Bullyparade
Bullyparade is the title of a German late night comedy sketch show which aired from 1997 to 2002 on German channel ProSieben. Michael Herbig, Rick Kavanian and Christian Tramitz were the main cast of the show.
The show featured both taped and live performed sketches, nearly every sketch was part of a series of sketches featuring special characters and settings. The show had a high rate of running gags, too. In Germany, Bullyparade gained strong cult followings even long time after it had been canceled, its status can be compared to Monty Python's Flying Circus in the UK. One thing it had in common with the Flying Circus is the frequent use of drag by the main cast.
The movie Der Schuh des Manitu, a parody on western movies and one of the most successful German films ever made, was based on the characters in this show.
In 2004, Michael Herbig produced a second film, (T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1, which was also based on sketches parodying sci-fi shows like Star Trek, and it was very successful as well. A third movie based on characters and sketches from the Bullyparade was released in 2007. Lissi und der wilde Kaiser is an animated film. In 2017 the fourth movie Bullyparade - The Movie is going to be released.
Popular culture spoofs
- Star Trek (with Tramitz as 'Kork' (sounds like "Cock" in the characters' dialect); Herbig as 'Mr. Spuck' ("Spit") and Kavanian as Bones, 'Schrotty' ("Junk") and 'Solo')
- the Winnetou franchise by Karl May (with Tramitz as Old Shatterhand and Herbig as Winnetou)
- the Sissi film trilogy starring Romy Schneider (with Tramitz as the Austrian Emperor and Herbig as Sissi)
- the Terminator (with Tramitz performing Schwarzenegger's role)
- the James Bond-movies (with Tramitz as 'Bernd Bond' and Herbig as Q)