Raab Entertainment / RTL / Julia Feldhagen
Review

"You won't win the million here" - and you won't win the innovation prize either

Luca Fontana
19.9.2024
Translation: machine translated

Stefan Raab is back! With "Du gewinnstst hier nicht die Million" he tries to build on his old successes. But can he fulfil the high expectations? The first episode provides a mixed answer: Raab is in top form, but the new concept has weaknesses.

"Here I am again," Stefan Raab, 57 years old, warbles cheerfully into the camera during his big TV comeback, "so easy!"

"It's not about the money," explains Raab's eternal show intern, "there can't be as many new subscriptions as RTL would earn with a single advert a year on TV." He then adds that there were no good slots available anyway. Hence the decision to include the programme in RTL's streaming service. "An experiment," he adds.

That's why I've done it for you.

Raab's new show: what do you think that means?

Raab, meanwhile, is more captivating than he has been for a long time. And experienced. In a positive sense. As if his last show was ten days ago rather than almost ten years ago. The man is clearly up for it. The first 30 minutes are a feast with a sensational density of gags. But it is also a one-to-one copy of "TV Total": Raab recapitulates the past week. Especially his boxing match against former world champion Regina Halmich.

"I'm sure you've all noticed. I had a little fight," he tells the audience. "And I'm sure you're just as outraged as I am: this is the third time I've been ripped off by the judges and cheated out of my title as women's world champion."

One thing is clear: Raab hasn't changed a bit. He remains true to his humour, somewhere between self-congratulation and schadenfreude. Anyone who used to like Raab will still love him. Anyone who was happy to no longer have to watch the trained butcher on TV in 2015 will curse. That is also part of the fascination of Raab.

"Many people wonder what I get for the show. I can tell you: Twelve months free RTL+ Max subscription. I really ripped them off from RTL!"

If the programme had ended here - nobody would have missed anything. A motivated Raab as a stand-up comedian, who makes fun of TV events, may not be the least bit innovative, but it still works damn well.

Half-time two: Now it's all about the million

The second half loses a lot of momentum. After all, the self-proclaimed first entertainment quiz competition hybrid show in the world still has "quiz competition" in its name.

This is how it works: Five contestants sit in the front row at the buzzer right from the start. After 30 minutes, Raab asks the first question, which relates to the previous 30 minutes. For example, what was the name of the influencer who commented on Raab's comeback: "Awesome, he's still alive!"

Compared to the fireworks of the first thirty minutes, this part is a little flat. Firstly, because Raab is not a gifted quizmaster à la Günther Jauch. Raab first asks his opponent's name, profession and background in a well-behaved manner. But he is not really interested in them. There is hardly any interaction. It's a bit like his last "TV Total" years.

King Lustig returns - but is that enough?

"The people want a little bit of show," sings Raab in his new song. And they got it. Especially at the beginning, Raab does what he does best: Stand-up comedy. The fact that he almost shamelessly copies "TV Total" doesn't bother me one bit. After all, he once invented the concept himself, perfected it and played a key role in shaping it. This is his arena. His ring.

One question remains: Do we need the comeback? I'll put it this way: Raab has already missed his timely departure from the TV landscape once. His last few years on "TV Total" were so bad, uninspired and even over-routinised that his TV credentials were tarnished. At RTL, he now gets the chance to put everything right with one last hurrah - provided he doesn't want too much again.

Header image: Raab Entertainment / RTL / Julia Feldhagen

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I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.


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