That a cartoon rodent would one day become the most famous knowledge authority in the country, the hardworking men from WDR certainly did not expect when they assisted in the birth of the creature invented by graphic artist Isolde Schmitt-Menzel in 1971 and brought to life an endearing being that would henceforth become synonymous with responsible childrearing in the media age. It takes only a few strokes to create the star of television education. A round body in warm orange, with brown ears and little legs stuck on. Add two bedroom eyes and a few mustache hairs, and the mouse and brand are ready.
Of course, the native of Cologne can make noises too. She taps while walking, and if you look closely, her eyes click when she blinks. The mouse is famous for being able to explain things well and tackling problems in unconventional ways. For instance, if she is missing a straw, she simply unscrews her tail and uses it as a drinking aid. If she is trapped in a pit, she mutates into a helicopter. No one knows how to help themselves as well as the mouse does, and sometimes the impression arises that public broadcasting would fare much better if it took a leaf out of the mouse's ingenuity.
In 1995, the mouse even received the Federal Cross of Merit. It was accepted by her companions Armin Maiwald and Christoph Biemann, who have significantly shaped what made the mouse famous with their scientifically sound yet simply designed explanatory films. After all, the mouse was always just the figure that was meant to mediate between two films. In one, children were shown how toothpaste comes into the tube, and in the next, what happens when a mole is sad. The number of mouse companions has grown large. The list of friends ranges from Captain Bluebear to the little elephant, to the yellow duck and Stefan Raab. The latter even put the mouse melody into a pop song in 1996 and sold it nearly 400,000 times.
The mouse is an institution that shapes Sundays for families. Even in circles where enthusiasm for television is limited, an exception is made at 11:30 AM on Sundays. Every child is allowed to see the mouse, and usually, people remain connected to their cuddly TV hero until they have children of their own and watch "Die Sendung mit der Maus" with them. For WDR, the mouse is also a diligent worker. She earns decent money for the public broadcaster because some euros from the proceeds of the rich merchandising offerings flow into the station's coffers. It is probably also for this reason that there are mouse mugs, mouse dolls, mouse bags, and mouse lamps.</p><p>The mouse has plenty of television awards lined up on the shelf, and surely more will come. There is no end in sight for the mouse shows. Some even say that the news will be abolished before "Die Sendung mit der Maus."
