Post by Mansha Daswani

For more than four decades, Wetten, dass..? has entertained German families on Saturday nights. Thomas Gottschalk hosted the show—in which ordinary people attempt improbable physical feats, encouraged by celebrity guests—for much of its original run on ZDF, which ended in 2014, before returning for a series of specials in 2021. Even after that long hiatus, the iconic institution delivered for the German pubcaster, scoring market shares of more than 40%. That success prompted the inevitable question: “How can we continue this success?” Nadine Kerstan, EP of the series, tells ScreenMDM. “How can we bring this entertainment show that people obviously still love and want into 2026 with audiences who have different needs now and use social media?” Enter Bill and Tom Kaulitz, the brothers at the center of Tokio Hotel, one of Germany’s most globally successful rock acts, who have a Netflix series and a massive social media following. “They have this authentic way of engaging with the audience,” Kerstan says. The move to make them the successors to Gottschalk is less a handover and more a natural evolution, Kerstan says, with the DNA of the show remaining intact while “adding something new to it—opening the door to something new to hopefully a younger audience that will get to know the format and, of course, keeping the fans who have loved Wetten, dass..? for the last 40 years.” Ralf Rückauer, VP Unscripted at ZDF Studios, which distributes the Wanna Bet? format internationally, was initially surprised by the move to make the Kaulitz brothers Gottschalk’s successors, but quickly came to realize it was “the best choice ever.” He expects the German return will help propel further international interest in the format, which has already been remade in Belgium, China, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, the United States, and the U.K., where it has been adapted twice, both times for ITV. Rollercoaster Studios is behind the most recent U.K. version, You Bet!, which premiered with two specials in 2024, followed by a six-episode run in 2025. Like Rückauer, James Fox, joint managing director at Rollercoaster Studios, grew up with the show, first remade in the U.K. in the 80s and 90s. At a time when a lot of broadcasters and platforms were looking for classic brands to reboot, Rollercoaster made the case at ITV for You Bet! to return. “Here’s a show that can do big scale, big family moments and have that mix of celebrity and regular people,” Fox says. “And I think that’s the real heart of the show. You can have a really fun, big-name celebrity panel, but also, you’ve got regular people doing extraordinary things.” Watch/read here: https://lnkd.in/gYSa5Kbj