Sprockets (Saturday Night Live)
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Sprockets was a recurring fictional West German television talk show skit created by actor, writer and comedian Mike Myers for the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. Myers played Dieter (based on a real person whom Myers met in art college), a bored, disaffected West German expressionist and minimalist who would interview celebrities in whom he was barely interested and always bring the discussion around to his "limited" monkey Klaus. The sketch made fun of German art culture in the 1980s. Appearing asexual or effeminate, Myers' costume consisted of tight black leotards; round, wire-rimmed glasses, and slicked-back hair. The show itself featured, most notably, a section entitled "Germany's Most Disturbing Home Videos," which showcased scenes of old men's heads spinning around, or dying cats and ANTS!! etc.
The theme song for the sketch as heard on SNL is Kraftwerk's 1986 song Electric Café. The track was sped up by playing the 33⅓ rpm album at 45 rpm, then it was remixed.
Three memorable phrases from the skit that are well known by fans were Touch my monkey, a recurring reference to his pet monkey, Klaus (to touch him was a privilege), You have become tiresome whenever Dieter became bored with a guest, and Now is the time on Sprockets vhen ve dance!, which was always uttered frantically at the end of the show and followed by some robotic techno-dancing on the set.
Some later skits featured Dieter outside of his talk show environment starring in parodies of game shows, TV dance parties, and art films.
The sketch was to be made into a film in 2000, featuring Myers and David Hasselhoff, but abandoned after Mike Myers became dissatisfied with his own script using a script-approval clause in his contract. Myers has said that he would one day like to make the film, however.
[edit] List of SNL episodes featuring Dieter
All appearances were in the form of "Sprockets" shows, except where indicated.
- April 15, 1989 host: Dolly Parton
- May 20, 1989 host: Steve Martin
- September 30, 1989 host: Bruce Willis
- November 18, 1989 host: Woody Harrelson
- December 16, 1989 (in "Dieter In Space") host: Andie MacDowell
- March 17, 1990 (in "Dieter's Dance Party") host: Rob Lowe
- September 29, 1990 (in "Germany's Most Disturbing Home Videos") host: Kyle MacLachlan
- December 15, 1990 host: Dennis Quaid
- April 13, 1991 host: Catherine O'Hara
- February 15, 1992 (in "Love Werks") host: Jason Priestley
- May 16, 1992 host: Woody Harrelson
- March 20, 1993 (in "Dieter's Dream") host: Miranda Richardson
- November 20, 1993 (in "Das Ist Jeopardy!") host: Nicole Kidman
- March 22, 1997 host: Mike Myers
