BS: Same procedure as every year

Subject: Same procedure as every year
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 09:28 AM

Do the British know that an English language sketch rejected by the BBC has become an integral part of German and Scandinavian television culture at New Years Eve? It is repeated each New Years Eve since 1963 and can be seen up to a dozen times during that evening. That's an undisputed braodcast repetition record for Germany by the way. The sketch is called 'The 90th birthday' or 'Dinner for one'.
If you don't know what I'm talking about here's a bit about it from the Guardian.

The joke is that a sketch which gets its laughs from near endless repetitions of the dialogue "Same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?" "Same procedure as every year, James" is repeated endlessly from year to year.

That sketch was topped only once when a never found out do-no-good switched the tapes with the New Years address of Chancellor Kohl boredcast (sorry, broadcast) on a now legendary New Years Eve and we could see and hear last year's address. No-one noticed at the TV station (same face, same empty words, same flag, same room) until he wished us a good 19xx and everybody said 'but that was the year that was'.

Kohl was 'not amused' and the TV stations missed the golden opportunity to replay the speech in all the years after. By now, that would be a ritual 'must watch' on each New Years Eve and would draw much more spectators than the actual New Years address by whoever is chancellor.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 10:49 AM

Fascinating. I've never heard of the sketch you mention. The nearest equivalent I can think of, in American culture, is the frequent repetition of certain movies on TV around Christmas, namely, "It's a Wonderful Life," and "A Christmas Story." Are those shown in Europe, too?

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Trevor
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 10:53 AM

Yeah, I was in Sweden some years ago, just after Christmas and the people I was staying with were gobsmacked that I didn't know what they were on about. They would keep saying 'Same as last year.....yes same as last year..' and collapsing in gales of laughter.

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 01:46 PM

Thanks for the smile. Read the premise on your link- sounds great fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Stewie
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 06:08 PM

Wolfgang, thanks for the link to the 'Guardian' piece. 'One for Dinner' was aired by SBS television here in Oz on New Year's Eve. It was the first time I had seen it - absolutely hilarious, a gem.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Jeanie
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 06:41 PM

Yes - it's hilarious ! Never been shown on British TV, to my knowledge. It was recorded specially for the North German TV in Hamburg, originally, then networked. I've also watched it (from Britain) on satellite TV several times over in one evening from the various regions (just to see how many times it's shown).

Never heard of the lady who plays Miss Sophie, but the butler is that great comedian Freddie Frinton (he always did play a brilliant drunk, and this sketch is no exception) who those as old as me will remember in a very funny TV sitcom playing opposite another wonderful comic performer, Thora Hird.

For first time in many a long year, my New Year's Eve ended in the same manner as Miss Sophie's. Same procedure next year, James ??? Hoffentlich !

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: GUEST,alanabit
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 10:25 PM

Hi Wolfgang. I think the sketch was originally performed around Grimsby by Freddie Frinton. The production which we see on TV every year was made by NDR.Language apart, it is a very German production, which is unknown in the UK. Benny Hill did several similar "drunken butler" sketches, which was probably the reason why the BBC passed. It's funny, but I don't understand why it captured the hearts of its German audience...

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 06:32 AM

Jeanie,

you mean you went to bed early after a delicious meal? You really should do that more often, even on New Year's Eve.
Oh no, I see now, you could mean what presumably comes after the sketch has ended: You felt like being ninety after having made love four times (grin)...There are some more possibilities left but I won't go into details.
Whatever it was exactly you seemed to enjoy may it be the same procedure next year (and don't forget: next year is already now).

Alanabit,

why does a particular sketch capture the hearts? Difficult to tell. The fact that we do not understand all of it due to the fact that the sketch is in English without subtitles (never done at any other opportunity in German TV) may contribute, but I guess the main factor is the repetition itself at a predictable time, but only once a year.

In an unsure world, some things have to come in the same shape, at the same time as it always was when we have been young and as it will be when we'll be old. And for Germany that is, among a few other things, always the same few verses of Luke at Christmas Eve, always the same song (So ein Tag) as Mainz carneval's last encore and Dinner for one on New Year's eve.

It is just reassuring in terms of common cultural background when people ask "Should we come before or after 'Dinner for one'?" when you invite them to share New Year's Eve.

Isn't it ironic that German hating Freddie Frinton by his insistance that the sketch should be shown in English without subtitles has contributed in unforeseen ways to German postwar culture.

We have other movies too that come to particular times as Christmas, but never so reliably.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: bassen
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 06:51 AM

As has been mentioned, this is an integral part of the modern Scandinavian Christmas as well as German. Most Norwegians do not know it was a German production originally and assume automatically that the sketch as produced is well known in the UK as well. Variations of the phrases "Same procedure as last year/same procedure as every year" - in English - are in common usage in everyday Norwegian as a result of this Christmas tradition. There's always somebody at a Christmas party who can (or thinks he can) do all the voices that Frinton does...

bassen

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: alanabit
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 07:51 AM

Fair comment Wolfgang. I hadn't known that Frinton was "German hating", but the irony of the situation is appealing. My children (both German) will doubtless grow up with the sketch...

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 08:23 AM

"German hating" might be a bit too harsh for what I've read about him and his dislike of Germany. But it is easy to see why a British born in 1911 may not have had too many fond memories of Germany and Germans and why these memories in 1963 were still quite vivid.

Rumours are, by the way, that the sketch was written with Admiral von (van) Schneider (one of the 'guests' Frinton impersonates as Butler James) saying 'Prost' to Miss Sophie and that Frinton remade that to 'Skoll' (skål) in order to avoid that German (Latin) word.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: GUEST,harvey andrews
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 11:18 AM

On touring Germany I came across the Freddie Frinton phenomena (try saying that after a few "prost"s) and was fascinated. He took his name from a British seaside resort, as did Eric Morecambe who's show with Ernie Wise was a regular Xmas Day Brit experience until his death. Now we only have the Queen's speech. I wish someone would switch tapes with that and give Britain Freddy instead!

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Kerstin
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 12:03 PM

As a Sweed I love this sketch, and it is a must every Christmas. Of course, it is understood, never record it! For many years we here in Sweden had a tradition to look at an English sketch called The Hoardings. I cried for laughter at those men, trying to get this batten across the town. But I do not know anything about this sketch. Love Kerstin

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Jeanie
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 02:21 PM

Prima ! Toll ! Ausgezeichnet !! I've found the script (in English and German) on the web ! I can't do the blue clicky, but you will find it on: www.get.at/members/eva/dinnere.htm

This website also gives details of a book about this sketch and the background to it (in German): "Dinner for one" Edition Nautilis, Verlag Lutz Schulenburg ISBN 3-89401-268-4

Wolfgang: I'm not telling. That will have to remain a secret between me and my utterly discreet manservant.

- Jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Hawker
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 02:54 PM

Oh yes!
Before we had our children we used to go to the Isle of man for TT fortnight every year, we got friendly with a really nice german chap called Klaus Zimmer, he introduced us to this tradition at a friends house, and we watched the video. It became a bit of a catchphrase amongst our fraternity after that! thanks for the memory of all our TT friends!Hello Isle of Man and Germany!
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: DougR
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 05:44 PM

Damn! I wish we could see it here across the pond. It sounds great, Wolfgang!

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 06:11 PM

Alan, why do you think it's 'a very German production'? I mean, I read the other day that the audience consisted entirely of NDR employees, and some can to this day recognise their own off-screen laughs. What else?
Several years ago, NDR showed a documentary on the life of Freddie Frinton, made long after his death, which I thought much more interesting than the sketch, and rather sad. IIRR, Frinton came from a stage family and made his living from seaside entertainment. I can't remember his real name, but his stage name was taken from the resort of Frinton in Essex. He got by with his family, he even managed when he (or his wife) got a divorce and he started a second family.
Although over fifty, he was beginning to get TV and minor film parts, mainly in Ealing comedies for which his stage experience made him suitable. People they interviewed for the documentary agreed he was very good and might have got his big break before long. However, he died in the Sixties at the age of 59, from a heart attack at least partly caused by overwork and strain, so the NDR film must be almost unique. Every year I wish they'd repeat that documentary, but they never have!

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 06:30 PM

The Hoardings! Do you mean the film known here as The Plank with Eric Sykes, Bernie Bresslaw and just about every English comedian of the 1960's?

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: alanabit
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 07:22 PM

I meant it was a very German production largely for the reason you gave yourself, Susanne. It was made by NDR in front of a German audience for German viewers. And why not. It certainly worked. I would probably enjoy that documentary too...

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: Kerstin
Date: 05 Jan 02 - 03:52 AM

Good morning manitas at home. Yes of course it is the Plank. My bad direct translations have many times became a sketch themselves, giving everybody a good laugh, including myself. Have a nice day!

Subject: RE: BS: Same procedure as every year
From: DougR
Date: 05 Jan 02 - 02:04 PM

Well Kerstin, at least you can make direct translations! I envy you, and appreciate your comments.

DougR