| Wetten, dass..? | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Game show Talk show Variety show |
| Created by | Frank Elstner |
| Presented by | Main host: Frank Elstner (1981–1987) Thomas Gottschalk (1987–1992, 1994–2011, 2021–2023) Wolfgang Lippert (1992–1993) Markus Lanz (2012–2014) Sidekick: Michelle Hunziker (2009–2011, 2021–2022) Cindy aus Marzahn (2012–2013) |
| Country of origin | West Germany (1981–1990) Germany (1990–2014, 2021–) Austria Switzerland |
| Original language | German |
| No. of episodes | 155 (Gottschalk) 39 (Elstner) 12 (Lanz) 9 (Lippert) Total: 215 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | West Germany (1981–1990) Germany (1990–2014, 2021–) Austria Switzerland |
| Running time | 150–180 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 14 February 1981 – 13 December 2014 |
| Release | 6 November 2021 – present |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Wetten, dass..? (German pronunciation: [ˈvɛtn̩ ˈdas]; German for "Wanna bet, that..?") is a German-language Saturday entertainment television show. It is the largest and most successful television show in Europe.[1][2] Its format was the basis for the British show You Bet! and the American show Wanna Bet?
The shows were broadcast live six to eight times a year from different cities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. There were also seven open-air summer shows, broadcast from Amphitheatre Xanten, Plaça de Toros de Palma de Mallorca, Disneyland Paris, Waldbühne Berlin, and Aspendos Roman Theatre. Each of the shows, which were shown without commercial interruption, was usually scheduled to last for about two to three hours, but it was not uncommon for a show to run as much as 45 minutes longer.
The game show gained great popularity in the German-speaking countries through the presenters Frank Elstner, who was also the creator, and Thomas Gottschalk in the 80s and 90s. After that, especially due to the takeover of Markus Lanz, the audience ratings dropped significantly, which caused the discontinuation of the show in 2014. From 2021 to 2023, Thomas Gottschalk returned for one episode each year.
- ^ "Showklassiker: ZDF stellt "Wetten, dass..?" ein". www.handelsblatt.com (in German). Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ Augsburg, Presse; Perishable (19 November 2022). "TV-Tipp | "Wetten, dass..?": Europas größte Fernsehshow live aus Friedrichshafen | Presse Augsburg" (in German). Retrieved 21 November 2022.