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Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

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Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#121

Post by kristofferR »

hnarn wrote: post #66
dusted wrote: post #4

Here in Denmark, it's new years tradition to watch this on NYE, it's about as important as the Queens new years address. Also, it _NEVER_ stops being fun* [*] Legally required to hold this opinion.

Don’t forget that while this is broadcast on NYE in Denmark and Sweden, in Norway it’s broadcast on Christmas which is something you should definitely bring up on a mixed Scandinavian family dinner. It’s also quite fun since there’s a joke relationship between Swedes and Norwegians calling each other stupid, so it’s quite fun to insinuate that Norwegians simply do not understand that the movie is set on NYE.

Here in Norway every year on Christmas eve we also show Karl-Bertil Jonssons jul, a Swedish cartoon from 1975, where a underage postage worker steals packages from the rich and gives it to the poor.

It's hard to imagine it would be well received in most other countries, especially as a tradition.

Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#122

Post by mbg721 »

InCityDreams wrote: post #112
mbg721 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was unusually popular in the US in the 90s because it was shown on the public educational TV network, along with "Are You Being Served?". Because low-brow jokes about Mrs. Slocombe's naughty bits are highly intelligent and sophisticated as long as the accent is British.

>Because low-brow jokes about Mrs. Slocombe's naughty bits are highly intelligent and sophisticated as long as the accent is British. What 'naughty bits', all I rememeber are joks abut her pussy. And, for any non-English, or ESL-speakers, 'it' is ithe funniest word in the English language. For any English speakers (mother tongue etc) - prove me wrong. You'll notice, the more you try, the harder it gets.

Fine, but it's a little jarring to go from Sesame Street to documentaries about Roman coins to "I apologize for being late, Captain Peacock, it was raining and I just had to stroke my wet and sensitive pussy. (laugh track gap)"

(Not going to object to "it"--I suspect you may be right.)

Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#123

Post by noodles_nomore »

Semaphor wrote: post #69
411111111111111 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't more of a boomer tradition? Few people really go to bars nowadays, do they? It's maybe clubs for tweens and even that's declining to my knowledge

> It's maybe clubs for tweens I’m guessing I’m not the only one who thought that "tweens" meant people in their 20s. As a tip: Don’t say you are into tweens. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tween#Etymology_2

An earlier version of wiktionary had that definition. Apparently it was deleted for lack of citation other than Tolkien which might be an in-universe term.

> 1. A person in their twenties, between 20 and 29 years old. Possibly including 30-32.

> 1954 "The Fellowship of the Ring", J.R.R. Tolkien

> At that time Frodo was still in his tweens, as the hobbits called the irresponsible twenties between childhood and coming of age at thirty-three.

Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#124

Post by Mizza »

kristofferR wrote: post #121
hnarn wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don’t forget that while this is broadcast on NYE in Denmark and Sweden, in Norway it’s broadcast on Christmas which is something you should definitely bring up on a mixed Scandinavian family dinner. It’s also quite fun since there’s a joke relationship between Swedes and Norwegians calling each other stupid, so it’s quite fun to insinuate that Norwegians simply do not understand that the movie is set on NYE.

Here in Norway every year on Christmas eve we also show Karl-Bertil Jonssons jul, a Swedish cartoon from 1975, where a underage postage worker steals packages from the rich and gives it to the poor. It's hard to imagine it would be well received in most other countries, especially as a tradition.

Don't forget Tre nøtter til Askepott, an old communist Czech movie that's somehow so critical to Norwegian heritage they had to send a Norwegian team to another country to make sure it was preserved and restored.

Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#126

Post by kristofferR »

Mizza wrote: post #124
kristofferR wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in Norway every year on Christmas eve we also show Karl-Bertil Jonssons jul, a Swedish cartoon from 1975, where a underage postage worker steals packages from the rich and gives it to the poor. It's hard to imagine it would be well received in most other countries, especially as a tradition.

Don't forget Tre nøtter til Askepott, an old communist Czech movie that's somehow so critical to Norwegian heritage they had to send a Norwegian team to another country to make sure it was preserved and restored.

Yup, and a remake was released last year, featuring one of our main pop stars. It is apparently an annual Christmas movie in 14 other countries too though, unlike Karl-Bertils, which likely due to the political subject matter is only tradition in the Nordic countries.

Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#127

Post by hanche »

sveme wrote: post #6

It‘s British actors, but was filmed in Hamburg by the public broadcaster NDR. It is a tradition which is not that funny unless you are already shitfaced. Loriot, on the other hand…

Part of the fun comes from seeing it every year. You know all the jokes and look forward to them, but can’t remember their exact order. So you sit on needles every time he approaches the tiger head, wondering. Will he jump it this time, or bypass it unexpectedly? I can’t explain why this makes it funnier, but it does work for me.

Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#128

Post by zerocrates »

nonrandomstring wrote: post #43

As a Brit deeply into comedy I can confirm my total ignorance of "Dinner For One". How very strange what travels. Visiting the US I was surprised how many Americans knew obscure and not terribly funny Monty Python sketches word for word, and meeting a Chinese CTO once whose first words were "Ah Mr. Bean".

Now I need to know just where this transatlantic Monty Python sketch appreciation difference lies...

Re: Dinner for one: A little-known British comedy famous in Germany

#130

Post by Semaphor »

noodles_nomore wrote: post #123
Semaphor wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's maybe clubs for tweens I’m guessing I’m not the only one who thought that "tweens" meant people in their 20s. As a tip: Don’t say you are into tweens. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tween#Etymology_2

An earlier version of wiktionary had that definition. Apparently it was deleted for lack of citation other than Tolkien which might be an in-universe term. > 1. A person in their twenties, between 20 and 29 years old. Possibly including 30-32. > 1954 "The Fellowship of the Ring", J.R.R. Tolkien > At that time Frodo was still in his tweens, as the hobbits called the irresponsible twenties between childhood and coming…

That's amazing, thank you. I just hit my wife over the head with it, and she's not amused. But I feel vindicated that Tolkien, 41*, and I all are ahead of everyone else ;)
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