Peter Alexander died on a Saturday. Thomas Gottschalk announced the end of the Saturday night staple „Wetten Dass“.
Gone are the other classics Hans Joachim Kulenkampff, Harald Juhnke, Rudi Carrell, Lou van Burg, Vico Torriani, Heinz Conrads or Dietmar Schönherr.
Back in the day the noble and elegant Kuhlenkampff reached 80% of the German viewer ship with his show: „One will win“. Ratings one can only dream of today.
What is left are candidates, who were not allowed to hone their craft in small clubs, stand up and on smaller shows. Like in any other part of the entertainment industry, the new concept are casting shows and sending the inexperienced artists without any space for failure out into the ether only to pull them after abysmal ratings.
Will the entertainment industry allow for artists to ever grow again or will popular, quality Saturday night entertainment be dead and gone?