Dinner for One is the German television comedy traditionally broadcast around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The short English-language sketch stars May Warden as Miss Sophie and Freddie Frinton as her butler, James. Miss Sophie celebrates her 90th birthday with a formal dinner, but the invited guests are absent. James therefore serves each course and drinks toasts on behalf of the same four guests, repeatedly becoming more intoxicated.
Although the sketch is performed in English, it became a major German television tradition after broadcasts by the public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk. Its recurring line, “The same procedure as every year,” became closely associated with annual holiday viewing.
The program is often mistaken for a German-language production because of its popularity in Germany. In fact, the performers are British and the dialogue is in English. The sketch originated in a stage revue written by Lauri Wylie.