Recommendations of the Editorial team
It’s a 90th birthday that literally just won’t stop: “Dinner For One” is THE New Year’s Eve classic. An 18-minute gag fireworks display about a dinner that takes place under the strangest conditions and only has two (really present) protagonists: Miss Sophie and Butler James.
This year, “Dinner For One” can be seen again in different versions on television, mainly in the third programs of the ARD and almost around the clock on December 31st.
“Dinner For One” 2025 – broadcast dates
- The first: 6:40 p.m. (original)
- NDR: 11:30 a.m. (Platt), 2:35 p.m. (anniversary show), 4:05 p.m. (original), 6:25 p.m. (original), 11:35 p.m. (original)
- WDR: 5:35 p.m. (original), 6:30 p.m. (Ruhrpott version)
- SWR: 6:30 p.m. (original), 6:45 p.m. (Swabian)
- RBB: 6:55 p.m. (original)
- MDR: 7:00 p.m. (original)
- HR: 6:40 p.m. (Hessian)
- BR: 7:40 p.m. (original), also on January 1st, 2026 at 12:05 a.m. (original)
- One: 7:55 p.m. (original)
In Germany, “Dinner For One” has been a regular New Year’s Eve TV program since the 1970s. The reason for this is probably Butler James’ legendary saying: “Same Procedure As Every Year?”
What is “Dinner For One” about?
For all newbies: “Dinner The original plot revolves around Miss Sophie, who is celebrating her 90th birthday and invites her four deceased friends to an imaginary dinner. Her butler James takes on the roles of the guests, including the accompanying toasts, which leads to his progressive drunkenness and numerous humorous trips over a tiger skin.
“Dinner For One” was originally written by British author Lauri Wylie in the 1920s. Its first performance took place in 1948 at the Duke of York’s Theater in London. The sketch gained international fame when it was recorded by Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) in 1963 with British actors Freddie Frinton as the butler James and May Warden as Miss Sophie. This version was performed in Hamburg in front of a live audience and broadcast in English with a short German introduction (which was also not entirely error-free).