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During the pandemic, we learned that culture and entertainment can also be streamed to people via the Internet on a small scale, for example as a “house concert”.

Talk shows and quiz programs can be recorded without an audience, and the Bundesliga ball rolls on in front of empty stands so that the clubs do not go bankrupt.

Somewhat bizarre, however, is the decision to go through the big ZDF New Year's Eve show, which has been celebrated in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin for many years, live and in color for almost three hours without an audience.

This is what it looked like at the Brandenburg Gate on December 31, 2019

Source: Getty Images

ZDF, together with the organizer, Silvester in Berlin GmbH, sees it as its task to offer viewers at home a show that "is emotionally united and in a good mood and full of hope will start the year 2021".

A good mood and hope are never wrong.

But it is still not understandable why Andrea Kiewel and Johannes B. Kerner and their guests, including Jürgen Drews, Vicky Leandros and the Höhner, absolutely have to party in the middle of lockdown in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

(ARD recorded their New Year's Eve show with Jörg Pilawa on November 15th in the Offenburg town hall without an audience.)

Due to the central location of the so-called party mile, traffic has to be diverted between December 26th and January 2nd, the Straße des 17. Juni is partially closed, including for cyclists.

In order to keep onlookers away, the area around the venue will be cordoned off.

The organizers and ZDF, which has acquired an exclusive live license from the organizer, do not answer how much the break costs.

The broadcaster refers to average program costs for shows, depending on the production 2000 to 3000 euros per minute.

This is what it looks like shortly before New Year's Eve 2020 at the Brandenburg Gate

Source: Holger Kreitling

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The effort that is made here to maintain a facade of normality in front of the facade of the historical place is exaggerated, especially in view of the restrictions imposed on all sides.

The lack of ideas in terms of content weighs even more heavily than the cost factor.

Kiewel and Kerner as a dynamic duo will address the audience “in front of the screen”, because there will be no one in front of their own noses except the cameramen.

There is also talk of actions in social media.

Only: The symbolism of the familiar (stars in front of a familiar backdrop) serves to spread a slogan to persevere, which the viewer should be embarrassed under the given circumstances.