RTL Samstag Nacht is a comedy television show which ran from 6 November 1993 to 23 May 1998 on German TV network RTL. It was a major comedy show on German television, created after the example of the long-running American show Saturday Night Live and broadcast late on Saturday night. It helped several new comedians in Germany to break through and was a model for several later comedy shows. Karl Ranseier was a recurring character featured in fake news reports, mentioning his death at the end of each episode. The name Karl Ranseier has become a catchphrase in Germany that has led to its own joke category of Ranseiers which became popular outside of the comedy origin.