Overview

• Oliver devoted nearly ten minutes to the German children’s character at the close of his HBO show after spending much of the episode on Kimmel’s suspension and related political pressure.
• He described Bernd as “fatalistic, unsocial and chronically depressed” and called the character “possibly the Germanest thing I’ve ever seen.”
• The piece featured archival KiKA clips and a brief video of co-creator Tommy Krappweis, with on-screen thanks to Krappweis, Norman Cöster and puppeteer Jörg Teichgräber.
• Oliver staged an in-studio encounter on the show’s minimalist “Void” set, where Bernd rebuffed him and signed off with the catchphrase “My life is hell.”
• Clips from the broadcast spread quickly online, prompting amused reactions from German viewers on Reddit and wider coverage in German media.