Not EVERYONE came to Offenburg for Thomas Gottschalk’s last command, but rather those who had something to sell. Like at all times. It would have been so nice if the Rolling Stones hadn’t just recorded a routine video message.
But the three remaining men from Take That are there. They sing “Back For Good”, sit on the sofa and spin cotton candy until they have to get on the plane. As we always hear now, you “grew up with Thommy”. Like Matthias Schweighöfer, who plays a small role in “Oppenheimer”. Schweighöfer is the godfather of a bet in which Horst from the Ruhr area recognizes roosters like Bruce Lee and Otto Waalkes by their cries. Schweighöfer bursts out laughing. Horst succeeds.
Then come Ana Ivanovich and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Gottschalk emphasizes Ivanovich on the last syllable. The old name weakness. The young Felix, who has a shortened tendon, shaves bottles set up on a skateboard with his helmet, but fails in the last installment. Thomas Gottschalk sits down on the floor next to him, standing ovation.
And now you realize that this show isn’t going to fail.
Helene Fischer sings “Breathless through the Night” with Shirin David. The song isn’t made any better by the rap, and the artists don’t double down on their shine, even though they agree. But David is pleasantly cheeky. Gottschalk offers an appearance on the “Helene Fischer Show” as a bet. A quote from “Faust” must appear: “From time to time I like to see the old man.”
A dog recognizes numbers and points at them with his snout.
In the so-called outside bet, eight men in Stans, Switzerland, pull a train carriage with passengers up a slope. That bet failed 30 years ago. Now other Swiss are moving. The Swiss Hazel Brugger comments ironically. The bet is won.
Stefanie Stappenbeck and Jan-Josef Liefers present a series called “Vernau”. The second most famous series with Jan-Josef Liefers. Gottschalk, the old German scholar, asks whether one says “Wernau” or “Fernau”. “Fernau”.
Two young women want to apply a charging cable with forklifts. Too complicated.
And then Cher comes. She sings a Christmas song that is really loud and isn’t a Christmas song because the DJ is asked not to play a Christmas song. Actually quite funny. Cher doesn’t like Christmas songs. She doesn’t have it with “Bet that..?” either. She remains distant on the sofa.
The best bet comes last. Julia Reichert, who presented a memory bet as a child, remembers 216 betting kings and locations from past programs using colored bar codes. She and Gottschalk sit in wingback chairs in front of a color television, and the candidate gives the moderator the opportunity to tell people about Döntjes. Böblingen, yes, I was there. Saarbrücken, the restaurant ship. And Mallorca 2010, the slipped disc! Julia says: “If you carry on, then I’ll learn your stories.” Gottschalk shouts: “The first to say it!” But in the audience you see a piece of cardboard: “Do it again, Thommy!”
Jan-Joef Liefers and Stefanie Stappenbeck sing “I Got You, Babe”, Cher’s most famous song. Liefers plays the guitar. Cher doesn’t feel like singing along.
Julia, the barcode recognizer, becomes the betting queen. She hugs Gottschalk and he holds her hand for a strangely long time. Then he walks up to Frank Elstner, who is standing in the front row. He thanks the noble mentor and creator of the show, who, as always, has the warmest words. “I don’t have the impression that I have attended the last broadcast – but rather the best Gottschalk. I’m going to do something I’ve never done before: I’m going to hug you in public. And how does Thomas Gottschak leave the show? He doesn’t walk, he drives.”
With an excavator with Mike Krüger (author of “Bodo with the Excavator”) standing on it. “Oh, there’s Mike!” shouts Gottschalk. He climbs onto the huge shovel. “We’re riding off into the sunset, Mike! There, my sister! My niece!” he calls from above. “Stefanie Stappenbeck! I still remember the name!”
This beautiful image will always remain with us.
You really liked seeing the old man from time to time.