Áramótaskaupið ("The New Year's Lampoon") is an annual Icelandic television comedy special, broadcast on New Year's Eve by the state public service broadcaster RÚV. Initially aired on radio in 1948, and later moving to television in 1966, it features sketches satirizing the news events of the past year.
It is often the highest-rated television broadcast of the year in Iceland. In 2002, it was reported that the special had been seen by 95.5% of the country; Páll Magnússon, CEO of RÚV stated that this was most likely a record in the Western world.visir.is Due to its high viewership, advertising time during Áramótaskaupið is the most expensive on Icelandic television. The show ends just before midnight, and those Icelanders who shoot off fireworks usually do so after Áramótaskaupið ends.
Some of its sketches have become well known in Icelandic culture, such as its portrayal of Minister of Finance Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson as the Batman parody "Skattmann" ("Taxman"). In 2009, the show featured a sketch about the protests following the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis, in which Jón Gnarr played a strait-laced middle-aged protester shouting "Helvítis fokking fokk!!". The phrase swiftly became widely used in Iceland in relation to the crisis.Youtube clip of Áramótaskaup sketch; 'Helvítis fokking fokk á forsíðu Hrunsins', Vísir, 5 June 2009, http://www.visir.is/helvitis-fokking-fokk-a-forsidu-hrunsins/article/2009112316069.
Directors 1966: Andrés Indriðason 1967: Ómar Ragnarsson 1968: Flosi Ólafsson 1969: Flosi Ólafsson 1970: Flosi Ólafsson 1971: Ása Finnsdóttir & Ómar Ragnarsson 1972: Tage Ammendrup 1973: Laddi 1974: Hrafn Gunnlaugsson 1975: Tage Ammendrup 1976: Flosi Ólafsson 1977: Tage Ammendrup 1978: Þórhildur Þorleifsdóttir 1979: Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir 1980: Andrés Indriðason 1981: Gísli Rúnar Jónsson 1982: Þráinn Bertelsson 1983: Laddi 1984: Guðný Halldórsdóttir 1985: Sigurður Sigurjónsson 1986: Karl Ágúst Úlfsson 1987: Sveinn Einarsson 1988: Gísli Snær Erlingsson 1989: Stefán Baldursson 1990: Gísli Rúnar Jónsson 1991: Ágúst Guðmundsson 1992: Þórhildur Þorleifsdóttir 1993: Guðný Halldórsdóttir 1994: Guðný Halldórsdóttir 1995: Ágúst Guðmundsson 1996: Ágúst Guðmundsson 1997: Viðar Víkingsson 1998: Laddi 1999: Örn Árnason & Sigurður Sigurjónsson 2000: Þórhildur Þorleifsdóttir 2001: Óskar Jónasson 2002: Óskar Jónasson 2003: Ágúst Guðmundsson 2004: Sigurður Sigurjónsson 2005: Edda Björgvinsdóttir 2006: Reynir Lyngdal 2007: Ragnar Bragason 2008: Silja Hauksdóttir 2009: Gunnar Björn Guðmundsson 2010: Gunnar Björn Guðmundsson 2011: Gunnar Björn Guðmundsson 2012: Gunnar Björn Guðmundsson 2013: Kristófer Dignus 2014: Silja Hauksdóttir 2015: Kristófer Dignus 2016: Jón Gnarr 2017: Arnór Pálmi Arnarsson 2018: Arnór Pálmi Arnarsson 2019: Reynir Lyngdal 2020: Reynir Lyngdal 2021: Reynir Lyngdal 2022: Dóra Jóhannsdóttir 2023: Benedikt Valsson & Fannar Sveinsson 2024: María Reyndal 2025: Allan Sigurðsson & Hannes Þór Arason
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