "Bar jeder Vernunft" inWilmersdorf.[19]
Since October 2006, Biolek was on tour with his programMein Theater mit dem Fernsehen (My theatre/struggle with TV), in which he illustrated parts of his TV career.[20]
On 10 December 1991, the director and activistRosa von Praunheim outed Biolek, among other celebrities, as gay during a TV show.[21] Biolek lived with his partner in Cologne and Berlin.[12] In 2010, Biolek suffered brain injuries from a fall on a stair. Scott Ritchie took care of him, and he adopted him.[12]
Biolek died on 23 July 2021 in Cologne, aged 87.[22][23][24]
Source:[3]
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