ARD cuts Saturday evening shows: What remains of our TV favorites?
The ARD has drastically reduced the number of Saturday evening shows. Instead of the usual number, only 26 editions will be broadcast this year. This may sound disappointing at first glance, but the ARD has a plan, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the program directorate. Times are changing, and so is the television program.
Favorite Shows Have to Go
Unfortunately, some real audience favorites are affected by these cuts. If you are a fan of "Verstehen Sie Spaß?" with Barbara Schöneberger, you need to be strong now: The show will only be broadcast three times a year, instead of the previous five dates. Florian Silbereisen and his popular "Feste" shows also have to cut back and will be reduced from five to four editions. An entire format is even history: The "Hirschhausen-Show" aired for the last time in January. Instead, WDR is focusing on "Die Große Maus-Show", which will only entertain us twice a year.
ARD Invests in the Future
But don't panic, there is a good reason for this! The ARD speaks of a "strategic reallocation". The money saved from the cuts will be directly invested in new online content for the media library. This means for us viewers: More exclusive content that we can access anytime and anywhere! An exciting example of this is the new reality game show "Werwölfe - The Game of Cunning and Deception".
Exciting New Format in Autumn
"Werwölfe" is based on the famous social game "The Werewolves of Millers Hollow" and promises twelve exciting episodes. With this, the ARD ventures into new territory and brings a fresh breeze to the reality genre. It shows that broadcasters are adapting to our changed viewing habits and want to entertain us beyond the classic television program.
These Favorites Remain
But there is also good news! Not all of your Saturday evening favorites are affected by the cuts. Kai Pflaume remains with us with "Klein gegen Groß" and "Wer weiß denn sowas? XXL". These shows continue to be a staple of Saturday evenings and promise top entertainment. The ARD emphasizes that their Saturday evening shows remain a "strong flagship" despite the reduction and that they want to "reach the audience in a future-proof way on all distribution channels". Thus, "new impulses are set" in the media library.
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.