Hannes Engel is a successful radio presenter in the countryside. By chance, he is heard by program director Conrad Scheffer one night, who immediately recognizes the potential of the cheeky presenter and wants to sign him up as the new figurehead for his late show, which is in a ratings slump. But this proves to be more difficult than planned. First of all, they have to get rid of the old show host, then Engel's wife has just been thrown out of one of the station's productions, and Engel is also being pursued by a sensationalist tabloid journalist who never misses a chance to drag Engel through the mud....
Acting
Gottschalk and Schmidt's real-life tension electrifies every scene
Writing
Dietl's insider media evisceration still stings 25 years later
Direction
Helmut Dietl's Munich media world feels lived-in and vicious
Director
Helmut Dietl
Thomas Gottschalk
Hannes Engel
Harald Schmidt
Conrad 'Conny' Scheffer
Veronica Ferres
Maria Keller
Jasmin Tabatabai
Carla Sperling
Olli Dittrich
Wollner
Dieter Pfaff
Mick Meyer
Jürgen Tarrach
Bobby Dattel
Andrea Sawatzki
Sonja Vogel
Ernst H. Hilbich
Arzt
Gaby Dohm
Chirurgin in Schönheitsklinik
Katy Karrenbauer
Fotografin
Markus Majowski
Director
Otto Schenk
Dr. August Beer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gottschalk and Schmidt were genuine rivals for Germany's late-night crown; their casting was national news.
The film predicted Germany's 2000s reality TV explosion—Dietl saw the hunger for manufactured authenticity before producers admitted it.
DE
