Dinner for One is the traditional New Year's Eve television program broadcast in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The short English-language comedy sketch follows Miss Sophie as she celebrates her birthday with a formal dinner. Her four invited guests are absent, so her butler, James, impersonates them and drinks each guest's toast. The repeated line “The same procedure as every year” became closely associated with the program.
The sketch was written by British author Lauri Wylie and was performed by Freddie Frinton and May Warden. German television recorded and broadcast a version in 1963. Although the dialogue is in English, the program became a recurring New Year's tradition in German-speaking countries.
Many viewers assume the sketch originated as a German production because of its immense popularity there. In fact, its performers and source were British. The program is also known by its subtitle, “The 90th Birthday,” and is typically shown repeatedly around New Year's Eve.