Michas Mutter war bei Mallickrodt, und dort gab es Disketten von Olivetti. Wir brauchten ständig Disketten, viele Disketten, und Micha saß sozusagen an der Quelle.
Ich weiß zwar nicht, was ich gestern im Büro gemacht habe, aber ich weiß nach fast 40 Jahren, daß ich  _diese_ Disketten von Micha bekommen habe.
Glückliche Zeiten.

Highscore im WDR - damit hat alles angefangen. November müßte bereits die dritte oder vierte Sendung gewesen sein, bei der Michael mitgemacht hat.

Dear Michael was a such a great person and always helpful to anyone. Both my wife and I will miss him a lot but our thoughts off course to his wife, children and others who miss him most of all. 
I hope we all in the television industry will bring his legacy further on and all the memories will stay there for ever.
With lots of love and sadness that Michael won't join the markets anymore but we will give him the tribute he absolutely deserves.
Lasse & Julie

Dearest Michael, you were one of a kind, the kindest, funniest, thoughtful and most intelligent person.  I loved our trips and catching up with you in the States.  This pic was when Asia de Cuba had just opened in LA, I remember you and I were beyond excited to get a table there, and even had a table with a great view over LA.  It was another of the funniest and tastiest catch ups.  
You will be sorely missed you wonderful gentleman.
Love Lucy Brodie

I met Michael when he came to check in at the hotel where I used to work in LA. Im not even sure anymore how we got into conversation to one another,  All I remember, is that we both were happily surprised, him that this lil asian women infront of him actually was german and to top it off who came from Cologne and the fact that I spoke kölsch. And for me, I was happy to make another „german“ friend in the US. Micha came by frequently and eventually  hired me (for a summer) to entertain his daughter Lilith for a visit in LA. Thats where I got to know Gaby and the kids. Micha, DANKE für alles! Du warst mir ein echter Kumpel, Du wirst mir ohne Ende fehlen. So selbstlose Menschen wie Dich findet man sehr selten und ich bin stolz Dich Freund nennen zu dürfen. May our Lord warmly welcome YOU  in his Kingdom. In Jesus Name, Amen!

A brilliant mind, a kind soul, best boss. Will truly miss you, Michael. 
Lavinia Cirstea

My thoughts and prayers are with Michael's wife Gaby, his children and the entire team at SIPUR and all who were close to him and had the chance to work and be part of his circle of friends and professional life. He gave us hope, optimism, wisdom and joy. I am really thankful for the time we spent and for all the dreams we built together. Thank you for everything. You will always be with us!

Just a week before, we were on the phone, bubbling over with new ideas for things we could create together. You were cracking silly jokes about your dog and how we were always fighting different time zones.

When I hung up—as in so many of our meetings over the past 25 years—I found myself smiling, replaying your endless supply of witty, generous, and downright hilarious comments.

Strangely enough, we were actually talking about my film on grief and death. Somehow it feels fitting—and so typical of you—that even such a heavy topic turned into laughter and ideas for new projects.

It’s strange to think there won’t be another call like that. But I know that even now, somewhere out there, you’re probably telling the angels bad dog jokes and rolling your eyes at the time difference between Heaven and Earth.

To Michael’s family, I’m sending all my thoughts, strength, and the warmest wishes in this difficult time. May his laughter and spirit stay alive in your hearts always.

Lieber Michael,

Jetzt bist du also fort. So richtIg. Und nicht nur als lustiger Aussenkorrepondent gerade in Paris, zu dem wir aus dem WICHTIG-Studio schalten und der die dringenden weltpolitischen Fragen mit Aussagen wie „ Unter Tulpen und Narzissen hat ein kleiner Hund geschissen“ kommentiert. Als ich dich 1993 kennenlernte, dachte ich „ Wow, Michael Peter Schmidt… kann man noch durchschnittlicher heissen?“ Und dann hast du mir jeden Tag gezeigt, dass an dir ganz und gar nichts durchschnittlich war.  Du warst das Gegenteil: Ein herausragender, brillanter, unglaublich kluger Mensch, der mit seinem Talent und seiner Energie uns alle mitriss.
Und jetzt bist du also fort. Darf man in einem Kondolenzbuch eigentlich „Fuck!!!“ schreiben? Falls nicht.. zu spät. Ich bin sicher, dir hätte die kleine Insubordination gefallen. Wie immer bist du uns allen einen Schritt voraus, wir anderen bleiben noch ein bisschen hier und kommen später nach.  Fly high, mein Lieber! 
Alexander

Dear Gaby, while we never met in person, I know Michael loved you and his children so much, as he always spoke about you all fondly and always looked forward to getting home, no matter where in the world we met. I have been bumping into Michael for so many years as we looked at various shows he was across. He was always in great form, and had a such a happy outlook, but for me always a pillar of wisdom. When I thought about the German TV market, I thought Michael first and used to run many thoughts by him for his input. He will be missed by so many, please accept our deepest condolences.
Larry Bass
CEO
Shinawil
Dublin 
Ireland

My deepest sympathies to Michael's family for the loss. May you find strength and comfort.

In memory of great friend Michael,

Michael was a world-renowned producer and creator, my FRAPA colleague, mentor, and a true friend. He was a legend in the International media industry, a pioneer, and a fantastic comedic writer who was always full of humour.

When I told him a couple of years ago that I was quitting my job, he said, "Okay, great. Then, are you ready to fight with your wife?‘ Or when I asked him what he would like to try or taste in Seoul, he replied, ’That's up to you. I don't have to ask, cause you will do what's best for your friend." He was always full of humour and wit.

I also remember when he told me that his beautiful daughters were fans of K-pop and Korean food, and then I sent him invitation tickets to KCON. He called me on video chat from the venue, sounding so excited. 

Michael didn't hesitate to offer advice and support to his friends on what was needed. When I established Something Special, he helped me in many ways, advising me on the vision of Korean formats, the potential for content collaboration, and possible investment reviews.

Whether in Cannes, Cologne, LA, or anywhere else, Michael was a guiding light for his friends in their explorations. He was always confident, full of humour, and a true pioneer who spared no effort in applying technologies and trying new things. And he loved his family more than anyone else.

Michael,  thank you for being my friend.
You will be deeply missed.

Dear Gaby and Children,

Please accept my deepest, heartfelt  condolences on your loss. My heart grieves so much with you, I cannot for a moment imagine the depth of your sadness.  I hope that all of the outpouring of love and memories from around the world, which I am sure you are receiving, will help in some small way to ease the pain and bring smiles through your tears. 

I first met Michael in the late 1990s, during the German production of Hollywood Squares. From the start, I liked and respected  and laughed with him—and I know I wasn’t alone. That initial connection grew into a friendship and professional bond that lasted decades. Even as we moved  across continents and changed roles, we always stayed in touch.

I knew that Michael’s move to the U.S. was something he had long dreamed of, and I remember how full of hope and excitement he was about that chapter—for both work and, more importantly, for all of you. Over the years, we shared so many moments: working together on the FRAPA advisory board, sitting on panels together, and very recently  planning a podcast together.  As he always did for so many, Michael also made meaningful introductions for me—including connecting me with the team at Sippur. He was always cheering on others’ creativity, with his wry wit, his honesty and incredible instincts. 

But that is all work related, Honestly, what stands out the most, more than the industry memories, is how often he spoke about all of you—with such love.. It was always  clear that you were his center. And even during the dark days of Gaby's illness, he never missed a beat in any of it. 

There are so many like me whom you’ve never met, who are grieving alongside you. We'll miss him terribly and remember him with love.

I send each of you a warm hug and my prayers and wishes for you to find some healing and peace with all of the love-filled memories. 

With heartfelt sympathy,
Hayley Babcock

Ich wünsche Michaels Familie und seinen Lieben in dieser schweren Zeit ganz viel Kraft. Es tut mir sehr Leid. 
Wir hatten gemeinsame Schulzeit und waren bei den Pfadfindern.

My deepest condolences to Michaels's family for the loss of their loved one.  May happy memories help to bring all of you, peace, comfort and strength.

Dear Michael, 
What a privilege it was to share time with you at Nippon TV and the TV markets. You have enlightened our team, proving that your wisdom, experience, vision, passion, respect, fairness, humor etc. can cross borders. Thank you, again, for being our inspiration. Rest in peace.

I've never been much into taking photos, so I had to scramble to find one with both Michael and me. He was an editor of our Abibook (for our high school graduation in 1994), for which he took pictures of all courses. This one is for advanced German, with me all the way on the right, looking gloomy. My teenage years would have been even gloomier without his friendship. He was, of course, the coolest friend one could have. When we started hanging out, he was already legendary in the C64 cracker scene (something I could not benefit from since I had sunk my savings into an MSX computer), which would soon launch his work for the WDR TV show Highscore. We shared a sarcastic sense of humor and an interest in history and politics, and at some point launched a perhaps somewhat misguided campaign at our school to keep Bonn as the capital. When I started a local group of the Jusos (youth organization of the Social Democrats), it became a success because of him. He always had the right connections when something needed to be organized. For a fund-raising disco, he knew the perfect DJ, but also organized security through his Antifa connections when there were rumors that skinheads were planning a visit. He was two years older, so he was the only one with a driver's license, and we spent a lot of time in his (or more precisely, his grandmother's) 1970s Ford Escort. Michael was always looking out for me and for ways to involve me in his projects, such as the Lollo Rosso Sprachbox and Mausbox at WDR (an attempt to use speech recognition that was ahead of its time). Almost all my most vivid memories from the 90s include Michael: BBQs in Birkenfeld with him grilling burgers and me mixing cocktails, gatherings to watch Schmidteinander, weekly drives to catch the 1 p.m. Wednesday sneak preview at the Capitol, spur-of-the-moment trips to Amsterdam and London, and seeing him start a wonderful family with Gaby. Micha, you were the most amazing and brilliant friend I could have wished for!

You passed exactly a week ago today. I was so shocked at first, I couldn’t cry for two days. My biggest worry was that people wouldn’t care. That such an amazing person passed away; forgotten. It’s been incredible to see how many friends, colleagues, and loved ones have shared how much you meant to them. Reading all the stories I’ve never heard before from people you inspired or helped out  brings us immense joy. You made a lasting impact on so many people and we will forever be so proud of the life you lived.
 
 Rest in peace. I love you. 
 – Jonathan

Lieber Michael,  
ich werde den Augenblick niemals vergessen als du damals in mein WDR-Büro gestiefelt bist. Ich wusste ja vorher, dass du jung warst, aber nicht, dass du sooooooo jung warst. Ich benötigte dringend Hilfe für eine neue Show über Computerspiele und hatte dich ausfindig gemacht in einem, sagen wir es ehrlich, etwas fragwürdigen Hackerblatt, wo du eine Kolumne hattest, die du mit "Mighty Mike" unterschrieben hast. Jedenfalls saßt du mir gegenüber, warst 15 (!) Jahre alt und wir haben, glaube ich, schon nach etwa zwei Minuten angefangen über die großen Themen dieser Welt zu sprechen - Faschismus, Antisemitismus, Krieg und Frieden. Jedenfalls war mir schnell klar, dass du einer der Guten und der Schlauen warst. Und das warst du dein gesamtes, viel zu kurzes Leben. Ich hoffe sehr, dass Gaby recht hat und du jetzt irgendwo bist, wo die Guten sich treffen und wo wir uns auch wiedersehen werden. Somewhere over the rainbow. Ich hätte da nämlich noch eine Menge zu besprechen mit dir. Und dann werden wir ja Zeit haben. Alles Liebe auch von Susanne. Dein Peter

many things with Micha, it combined humor, precision, and a deep belief in the power of ideas — no matter how strange they might seem at first.

Micha was a true friend, a brilliant mind, and someone with a big heart. I’m grateful for every moment we shared, and proud that I could walk a part of his path alongside him.

In Memory of Micha

I met Micha in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid. From the very beginning, we shared a deep love for technology. Our friendship began with swapping games for the Commodore 64 — and soon we realized that we had much more in common than just a few floppy disks.

We were both fascinated by the digital world and its possibilities. That curiosity led us into all kinds of adventures: late-night experiments with Blue Boxing, endless conversations about Captain Crunch, and wild tinkering sessions. Micha always had an idea for what we should try next.

But Micha wasn’t just passionate about technology — he was also politically awake and eager to get involved. Though to be honest: when we started the local chapter of the Jusos (the Young Socialists), it was really just because we wanted to throw better parties. Politics was, at first, a means to an end. But soon we realized that we could actually change things. And with that realization came responsibility — so we set out to establish a night bus for our town. Micha was always the one who knew how to turn an idea into something real.

Then there was that day when Micha asked me if I wanted to come to Cologne with him. “There’s this youth TV show — maybe we can be part of it,” he said. Of course I said yes. That’s how we ended up at Lollo Rosso, a wild, colorful, delightfully chaotic show on WDR, where almost anything seemed possible.

In our minds, this was our chance to be creative like our heroes — especially Monty Python. Our first pitch was a completely absurd cooking show called Get Stuffed. The concept: we would cook only with leftovers from a party. It was hilarious, anarchic, completely unserious — and totally us.

And eventually, all that playful creativity turned into something more serious. Micha and I co-founded our first company together: medialab 42. Of course, the number 42 wasn’t random. It was a tribute to Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — another of our shared heroes. Like so

[PART 2 of 2]

A year later, when I began searching for a high school, I was no longer looking for art and film schools, but for high schools with the best mechanical engineering tracks. Today, I study physics and systems engineering. 
This would not have happened without Michael.
I miss my conversations with Michael. I loved his dry sense of humor, and his patience with my endless questions. When he spoke about hardware and software I thought I saw his inner child talking about his favorite toys. 
The picture here is from our meeting at the Hilton in Tel Aviv. I think our friendship shows. I will miss Michael very much, and will be forever thankful for the spark that he lit in me and that so profoundly changed the course of my life.
Michael truly was a wonderful human being.
I am sending my heartfelt condolences to Michael’s family.
Eric Sella

[PART 1 of 2]
My name is Eric Sella. I am 16 years old and I live in Israel. 
I met Michael three years ago, through my mom Zohar. At the time, my mom was a legal counsel for Sipur, and I was film student at a Tel Aviv middle school.
I made a habit of joining my mom every week at her meetings in Sipur in Herzliya, and got to know everyone there. I had fun conversations with Emilio, Ron and Michael, who was always on zoom, about our common interests - films, TV shows, and books that we thought were waiting for film adaptations.  
My mom and Michael were also personal friends, and when Michael came to Israel in February 2023, I met him with her in person, at the Hilton hotel. 
One memory that is very meaningful for me was around my Bar Mitzva. I was planning on buying a new PC. My mom mentioned this to Michael and he immediately suggested that I would build, rather than buy, one. He said that this was a hobby of his and that he’d be happy to help. 
I was a film student and wasn’t at all into computers, but I liked Michael’s idea and I trusted him. He sent me an Excel sheet with a list of all the necessary components and spent the next six months helping me debate about which computer features I should aim for, which parts I should get, and in which countries I should order them. It was a huge, complex and exciting project. Eventually all the parts came in. I built the computer, it worked (which felt like a small miracle) and Michael gave me a present, or maybe a prize – a Windows key.
During these months, Michael and I spent many hours talking, not only about the specifics of the project but also about our common interests. Michael became my friend, mentor and peer. 
That experience was life changing for me, and I think Michael knew it would well ahead of me. 
[PART 2 TO FOLLOW....]

Lieber Michael, lieber Herr Scemidity, 
ich habe nur ein paar Fotos von den Tagen in Peking, aber die Erinnerung ist viel größer. Der riesige Konferenzraum voller chinesischer Kollegen, der Culture Clash, die 7 Millionen Fragen, die wir beantwortet haben… Danke für die außergewöhnlich angenehme, inspirierende und nebenbei auch noch lustige Zusammenarbeit. Und danke für die beste Pekingente ;) Unvorstellbar, dass du nicht mehr da bist. Die Welt ist ein ganzes Stück weniger schön und unwissender ohne dich. Mach‘s gut, lieber Michael!

There was room in his big heart for many people. I loved spending time with him, which was always enriching, understanding, wickedly funny, benevolent, and also a little melancholy.

Michael, I will always miss you and at the same time, you will always be here, because you shaped me, and I have loved you so incredibly much ever since I met you.
I am deeply grateful that I was able to experience many intense years with you, and that you are and always will be a very dear friend and person to me.
In your children and grandchildren, your finite time on earth will endure. Your light will continue to shine in Gaby. You will remain alive in my heart and in the hearts of all of us who loved you. We will continue to think: "How would Michael have decided now, what would he have said?" You were and are an exceptional person to me. I would have loved to hug you again. Thank you for being each other's friends.
You are forever etched in my heart. 
Your friend, Mona

Boundlessly embarrassing. Smart, questioning, stupid, young and never-ending. He was a day and night owl, hardly needed any sleep. We drove for hours through the night, ate unhealthy food, listened to music and talked. I will never forget how, in his early 20s, he could talk to all the old hands at WDR and keep up with them. Be it editors-in-chief, chief editors, camera people, the accounting department or celebrities. I admired Michael; he was the most talented and cleverest person of his age that I knew. I believed he was capable of practically ANYTHING. I was always proud of him for how hard he pursued his wishes and goals, while remaining human and honest. A turning point came when he gave up directing; that was very difficult for him, as Michael was a witty, talented director. I really wanted him to be able to live out his potential again. A life-changing moment was when Gaby came into his life. Before that, we had spent a lot of time talking about life, politics, our parents, and everything that caused us grief. With Gaby, all of that was over. When Gaby came into his life, the sun rose for Michael. But not in a bright or fleeting way, more like a never-ending, warm evening sun. He was very happy and proud. I was always impressed by the self-awareness, unconventionality, and self-confidence with which Gaby and Michael became young parents of Lillith and Benneth, and later Julia. They were a wonderful couple, patient, respectful, standing side by side. I admired how Michael and Gaby made a big deal out of nothing and accompanied their children into life with kindness and love, and freedom. At the civil wedding, I stood in front of the door in Blumenberg with red roses and couldn't believe they had married quietly and secretly. As always, without much fuss. Michael helped me when I needed help quickly with a personal matter. He was fundamentally helpful in word and deed and didn't abandon people for long periods of time, even when there was every reason to do so

Oh Michael, we dreamed of filming "WICHTIG" together again.
I'm incredibly sad that you left so early.

I met Michael in 1994 at WDR as a fellow young reporter on the youth program "Lollo Rosso" and as co-founder of our first TV comedy news show, "Wichtig." He quickly became a close friend and a formative companion. Michael is deeply rooted in my heart; we grew up together on TV, spent our 20s there, and developed creatively and personally as young adults. Michael was an extraordinary, remarkable person. Multi-talented and ahead of his time.To me, he was a jack of all trades; he could do just about anything. At 15, he was more technically and internet-savvy than any expert at WDR. Sometimes we'd come into the newsroom in the morning and find Michael lying under the desk, asleep. He hadn't even gone home. The newsroom and working for television were his natural habitat from the very beginning. Peter Helling, our editor-in-chief of youth television at WDR, played an important role in Michael's life. He was Michael's mentor and fatherly friend, whose loyalty Michael could always count on - even today. All of us from the "Lollo Rosso" era are deeply saddened and shocked by the death of our dear Michael. Michael was clever, very social and brotherly and had remarkable foresight both in politics and society and when it came to the TV business. His judgment was clear and accurate, even at a young age. Our feeling for comedy and also for the pain that lies deep within humanity and within us is what connected us both. In our news comedy, he was the doer, the strategist, the director and cutter who could judge what worked and what didn't. The enabler, the know-it-all. While we; Bastian Pastewka, Alexander von Eisenhart-Rothe, Stephan Plank(his childhood friend)and I were comedians, fools, silly teenagers and dreamers, and so was he, but he was also mature enough to put all the nonsense into action. We laughed so unbelievably much together. Constantly, always, about everything

Dear Michael, 

we were colleagues for a long time at ProSieben and later at Red Arrow Studios.
I think back fondly on that time, on your humor and wit, which so often made for funny moments. 
I am incredibly sad that you have gone far too soon. 
My deepest sympathy to your family. 
Martin

This is surreal.
 I’m sitting in a bomb shelter in Israel, trying to figure out how to eulogize my best friend on the other side of the world.
 In any other reality, I’d already be looking for a flight to New York to be with your family.
 But instead, I’m stuck here, scrolling through photos of us on my phone - and wow, what a ride it was.
From Cannes to Lucerne and all those creative sessions - you had this rare kind of mischief - not the childish kind, but the kind that cracked open serious rooms with creativity and made people want to play along.
Chicago — when you flew all the way there just to surprise me at my lecture. I was in complete shock.
That surprise party you and Cynthia Kennedy  threw me - was it Frankfurt? Berlin?Zurich?Nice?
Us in LA at 4:30 in the morning, jet-lagged and having breakfast, Or just the two of us at the weirdest Passover seder ever, in my apartment.
We were a pair of lunatics, constantly dragging others into our shared madness -
From the Comedians’ Peace talks in Jerusalem, To the London hackathon where we built an anti-racism app that involved licking screens.
To the international comedy writers' showdown in New York, And lately, your part in our team fighting antisemitism on Twitter - with your pure brilliance. We did so much.
And we had so many wild, impossible, wonderful plans still ahead.
But you were always larger than life.
Maybe life just couldn’t hold all of you anymore.
So, thank you for everything - The friendship, the wisdom, the madness, the endless curiosity,
 And the infinite hours of conversation.
You are, and always will be, deeply missed.

I will miss the fun of our online gaming sessions.  I will miss your jokes and your sarcasm. I will miss your advice. 

Even the big pond didn't stop us from having fun.

I miss you, Michael. You are my love, my rock.

In loving memory of Michael and Tom – treasured and tender memories that will remain in our hearts forever.

We had the privilege of working with Michael across several
co-production and international projects while he was at Red Arrow Studios and we were based in Tokyo then. His warmth, generosity, creativity, and professionalism left a lasting impression, and our professional relationship blossomed into a genuine friendship.

We would like to share a recent exchanges between Michael
and myself Tom, which we feel reflects Michael’s character. After moving to Los Angeles this June, Michael reached out with kind encouragement and advice,
drawn from his own experience of relocating to the United States. Our exchanges continued until just days before he left us. During this period of transition,
Michael’s strength and support meant a great deal to me. Knowing Michael, and as you can imagine, he offered it all so effortlessly.

Michael’s impact was profound, and we are only among many
who were touched by his kindness and his unique positive perspective on the world. He will be deeply missed. Our heartfelt thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.

With sincere sympathy,

Mikiko and Tom 
Nippon TV International Corporation (NY & LA)

Dear Michael,

Some people come into your life at exactly the right time — you were one of them.

When I lost my job back then, you were the one who reached out your hand. You didn’t just believe in my skills — you gave me trust, purpose, and a new beginning. Being able to work for you, even in your home in New York, was more than a professional opportunity. It was an act of true kindness.

Your sharp mind, your subtle humor, your way of uplifting people — I will never forget that. You left a mark on my life, and I’ll always be grateful.

Your greatness was never loud, but it was powerful. You left something behind — also in me.

Farewell, Michael.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Sandra

OBITUARY

Michael Peter Schmidt

January 8, 1973 – June 22, 2025

Edwin L. Bennett Funeral Homes

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