Four are the people
| Television broadcast | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Four are the people - the political impro |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Year (s) | 2014-2015 |
| Production company |
Prime Productions GmbH, Cologne |
| length | 30 minutes |
| Episodes | 7 in 1 season ( list ) |
| Broadcasting cycle |
per month |
| genre | Comedy , political cabaret |
| Theme music | National Rock Anthem Project - National Rock Anthem of Germany C (Comedy Version) |
| Moderation | Wigald Boning |
| First broadcast | April 4, 2014 on ZDF |
| occupation | |
Vier sind das Volk is a cabaret-style comedy format in the late evening program of ZDF , which is based on the original format If I Ruled the World by Hat Trick Productions. It is a satirical exaggeration of a Bundestag session and political behavior in general.
concept
The program is subject to Wigald Boning , who, as the host, represents a kind of President of the Bundestag and gives the MPs represented by cabaret artists "speaking assignments". The things MEPs say are improvised, which means that there are often complications and funny situations. The parodic punch line arises from the common saying: “We talked a lot and said nothing!”. People's representatives and their parliamentary rituals are exposed to ridicule.
The title was given to the street cry that arose during the peaceful revolution in the GDR (including after the Leipzig Monday demonstrations) “ WE are the people! "Removed and changed accordingly (since there are four" MPs "). The backdrop is the old waterworks in Bonn , which housed the German parliament between 1986 and 1993 due to renovations at the regular seat, the Bundeshaus .
Intro
The intro essentially consists of a large, glass eagle modeled on the federal eagle in its Bundestag form, which flies from a pane directly towards the camera, crashes into it and falls to the ground. At this moment, cracks appear in the image. The German national anthem will be played in a different form from one sequence to the next. In the first four episodes, the comedy version of the German national anthem by Armin Sabol was used in whole or in part .
occupation
The host is Wigald Boning. Four artists are spread over two “wings”, two to his left as representatives of the “Kloppo” (smallest opposition in the world) and two to his right as members of the “Groko” (grand coalition). Both the Kloppo and Groko MPs were not constant. In the episodes broadcast so far, the cast was as follows:
| episode | First broadcast (ZDF) |
Groko 1 | Groko 2 | Kloppo 1 | Kloppo 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 4, 2014 | Bernhard Hoëcker | Sebastian Pufpaff | Philip Simon | Wolfgang Trepper |
| 2 | 26 Sep 2014 | Bernhard Hoëcker | Susanne Pätzold | Hennes Bender | Wolfgang Trepper |
| 3 | Oct 17, 2014 | Bernhard Hoëcker | Sebastian Pufpaff | Philip Simon | Wolfgang Trepper |
| 4th | Nov 21, 2014 | Bernhard Hoëcker | Sebastian Pufpaff | Hennes Bender | Mirja Boes |
| 5 | 6th Mar 2015 | Bernhard Hoëcker | Sascha Korf | Hennes Bender | Wolfgang Trepper |
| 6th | Apr 10, 2015 | Bernhard Hoëcker | Susanne Pätzold | Philip Simon | Kai Magnus Sting |
| 7th | May 22, 2015 | Bernhard Hoëcker | Mirja Boes | Hennes Bender | Wolfgang Trepper |
procedure
The program is divided into several agenda items / tasks. They are aimed at two to three of the MPs, so that everyone gets multiple turns. Most of the time someone from Groko comes first and then someone from Kloppo. Because the Groko MPs are the current ruling party and Kloppo is the opposition, there are always slight, entertaining complications between the two sides. The Kloppo accuses the Groko of being an incompetent government coalition, while this accuses the Kloppo of having no idea and just talking useless things. The subject the MP is supposed to speak about is always related to current political events or happenings. The individual items on the agenda include:
SMS from the group leader
On this point, an MP is given a thesis to tell something about. He is also given his opinion (for or against). Overall, he now has to discuss this thesis in a linear manner. As he does this, instructions appear one after the other for the speaker (they also appear to the viewer on the lower part of the television screen). The respective MP must now follow these instructions and incorporate them in his speech (they are stylistic devices). For example: “Show the Merkel diamond!”, “Talk like a toddler!” Or “Address women in particular!”.
Four are against
A thesis is also set up here, on which a member of the Groko has to give his opinion. Then one of the two Kloppo MPs has to disagree, always with the words: “I have to disagree with all determination”. He has to say his opinion, until someone from the Groko contradicts him with the same words. This goes on alternately.
The speech
Here an MP is given a text that he then has to read out. It is always a song text. The speaker must now read it out loud and formulate it as politically as possible. The MP is given an audience or target group that he or she addresses with this text.
The presentation
The MP receives a topic on which he is supposed to give an impromptu lecture. In addition, a picture presentation is shown on a screen, which must be included in the lecture. The images shown are mostly only remotely or absurdly related to the topic, which often leads to debauchery. A conclusion is always drawn at the end.
Citizens ask, politicians answer
In the case of “citizens ask, politicians answer”, a very complex and generally very unknown technical term is given that a member of parliament should explain. Because they usually do not know the meaning of the term, they usually try to explain the term incorrectly, or to talk around the meaning or just start talking.
U-turn
Here, too, one of the four is given a thesis to represent. Now he / she argues why the thesis is correct. After a while, you will hear a whip- like noise. After that, the speaker has to completely change his mind and claim the exact opposite. For example, if he originally took the view that “nuclear power plants should be abolished”, he now has to argue in favor of nuclear power plants. The bang sounds up to eight times, and each time the speaker has to change his mind. It happens that after a short time he gets so confused that he no longer knows what opinion he has to represent. This effect also adds to the entertainment value.
Don't say yes or no
This game is also known outside of the broadcast: A member of parliament has to face provocative questions from the other side, whose questions are usually predetermined. However, he is not allowed to answer yes or no, even though the question actually requires such an answer. The game ends as soon as the MP says "yes" or "no".
Canvassing
In the case of “election advertising”, a Groko MP is shown a textless video showing current political excerpts found in the news or on the Internet that are currently in political discussion, e. B. Ursula von der Leyen at a Bundeswehr inspection. The Groko spokesman concerned should now speak an election text while the video is running. It should emphasize how well and efficiently the government works and how beautiful Germany is (even if the content of the videos does not always speak for Germany's face). He must always refer to the campaign video. Then one of the two Kloppo MPs has to do the same. He / she is shown a different video, and he / she has to be more critical of Germany or the government when promoting Kloppo. Here, too, the MP concerned is confronted with many video clips, so that he gets confused or lags a bit behind what is shown.
Embarrassing tweeted
Here is a picture of what shows a MP with a politician in a grotesque or embarrassing situation. The person concerned is said to have "woken up drunk in the middle of the night" and posted this picture via Twitter . He should now comment on it, apologize and give a reason for the picture. He gives a defense speech. There is also a grotesque caption. The MP's face is noticeably placed in the picture using a photo editing program.
Four phrases for a hallelujah
A member of parliament is given four political quotes, sentences or tongue twisters. The MP is now confronted with an accusation that contradicts his attitude, on which he is supposed to comment. He has 60 seconds. However, he has to use all four given phrases in his speech, which creates strange connections and strangely worded sentences.
Politics striking
Here the concept is similar to “Embarrassing tweeted”. The latest election poster of Kloppo or Groko, on which one of the two MPs of the party concerned is in an embarrassing or ambiguous situation, is shown. The MP concerned should take a stand and explain what he wanted to represent with this picture. The MP's face is noticeably placed in the picture using a photo editing program.
criticism
Four are the people , like the show today , accused of their political satire being too exaggerated, embarrassing politicians or badmouthing them. In addition, the program is criticized on many websites.
“With a mixture of improvisation and satire, the hollow phrases of the politicians are to be exposed in a playful way: That is the aim of the new program 'Vier sind das Volk' with Wigald Boning. That didn't work. "
Audience ratings
Four are the people took advantage of the connection with the heute show when it was first broadcast. In today's show on April 4, 2014, Oliver Welke announced with a live connection to Wigald Boning in the old waterworks in Bonn that the next four are the people . In fact, the quota was 1.94 million viewers due to the approximately three million viewers of the show today. The second episode still had a good 1.79 million viewers. The ratings remained essentially the same as in the second episode.
Web links
- Four are the people at Fernsehserien.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Daniela Mayer: Hardly any improv or bad gags on ZDF. In: CORSO. Deutschlandfunk, April 7, 2014, accessed on November 15, 2014 .
- ↑ David Grzeschik: "Four are the people" loses too many viewers. Quotemeter.de, September 27, 2014, accessed November 15, 2014 .