Which recurring SNL sketch starred Mike Myers as Dieter?

The recurring SNL sketch starring Mike Myers as Dieter was “Sprockets.”

Sprockets parodied German art culture and television, presenting Dieter as a bored, minimalist West German talk-show host. Myers performed Dieter in black clothing, slicked-back hair, and round glasses, often interviewing guests with deliberately chilly detachment. The sketches frequently featured Dieter’s “limited” monkey, Klaus, and ended with the command to dance.

Myers originally developed Sprockets with Toronto’s Second City comedy troupe before bringing it to Canadian television and then Saturday Night Live. It debuted on SNL on April 15, 1989, during the episode hosted by Dolly Parton. The sketch returned repeatedly through the 1990s, including variations such as “Dieter’s Dance Party” and “Germany’s Most Disturbing Home Videos.”

A common mix-up is confusing Sprockets with Dieter himself: Dieter is the character, while Sprockets is the fictional program and sketch. The proposed film Dieter’s Day was ultimately abandoned and never released.