Recommendations of the Editorial team
The old TV frigate ZDF has achieved a mainstream coup. The oft-buried Saturday evening format “Wetten,dass..?” should be resurrected – with the Kaulitz brothers from Magdeburg. A Herculean task that not only Wolfgang Lippert failed. His moderation stint was more of a trial guest appearance between September 1992 and November 1993.
When the format invented by Frank Elstner was broadcast for the first time in September 1981, Erich and Margit Honecker were still in office. As is well known, Bill and Tom were only born in the year of change, 1989. Now there is a real change of generations for the entertainment legend.
When teasing, ZDF wanted to be mysterious like Netflix or Radiohead before their last arena tour. A wink-wink Instagram post already fantasized the twins as experts on “Bares für Rares”, as investigators on “Aktenzeichen XY” or as chief stewards on the “Dream Ship”. There is also an oversized advertisement at Hamburg Central Station with Kaulitz’s portrait and ZDF logo – distributed personally by Bill. Subtle is different.
Can Kaulitz and Kaulitz also do large format?
Late in the evening, the industry service DWDL followed up and reported: “Bill and Tom Kaulitz are taking over ‘Wetten, dass..?’” At the Lerchenberg in Mainz, there was initially nebulous talk of “big plans”. The official confirmation has been out since this morning (January 21st). The trend-conscious way of staging shows that there is no secret change in personnel here, but rather a conscious pop moment.
Yes, yes. Maybe not in the classic Saturday night sense. But they can grow into it. Bill was there as a casting show judge, both as hosts of their own formats, as narrators of their careers and in the podcast anyway: They can lead conversations, set the mood, make punchlines. They’re actually quite funny at times. They’re not all-knowing old-school masters of ceremonies – not one who confidently juggles between children’s choir, excavator competition and world star, while wearing brocade jackets and sometimes chummyly pawing at his international guests.
This is exactly where the break lies. Not a nostalgic business as usual, but a creative destruction that the proverbial Aunt Else from Bad Hersfeld might no longer be able to keep up with. The Kaulitz twins represent mainstream neo-pop, irony and crazy self-reflection. They represent a generation that says “Bet, that..?” at best as a cultural myth of parents and grandparents, not as a ritualized TV evening, which no longer exists anyway. Gottschalk was a campfire and a leading figure. Bill and Tom would be commentary and contrast. Or “Plisch and Plum”, as in the picture story by Wilhelm Busch.
The reactions online are mixed. Enthusiasm about the entertainment value here, knee-jerk outrage there. The expected spectrum of opinions ranges between “I’ll watch it at least once” and “The only real one was Hape”. The fact that Heidi Klum is already being considered as a possible first guest is almost part of the concept.
Preliminary conclusion
The Kaulitz Brothers are not classic presenters – but potentially strong hosts of a new narrative. Less of a myth keeper than a new inventor. There’s enough time until the premiere in the fall. Whether the mega-ratings audience is willing to take this bet is probably the more exciting question than any excavator trip over preserving jars.