Dumm Tüch

It is a curiosity that this sketch has become a tradition in Germany, where up to half the population may see it every year, but it is almost totally unknown in Britain. It is also shown on New Year’s Eve in many other mainland European countries, particularly Nordic countries, and also screens on SBS in Australia. In Norway, however, it is shown every year on the evening of December 23. It is known as far away as South Africa where it is also broadcast on New Year's Eve. In Sweden, the show was put on hold for a period of six years, deemed "unsuitable" because of James's heavy drinking. However, the TV network then relented to popular demand and brought it back.

Although the sketch is most popular in non-English speaking countries, it is typically shown in the original English without dubbing or subtitles. It is easy to understand with even the most basic knowledge of English, which helps explain this point. The performance remains practically unknown to the English speaking world. Many people from Anglo countries are surprised when encountering fans' ability to quote dialogue, they themselves, however, seemingly rarely share in the enthusiasm. ^[2]. It has not been broadcast on TV in Britain within the last thirty years, possibly more.