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Moderator legend Thomas Gottschalk: Everything as before
Photo: Daniel Karmann / dpa
The guests, the moderator, the music: the new edition of “Wetten, dass ..?” Yesterday evening was much the same as 20 years ago.
Apparently, this also applies to the interest of the audience, which after a break of almost seven years was eager to tune in.
An average of 13.8 million viewers saw the Gottschalk comeback.
This corresponds to a market share of 45.7 percent of the total audience.
The showmaster was able to score even more with the younger audience.
4.34 million of the 14 to 49 year olds tuned in, that is a market share of 50.2 percent.
Better than Lanz
The odds are even more impressive if you compare them with the last edition of “Wetten, dass ..?”, Which ran on ZDF on December 13, 2014: Only 9.3 million people tuned in at the time.
In fact, Gottschalk surpassed every single issue that Markus Lanz presented from 2012, before the show was finally discontinued after the ratings fell.
According to the industry service DWDL, the revival provided the highest "Wetten, dass ..?" Reach since 2005.
With ABBA, Helene Fischer, Joko & Klaas and Heino Ferch, Gottschalk and co-presenter Michelle Hunziker once again invited a remarkable team of celebrities to their couch for the 40th anniversary of the show.
The audience in the hall received the 71-year-old host with standing ovations and chants.
The TV reviews were not quite as brilliant.
The first "Wetten, dass ..?" Show was broadcast a good 40 years ago in February 1981.
It was moderated by Frank Elstner, the inventor of the format.
Then Gottschalk took over the role of moderator from 1987 to 2011, before he was finally replaced by Markus Lanz.
After the strong numbers of the anniversary show, the ZDF should think about further "Wetten Dass ..?" Productions.
rai / AFP
