Ratings Shock at RTL: Why the new "Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert" cast failed

Following the emotional and highly rated farewell of the iconic moderation trio Thomas Gottschalk, Günther Jauch, and Barbara Schöneberger on December 6, 2025, RTL risked a speedy relaunch of the successful Saturday evening format, "Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert." The premiere on December 13, 2025, featuring the new, high-profile crew—consisting of Michelle Hunziker, Jana Ina and Giovanni Zarrella, and the Ehrlich Brothers as challengers—resulted in an unexpected ratings debacle. The live show garnered only 1.06 million viewers, marking an absolute historic low in the show's history since its debut in 2018. This represents a dramatic decline in viewership of over 56 percent compared to the last show with the original trio, which was watched by 2.43 million people. Furthermore, the market share in the commercially vital target group of 14- to 49-year-olds plummeted to just 8.1 percent, compared to 11.8 percent the previous week. These figures raise serious questions about the format's future viability without its original cast. As NewsToday24 reports, citing the Gala.

Dramatic Ratings Loss: Psychology of Audience Shift

The massive ratings loss in the history of "Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert" is a prime example of the strong viewer loyalty to established TV personalities in the German entertainment landscape. Thomas Gottschalk, Günther Jauch, and Barbara Schöneberger did not just host the show; they symbolized a trusted fixture in the Saturday night schedule. Media psychology research confirms that in long-running entertainment shows, the audience's emotional attachment to the hosts is often more crucial than the format itself. Viewers tend to see these celebrities as part of a "surrogate family," and their sudden departure creates a void that cannot be immediately filled, even by other well-known faces. The high figure of 2.43 million viewers who tuned in for Gottschalk's farewell on December 6, 2025—which also marked his final Saturday evening hosting due to illness—shows the immense public interest in the original cast. The immediate relaunch just one week later may also have been perceived as premature, as the audience was not emotionally ready for the new era.

Factors Contributing to the Ratings Decline:

• Host Loyalty: High emotional attachment to Gottschalk, Jauch, and Schöneberger.
• Premature Relaunch: Insufficient time buffer following the major farewell episode.
• Overloading: The simultaneous introduction of five new main actors may have appeared unstructured.
• Missing Core Constant: Despite Thorsten Schorn serving as the off-camera voice, a central, familiar figure was missing on stage.

The New Cast in Detail: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Obstacles

RTL's decision to rely on concentrated star power instead of establishing a new fixed trio was a gamble. The moderation trio consisted of Michelle Hunziker, with experience from major shows like "Wetten, dass..?", and the popular music and hosting duo Jana Ina and Giovanni Zarrella, whose joint appearances and Giovanni Zarrella's own music show generate high appeal. The Ehrlich Brothers were introduced as challengers to bring a new, magical element to the "chaos program." However, an unforeseen hurdle was the injury of Andreas Ehrlich, 47, who had to wear a neck brace due to an irritated nerve and was physically restricted. This necessitated the spontaneous intervention of experienced RTL presenter Katja Burkhard, 60, for physically demanding games. This led to an unplanned cast fluctuation and complicated the establishment of a fixed duel structure in the first episode. The only constant remained Thorsten Schorn, 49, who carried over his role as the off-screen host and game director from the original line-up, attempting to maintain a sense of familiarity. The combination of five new protagonists failed to achieve the desired synergy, despite their individual popularity.

The Cast and Their Roles on December 13, 2025:

Strong Competition: The Unfavorable Time Slot of the Premiere

The dramatically low ratings for the relaunch are not solely due to the cast changes but also to an extremely unfavorable constellation in the German Saturday evening schedule. The competition on December 13, 2025, was exceptionally strong and siphoned off two massive segments of the audience simultaneously. On Das Erste (public broadcaster), the well-established and successful family show "Klein gegen Groß – Das unglaubliche Duell" with Kai Pflaume, 58, aired, reliably drawing millions of viewers, particularly in the older segment. Concurrently, ProSieben broadcast the highly anticipated final of the music guessing show, "The Masked Singer." Media research confirms that the final rounds of prime-time formats exert a particularly strong pull, diverting viewers even from established programs. "The Masked Singer" reached 1.17 million viewers in the 14- to 49-year-old target group, achieving a market share of 9.9 percent, clearly surpassing RTL in the commercially vital demographic. This double block—from a successful public format and the finale of a major private-sector hit—made it impossible for the new RTL show to break through.

Air Dates, Media Library, and Conclusion on the Format's Future

Although the premiere was a disaster in terms of ratings, the question of the future of "Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert" remains open. RTL had initially announced the new cast featuring Hunziker and the Zarrellas for only a single episode, giving the broadcaster room for reevaluation. It is conceivable that RTL will give the new team a second chance under less competitive conditions or consider shifting the time slot. A permanent continuation with market shares of only 8.1 percent in the target group is unsustainable for the network in the long term.

Information for Viewers in Germany (as of 12/14/2025):

• Broadcast: The format aired live on Saturday evenings at 8:15 PM (20:15 Uhr) on RTL.
• Rerun/On-Demand: The entire show can usually be accessed shortly after broadcast via the streaming service RTL+ (formerly TVNow). Episodes of the Saturday evening show are available there after airing.
• Next Episode: Information regarding the next episode, whether with the new or a potentially adjusted cast, had not been officially confirmed by RTL at the time of this report.

The accumulated facts suggest that RTL now faces the difficult decision of whether to allow the format with new personnel time to establish itself or whether the time slot must be filled by a different program, given the massive competition. The audience migration following the departure of Gottschalk, Jauch, and Schöneberger represents a profound challenge requiring a swift resolution.

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