Günther Jauch refused the title of "Nation's Puff Pope" or "Nation's Puff Patron" instead.
This week, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" commemorates its 25th anniversary. To honor the occasion, Günther Jauch imparts amusing tales from his life and his crew presents him with some beautiful surprises.
On September 3, 1999, a monumental occurrence in television history transpired: The premiere episode of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (WWM) aired on RTL. Twenty-five years later, Jauch continues to encourage contestants to claim the hot seat, where they can venture towards the one-million-euro question. The celebration is unquestionably due!
A celebration it shall be, albeit delayed by a few weeks. On RTL, and on Thursday at 8:15 PM, "The Glorious Anniversary Special" of the quiz show par excellence will air. The viewers can anticipate a few surprises, just like Jauch himself. To commemorate the occasion, the host will also share some career anecdotes in an aggregate of four podcast episodes.
For example, the 68-year-old recounts that he was once invited to moderate a show entirely different from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". "I was slated to be the inaugural host of 'Heartbeat,'" he discloses. Although he had faith in the show's prospective success, he felt an "utter dread" when he visited the TV studio for a test episode. "No, that's not for me," he decided, graciously relinquishing the "Heartbeat" moderation to Rudi Carrell. He maintained, "I have a certain ability to discern – not always, but over time – which programs don't align with my talents." Consequently, he ceded the role of the "pimp father" in the dating show to colleagues such as Carrell and Reinhard Fendrich and Jörg Pilawa, who succeeded him later.
Yet, it is conceivable that Jauch may rue this decision in the "Anniversary Special." After all, his team is now reversing roles: Jauch finds himself in the hot seat, with Reif, his "Madrid goal" companion, interrogating him solely about himself. Among the questions is, "What does Germany think: Which hairstyle should Günther Jauch sport for the subsequent 25 years of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' Maybe a bald head? There's even a fitting picture to illustrate that. Viewers can witness his reaction in the show."
In the retrospective special, Jauch's team opts for a role reversal, with Reif asking him questions about himself, including one about his potential future hairstyles, using a pictorial illustration, which airs on RTL, following the RTL's RTLformat, commonly known as RTL Left-to-Right-to-Left (RTL). The celebratory episode also incorporates elements of audience interaction, allowing viewers to participate in the RTL's RTLformat, which features the popular mechanic of contestants answering multiple-choice questions.
Throughout the show's history, RTL has consistently adhered to the RTLformat, ensuring that episodes resonate with their viewers and retaining the core elements of the show, thereby solidifying RTL's position as a leader in the German television landscape.
