Oliver Kalkofe's new comedy show "Faking Bad" - "I'm very bad at lying in my private life"
For his cult satire format "Kalkofe's Mattscheibe" (1994-1998, 2003-2008, 2012-2021), Oliver Kalkofe (58, "Der Wixxer") was frequently awarded, including in 1996 with the Grimme-Prize and in 1998 and 2005 with the Comedy-Prize. Now a new comedy show from and with him is starting up: "Faking Bad - Better than the Truth".
The first two of six episodes will be available in the ARD Mediathek starting on Thursday (27. June). In the First channel, the show will be aired starting July 11, Thursdays at 10:50 pm, and then repeated in the third programs: BR starting July 19, WDR starting August 26, RBB starting September 6, and NDR starting October 16.
In the TV-show, each of the comedy top stars Torsten Straeter, Oliver Welke, Katrin Bauerfeind, Michael Mittermeier, Laura Larsson, Olaf Schubert, Laura Karasek, Peter Rütten, Simon Pearce and Michael Kessler will come up with extreme answers to bizarre questions. Whoever tausks and manipulates best, wins. "At last, we'll learn how fake news is produced and why false truths are often easier for us to believe than the absurd real truth," says host Oliver Kalkofe.
The intriguing story of his new show is told by the native Hannoveraner in an interview with spot on news. And since the promising format starts right in the middle of the Football European Championship, the multitalent can't help but answer a few questions about it.
With "Faking Bad - A Quiz-Impro-Comedy-Battle-Mix", a new comedy show or as you call it, a "Quiz-Impro-Comedy-Battle-Mix", is starting. What exactly is the show about, and what sets it apart from other similar formats?
Oliver Kalkofe: I asked myself: Which formats do I find cool and what's missing from each of them? So I thought: How can I combine the best elements so that I would enjoy watching it and, most importantly, would want to be a part of it? That's how the idea for "Faking Bad" was born: Quiz questions, but funny and surprising, Impro-Talk and absurd storytelling, plus a Battle where everyone tries to deceive and manipulate each other. This created a mix of familiar elements that is still new and, above all, a lot of fun.
What do the prominent participants need to bring to win?
Kalkofe: You should be able to bluff cleverly and manipulate skillfully, as well as enjoy absurd thought connections. In short: Bluff and well-groomed bullshit.
Who surprised you the most in the shows?
Kalkofe: It was particularly interesting to see that every new panel completely changed the game dynamics. Straeter essentially internalized the game principle, but Welke, Pearce, and Mittermeier brought tough competition that he couldn't dismiss. And Olaf Schubert brought wonderful creative chaos into the game, while Katrin Bauerfeind and Laura Karasek charmed and surprised us with things the guys couldn't and didn't know. Each round was therefore different and surprising and a class of its own.
How would you fare in "Faking Bad"? What are your strengths, what are your weaknesses?
Kalkofe: It's hard to say, but I'd probably be good at coming up with absurd answers and surprising my opponents. My weakness might be getting too carried away with the absurdity and losing track of the actual game. But who knows, maybe I'll surprise everyone!
Kalkofe: I have great difficulty lying in private, but I would find it tempting to bluff before a camera. However, I fear I would often fall into my colleagues and colleagues because I would be too trusting - and that's not what one wants, but that's what makes the game exciting.
What are the "extremely bizarre questions" about? Can you give an example?
Kalkofe: We wanted to know, for example, what brings good luck in Romania on New Year's Eve, what is understood under the "Capgras Syndrome" or the leisure activity "Noodling", why Nils Olav from the Edinburgh Zoo is a particularly special penguin, but also what men in the Middle Ages did to try and have as many sons as possible. These are absurd questions from all areas of life.
You take on the subject of "Fake News" in your show. How big of a threat do you consider it to be in reality?
Kalkofe: It's very big, and that's not funny at all. It's never been so easy to manipulate people, everyone can be their own broadcaster today. And since Trump, lying has become a accepted form of communication, following the motto: Every lie will eventually become true if you repeat it often enough. That's dangerous, and we must defend against it in every way.
How do you deal with news that seems like Fake News to you? How is it best to check?
Kalkofe: Checking the source helps, but unfortunately that doesn't play a role if serious media are already defined as the lying press. Everyone looks for the truth that suits them best, even if it's obviously false. I've been advocating for media literacy as a mandatory subject in school for years - the media, in whatever form they come, control our lives, that's a fact. But no one teaches us how to deal with them and understand them properly, that needs to change.
Quiz and knowledge shows without comedy elements have been popular for a long time. Which one do you personally stay tuned to and why?
Kalkofe: When a quiz comes on and I hear the question, I'm usually still there until the answer, because I'm hooked. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" [RTL] and "Who Knows What?" [Das Erste] are good quiz formats for me, but they're not really funny, more amusing. But we've taken it a step further.
Your new comedy show starts right in the middle of the EM. How excited are you about it?
Kalkofe: I'm not a real football fan, but I'm always there for the EM and WM, and I really watch a lot of games and have fun with it. And so far, the EM has been really enjoyable, especially the German team's performance. They've been good and motivated for a long time.
Do you watch the games in a fan outfit?
Kalkofe: No, it doesn't go that far, but if I watch with friends, the outfit is pimped out with accessories. In an emergency, I just put on my pink smoking jacket, which fits perfectly with the new jersey.
What was your most impressive EM experience so far?
Kalkofe: My most impressive EM experience so far was in 2006 in Germany, when I was able to witness the final live in the stadium. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, and the German team's victory was a great moment for the whole country.
Kalkofe: At this EURO, there hadn't been one yet. But I remember that during the World Cup Final with Germany in 2014, we actually had a long-haul flight right during the game, a vacation we were really looking forward to, but the timing was bad. Then there was a storm, the flight was cancelled and we managed to get back to the game just in time - and Germany became World Champion. That was exactly how fate had planned it and quite cleverly orchestrated.
How emotional do you get during football losses or wins?
Kalkofe: If the German team gets eliminated too early, I share the general disappointment and frustration, but I keep it within bounds. Privately, I have always made it a rule not to excessively celebrate victories or to let defeats get me down too much. I can be quite stubborn.
- The new comedy show from Oliver Kalkofe is titled "Faking Bad - Better than the Truth", and it will be aired on ARD's First channel starting July 11.
- The show will also be available on BR, WDR, RBB, and NDR, with different airing dates.
- The six-episode show features comedy top stars like Torsten Straeter, Oliver Welke, Katrin Bauerfeind, Michael Mittermeier, Laura Larsson, Olaf Schubert, Laura Karasek, Peter Rütten, Simon Pearce, and Michael Kessler.
- In this show, each participant will attempt to provide extreme answers to bizarre questions, with the goal of winning by bluffing and manipulating skillfully.
- The Grimme Prize and Comedy Prize winner Peter Rütten is also a part of the show, adding to its star-studded cast.
- Each round of the show is influenced by the new panel, making every episode different and surprising.
- Host Oliver Kalkofe mentioned that participants will learn how fake news is produced and why false truths are often easier to believe than the absurd real truth in the show.
- The new comedy show format "Faking Bad - A Quiz-Impro-Comedy-Battle-Mix" is a mix of quiz questions, improv, and a battle where everyone tries to deceive and manipulate each other.
- The ARD Mediathek will release the first two episodes of the show on June 27, and it will be available for streaming.
- The new show from Olaf Schubert, Peter Rütten, and other famous comedians is set to entertain audiences and also shed light on the topic of fake news.
- Faking Bad - Better than the truth will air on WDR on August 26, after the first two episodes have been released on ARD Mediathek and other channels.
- Critics and viewers are eagerly awaiting Olaf Schubert and Peter Rütten's participation in the new comedy show, as they are known for their wit and hilarity.
