“Wetten, dass..?” is the most successful show ever seen on German television. What’s more, it’s even considered Europe’s most successful TV show. It’s been a part of Saturday night entertainment for over 40 years. We have compiled the most important and most exciting questions and answers about “Wetten, dass..?” for you.
Who wrote “Wetten, dass…?” invented?
When asked this question, the name Thomas Gottschalk comes to mind spontaneously. That’s not right. The blond showmaster has moderated the show for longer than anyone else after or before him. The concept for the legendary show was penned by Frank Elstner. He brought his new format to the people for the first time in 1981 – and was also the first moderator. He recently revealed in an interview (schlager.de reported) that he had sold the rights to the show to ZDF. As he says himself, the biggest mistake of his life.
Who wrote “Wetten, dass…?” moderated?
Even though the show is already 40 years old, so the list of moderators is not even that long.
- Frank Elstner (1981 – 1987)
- Thomas Gottschalk (1987 – 1992)
- Wolfgang Lippert (1992 – 1993)
- Thomas Gottschalk (1994 – 2011)
- Markus Lanz (2012 – 2014)
- Thomas Gottschalk (since 2021)
When will “Wetten, dass..?” 2022?
ZDF is still silent about the exact broadcast date. After the great response that the anniversary show with Thomas Gottschalk had last year, However, the public broadcaster gave the green light for two further editions. The first should take place in autumn 2022, the next in the coming year 2023. Both dates should once again be moderated by Thomas Gottschalk. You want to be there with your own bet? You can submit them on the ZDF website.
How often was Michael Jackson a guest on “Wetten, dass…?”?
In every single show, the famous couch was always occupied by the hottest and biggest stars of his time. but Hardly anyone has cast a spell over the masses like the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson. The singer was even a guest on the ZDF program twice. The first time, on November 4, 1995, he performed his “Earth Song” in Duisburg. This was an experience of a very special quality, and not just for the city at the western end of the Ruhr area. Three years later, Michael Jackson had his second appearance, but this time “only” as a talk show guest.
What awards does “Wetten, dass..?” received over the years?
Such a successful TV show as “Wetten, dass..?” has of course also won some prizes. Here is a brief overview of the most important awards:
- 1981 – Bambi Best Moderation to Frank Elstner
- 1987 – Golden Camera Best Production to Wolfgang Penk
- 1990 – Romy Most popular showmaster to Thomas Gottschalk
- 1995 – Telestar Best Production to Pit Fischer
- 1996 – Golden Lion from RTL Spezial for best direction of an artist performance (Michael Jackson) to Alexander Arnz
- 1996 – Romy Most popular showmaster to Thomas Gottschalk
- 1997 – Golden Lion from RTL Best TV Show to Thomas Gottschalk
- 1999 – German TV Award Best TV Show to Thomas Gottschalk, Viktor Worms and Alexander Arnz
- 1999 – Golden Camera Millennium Prize to Frank Elstner
- 1999 – Bavarian TV award Honorary award to Thomas Gottschalk
- 2005 – Rose d’Or Golden Rose for the best game show host to Thomas Gottschalk
- 2009 – German TV Award Best Entertainment Show / Presentation
- 2010 – German IPTV Award for the best online offer
- 2011 – Wild And Young Award in der Kategorie Beste Show
- 2011 – German TV Award Best Entertainer
- 2011 – Bambi Best TV event of the year to Thomas Gottschalk
- 2013 – Golden Camera in the readers’ choice category “Best Entertainment Show”
What actually became of the pencil lollipop Thomas Rautenberg?
It is probably the best-known “Wetten, dass..?” show in the 40-year history of the TV format. On September 3, 1988, the alleged graphic artist Thomas Rautenberg bets that he can tell the color of colored pencils by their taste alone. An incredible bet. Moderator Gottschalk was just as baffled as the audience when Rautenberg sucked on all the colored pencils presented to him – and then named the right color. The whole thing had just one catch: Thomas Rautenberg wasn’t Thomas Rautenberg at all. After winning the bet, Gottschalk asks how he did it. The answer: “I can’t – it’s that simple!” The audience was amazed, as was the moderator. The tricky scammer explained that his real name was Bernd Fritz. He is editor-in-chief of the satirical magazine “Titanic” and in the next issue he wants to reveal how he fooled the creators of the show. The audience didn’t see anything good about the fun and whistled at Fritz mercilessly. Gottschalk, however, saw it all more calmly, as Fritz later said in an interview with Der Spiegel (you can read the interview here): “Gottschalk even called the “Titanic” editorial team the day after the show to ask us about our coup Congratulations. He had sportsmanship.”
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