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Series / The Flying Cestmir
aka: Letajici Cestmir

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The Flying Cestmir (the original Czech title is Létající Čestmír and it was translated in German as Der Fliegende Ferdinand) is a Czech TV fantasy/sci-fi series for children written by Miloš Macourek (script) and directed by Václav Vorlíček from 1983. The series has six episodes. Later, a book based on the series was written by Miloš Macourek and Petr Markov.

It's about a Cloudcuckoolander schoolboy named Cestmir who one day is magically transported to a planet of magical flowers, but nobody believes him. However, he brought two magical flowers back. Then other people are drawn to the flower planet — and the city's barber wants to get said flowers for his own advantage...


Tropes:

  • Bald of Evil: The barber is the villain of the story. He's bald and wears a moustache.
  • Cassandra Truth: Even more so when he appears as his father to tell off the barber that he stole the flower pots. At this time all the people healed by the barber state that they'd still support him even if the accusation was true.
  • Children Are Innocent: The professor explicitly says so. Note however, that the barber's son is pretty much an asshole despite being a kid, and the professor is a good guy despite being old. It's really more about whether you are "a child at heart".
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Cestmir, the protagonist. After reading a pseudo-scientific article about telekinesis, he thinks it's really possible in our world. Of course, most people wouldn't believe in magical flowers either...
  • Cool Teacher: Philip, who falls in love with the protagonist's big sister. He has a friendly relationship with his pupils and he helps the trio of our heroes in their fight against the villain.
  • The Cuckoolander Was Right: The one time Cestmír tells a story he didn't make up, nobody believes him.
  • Cyborg: The institute where David's father works, which aims for the improvement of man, has invented among other things a helm which improves the olfactory sense and a more practical tool for improving hearing.
  • The Ditz: The barber's son. In one scene he fails to add two one-digit numbers! (Alternate Character Interpretation: He sees homework as beneath his dignity.)
  • Dub Name Change: Cestmir's name was changed to Ferdinand in the German version. There were other changes in the names as well.
  • Fountain of Youth: One of the flowers causes people to de-age. The old professor uses it, but apparently nobody else.
  • Flight: Done by one of the two flowers Cestmir gets, plus it is in the very title — you can fly after smelling the magical flower.
  • Generation Xerox: Everyone tells Cestmir that he's "just like his father". Consequently, when the one flower turns him into an adult, he's played by his father's actor. Despite the fact that there isn't really much similarity.
  • Go Among Mad People: The father is mistaken for crazy, because his son sometimes poses as him — in his adult form, caused by the magical flower, he looks like his father. Cestmir is a weird boy as it is, and with his pre-teen behaviour, he can't successfully pass for a sane adult.
  • Green Rocks: The meteorite which is found by Cestmír and later, his teacher Philip. It glows blue, and sometimes changes its size; when people come too close to it, they're sucked into it and go to the planet of the magical flowers.
  • Healing Hands: One of the magical flowers can heal any disease, including baldness. The barber uses to become a famous healer. At the end, the city's hospital is empty.
  • Jerkass: The barber and his son. They are arrogant, insufferable and full of themselves.
  • Magical Land: The planet of the magical flowers.
  • Mind over Matter: Cestmir thinks he can obtain this ability after reading an article about a fakir. Later, he tries using it to open the safe where the stolen flowers are.
  • Overnight Age-Up: One flower the protagonist gets can do that for a few hours. Which he and his allies use a few times.
  • Plant Person: The flowers in the other world can speak, and apparently humans can communicate with them.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: The barber, Mr. Blecha, when he gains lots of money from the magical plants.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: The barber's son. He wants to be called "grand vizier" by the other kids and throws a temper when they won't.
  • Super-Intelligence: One flower boosts one's intelligence and mental abilities. It gives you all kinds of skills, like speaking Japanese.
  • Super-Senses: The barber's wife uses it to learn all kinds of interesting gossip, which she puts into the newspaper.
  • Super-Strength: One flower plant causes extraordinary strength and speed. The barber and his son once use it to win a tennis match (6:0, 6:0, 6:0, unsurprisingly).
  • Tempting Fate: At the end, the barber has lost the flowers, though he has the meteorite. When the boys mock him, he shows them the stone... which flies away into space, never to return.
  • Two Guys and a Girl: The group of friends consist of protagonist Cestmir and his great friends David and Barbora.
  • Urban Fantasy: The story is set in a small Czech town in the 1980s. The characters can be transported to a fantastic planet of plants and they gain magical flowers that boost your abilities and give you amazing super powers.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: The barber who wants to use the flowers to make money and get famous. He's popular since he can cure people's maladies easily.
  • Year Inside, Hour Outside: Philip spends almost one year there, but on Earth only a few minutes passed when he gets back.

Alternative Title(s): Letajici Cestmir

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