Loriot, whose real name was Bernhard-Viktor Christoph-Carl von Blow, or Vicco von Blow for short (1923-2011), is considered to have been the greatest and most versatile German comedian of the twentieth century. From 1976 to 1978, Radio Bremen commissioned his six-part television series “Loriot”, in which live action skits alternated with short animated sketches. The series is believed to be the highpoint of Loriot’s television work and was to establish his cult status; it has long been an integral part of German cultural heritage. In an interview with Spiegel magazine, Loriot once said: “Everything I find funny stems from crumbling communication and from talking past each other”. Parading this miscommunication before us in scenes that feature married couples, families and bourgeois society, he lays bare the absurdity of our everyday lives determined by rules and norms. Daughters Bettina and Susanne von Blow and director Peter Geyer are marking the centenary of Loriot’s birth with ...