ZDF president talks about the future of “Wetten,dass..?”: Will the show continue?

It's the end of November. For – announced a lot – the last time he said goodbye Thomas Gottschalk From viewers. For the last time, the 73-year-old hosted the popular show 'Wetten,dass…?'. What the future of the show looks like was previously unclear.

ZDF– President Norbert Himmler has now commented on this for the first time – and keeps the future of the classic show open. Opposite German News Agency “That was a great, nostalgic moment we had there,” Himmler said of the broadcast at the end of November. “It showed the power and strength of the format once again. Now let's pause to think, based on the James Bond title 'Never Say Never Again'.”

Back in summer 2025?

as picture– Newspaper reports, it has to happen ZDF Early 2022 We acquired an extensive rights package for the “Wetten,dass..?” trademark. From the German Patent and Trademark Office. These should apply until at least August 31, 2032. It cannot be ruled out that the show will return in the summer of 2025.

➤ Sports to “Wetten,dass..?”: Where millions go to ORF

Thomas Gottschalk recently ruled out a return: “The manager will definitely not call me to bring me back this time. Officials are looking forward and tomorrow's television will look different from yesterday's television. The Saturday evening in front of the TV, where the whole family met, is no longer there. “My work area is simply gone.”

➤ Gottschalk was tired of “warnings of the dirty storm”: such was his farewell to “Whitten, das…?”.

They became potential successors Giovanni Zarrella (45), Barbara Schoenberger (49) And Florian Silbereisen (42) Circulating.

Low ratings

the ZDF It also canceled the classic show that launched in the 1980s in 2014 due to declining viewership ratings. There was an old show in 2021, followed by two more editions in 2022 and in November this year with an impressive 12.13 million viewers.