Bullyparade is a German late night comedy sketch show which aired from 1997 to 2002 on German channel ProSieben. Michael Herbig, Rick Kavanian and Christian Tramitz were the main cast of the show. Herbig also directed, produced and mainly developed the show, while all three comedians wrote the sketches and characters.
The weekly show featured both taped and live performed sketches, nearly every sketch was part of a series of sketches featuring special characters and settings. The show had a high rate of running gags, and depictions of daily news, international pop culture parodies as well as European and German public figures. While Michael Herbig acted as host, director and producer, all three comedians wrote the sketches, developed the characters and acted in a wide variety roles. With rising success the show was aired with a studio band in front of a live audience.
In Germany, Bullyparade gained strong cult followings even long time after it had been canceled, its status can be compared to Monty Python's Flying Circus in the UK. One thing it had in common with the Flying Circus is the frequent use of drag by the main cast.
Due to its regional origin and the background of its creators, Bullyparade is strongly associated with Southern German humor. The dialects and accents used on the show are depicting cultural peculiarities from many different regions all over Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, and Switzerland.
Cast
Michael Herbig, (born 29 April 1968) is a German comedian, actor and filmmaker. His nickname "Bully" (in German commonly associated with the VW Bully, rather than the English term) became part of his stage name as a comedian. He directed, produced and co-wrote all sketches. His Characters and parodies on Bullyparade include Bully, Franz Beckenbauer, Winnetou (based on Winnetou), Sissi, Mr.Spuck (based on Spock), Jesus, Mrs. Schnürrlein, and Heidi.
Rick Kavanian (Richard Horatio Kavanian), born 26 January 1971, in Munich, is a German actor, comedian, author and voice actor of Armenian descent. Wearing his glasses for all roles regardless of historical periods or circumstances became his signature look on the show. Some of his characters include the Yeti, a variety of minor Star Trek characters, Jürgen Klinsmann, Greek TV presenter and bandit Dimitri, Jens Maul (based on Darth Vader), Batman, many female characters and due to his language skills, some English-speaking characters.
Movie adaptations
The movie Der Schuh des Manitu, also directed by Herbig and written by the trio, a parody on western movies, Italo Western in general, and the successful 1960s and 1970s movie adaptations of the Winnetou books by Karl May, was released in 2002. It's based on the show's successful Winnetou-Sketches, featuring all three comedians in various characters. The movie became one of Germany's highest grossing films of all time.
In 2004, Michael Herbig produced a second film, (T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1, which was also based on sketches parodying sci-fi shows like Star Trek and also had great success. Some characters and sides from the first movie are revisited, or shown from a different perspective. The movie also depicts elements from Star Wars, time travel movies, German Soap "Das Traumschiff" and many other franchises.
A third movie titled Lissi und der wilde Kaiser (2007) was based on the Bullyparade sketch series "Wechseljahre einer Kaiserin" (Menopause of an Empress) was released in 2007. It's based on the 1955 Austrian "Sissi"-Franchise starring Romy Schneider, depicting a cheesy version of the in real life tragic life story of Sissi. While Herbig and Tramitz dressed up as the imperial couple for the sketches, they are just voicing animated characters in the movie.
In 2017, on the occasion of the show's 20th anniversary, the fourth movie Bullyparade - The Movie was released, featuring different shorelines following the most popular characters from the show and the previous movies. It also shows a variety of new characters never shown before, such as Dr. Schmitz, based on Christoph Waltz' character Dr. King Schultz from Django Unchained.
While Herbig, Tramitz and Kavanian play the many different main characters in the movies, the cast is expanded by other actors playing similar/recurring roles over the course of all four movies. These are mainly Sky du Mont playing villains (Western bandit leader "Santa Maria", US Army General Motors, Duke William the Last), Til Schweiger (Rock Finished-Over, a Space Taxidriver turned Knight), Irshad Panjatan playing apparent villains turned out to be harmless, comedian Anke Engelke angry female relatives to the main cast and famous German Actresses Anja Kling and Marie Bäumer as strong and independent female leads.
Recurring characters and sketches (selection)
Unser (T)Raumschiff (Our Dream/Spaceship)
based on start treck Star Trek (with Tramitz as "Kork" (sounds like "Cock" in the characters' dialect); Herbig as "Mr. Spuck" ("Spit") and Kavanian as Bones, "Schrotty" ("Junk") and "Solo"), the depiction of the characters is stereotypically gay. The sketches also depict aspects of Star Wars and German soap Das Traumschiff.
Winnetou MXXXIV
parodying the German Winnetou movie franchise based on the novels by Karl May (with Tramitz as Old Shatterhand and Herbig as Winnetou), depicting stereotypical aspects of Italo western, all characters speaking in strong south Bavarian dialects.
Sissi - Wechseljahre einer Kaiserin (Sissi - Menopause of an Empress)
Soap opera where three guys live next to each other in compartments of a public restroom
Yeti am Mittag (Yeti at noon)
Talkshow hosted by the Yeti (Kavanian), featuring different guests, mostly Reinhold Messner (Herbig).
Ronny, Lutz und Löffler
are three alternative permanent students
Christian und Daniel – Piloten aus Leidenschaft (Passionate Pilots)
Tramitz and Herbig depicting the glamorous cockpit lives of two boeing 747 Piloten.
Heidi
Based on Swiss children's novel character Heidi (Herbig), an orphaned girl living with her grandfather (Tramitz) and showing interest in everyday life questions and Ziegenpeter (Kavanian)
Kasirske Brothers
Featuring presentations by DDR-nostalgic brothers Jens and Jörg Kasirske from Dresden
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