Despite in the beginning there were difficulties, that this show would even make it on the screen (on the first run, it was canceled after some volumes), it might be one of the best shows that ever aired in Germany. Basically, it may seem just like another one of dozens of Reality TV-Shows. But they got Christian Ulmen in it. A girl (and in three cases a young man) have to spend a weekend with a complete stranger and pretend he is her/his pardner to their friends and families (this was done in British TV before, I think). Ulmen did a great job in playing the "fake-friends" as complete whackos and assholes - and this is why this show is so great: he is Knut a (literally) stinking old-fashioned rock dude and self-declared artist, who enjoys to shout out very obscene and unbelievably bad jokes. Or "Ecke", an obvious dope-smoker, who ever does silly and nerve-enduring raps. Or "Alexander", a man from the nobility, who is keen on inhuman "New Economy"-business tacticts and treats every other persons at servant. The contestants (who would win 10 000 Euro, when they lasted one weekend with this dude) mostly had a really hard time! Because of Ulmens talent as an actor, this is far more a comedian show than a Reality show. Bad thing is there will (and was not planned) any continuation of these mini-series with seven or eight episodes, because Ulmen estimated after the first airing, that in future times he will be recognized to easily...
3 Reviews
Just great!
tessnopfer20 June 2007
"I didn't have a particularly nice childhood, but I did have beans!" says Christian Ulmen performing his role Knut, as the contestant refuses to eat his homemade beans. Being tired of arguing she eventually relents. And that, basically, is what the show is about. Be tolerant however stupid your supposedly friend Knut is. Obviously Knut and the other characters are little individuals to say the least. One might as well say they are rather annoying. The contestants, of whose not everyone hangs on to win the tantalizing 10.000 euros, would agree to that anyway. Christian Ulmen playing it simple plain brilliantly (give credit to the effort he put into this show) embodies a pothead, a queer, a schizopfrenic to give you some examples. Of course, one might like one episode better than the other, but still, all of them are hilarious (my favourite being Alexander von Eich, a snobby noble). So while you may be sick of German comedies, you still should give Mein Neuer Freund and go. You will definitely enjoy it.
Extremely funny and entertaining
goethemeetscicero17 July 2006
Christian Ulmen never had this usual direct way of being funny. Maybe he can be considered as Helge Schneider's little Brother or son. In this TV show he plays different roles. For example Ecke who consumes a lot of drugs and has got this strange visions. The show consists of the candidate, who has to spend one weekend with Christian Ulmen, who is terrorizing the candidate. They behave like a couple and have to make friends or the family believe, that this is their real boyfriend (sometimes Ulmen acts a girl or a gay, so in this cases the candidates are men) It's highly interesting to see these different freaks and the reactions of the candidates. Most of the things, Ulmen does, are improvised.
The only thing i can criticize is, that most of the episodes stick to a certain scheme, so things are repeating every episode, but the different protagonists make it as individual as they can. I really like it!
The only thing i can criticize is, that most of the episodes stick to a certain scheme, so things are repeating every episode, but the different protagonists make it as individual as they can. I really like it!
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