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moments in TV history
When Dieter Thomas Heck was transferred by Harald Schmidt
Dieter Thomas Heck was a guest on “Schmidteinander” on March 21, 1993 – and was transferred by the hosts.
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Shortly before Dieter Thomas Heck entered the studio at “Schmidteinander”, Harald Schmidt left the stage – and left his guest alone. The agonizing minutes ahead.
Before Harald Schmidt established the late-night show in Germany, he gained TV experience in several programs. Probably his best was “Schmidteinander”. Together with his congenial partner Herbert Feuerstein, he ignited a firework of new ideas and formats – and took the liberty of disrespect for the guests that was unknown at the time.
Dieter Thomas Heck, who was invited in March 1993, felt it the worst. Shortly before the longtime moderator of the “ZDF hit parade” came in, Harald Schmidt disappeared – under the pretext of getting the guitar quickly. “Hurry up, please,” his assistant, Feuerstein, called after him. But the host stayed away for a long time, the camera showed him peering backstage through the keyhole of his dance group, the Hupfdolls.
So nobody took care of the guest, who had meanwhile entered the studio. Feuerstein was doing some paperwork while Heck sat alone on stage, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second. “How are you?” Feuerstein attempted small talk. “Thank you”. “How was the flight.” – “Thank you, okay. I came from Berlin.”
Harald Schmidt leaves Dieter Thomas Heck alone
After a short pause, Feuerstein asked, “Where did you come from?” – “From Berlin.” “Oh cool.” In the meantime, out of boredom, the guest had switched to cleaning his glasses. At the latest when he asked the next question, he realized that he had been treated badly here. Did he want something to drink? Heck said yes, but received the answer: “But we have nothing.”
Thereupon Feuerstein also left the stage to look for Harald Schmidt. Dieter Thomas Heck was now nervously rocking his chair. The seconds must have felt like minutes to him. Then the studio director called him out: “Mr. Heck, your car is waiting outside.”
Heck kept the conenance: “It’s not ‘Schmidteinander’, it’s mixed up” – with these words the guest said goodbye. The second he left the stage, Schmidt and Feuerstein stormed into the studio and completed the humiliation.