Germany’s traditional New Year’s Eve television comedy sketch featuring Miss Sophie and her butler is Dinner for One.
The 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 her four invited friends have died. James therefore acts as each guest, repeatedly delivering the toast, “The same procedure as every year.”
Although the sketch was written by British authors and performed in English, it became an exceptionally strong New Year’s Eve tradition in Germany and several other European countries. German television has broadcast it around the holiday for decades. It is often described as a cult classic, and its recurring catchphrase is one reason viewers recognize the piece even when they do not speak English.