RTL brings a ratings hit from Belgium to Germany. Hans Sigl lets celebrities from all areas of public life guess.
Cologne – As “Bergdoktor” on ZDF, actor Hans Sigl regularly attracts more than seven million viewers to the screen – now he is also getting a quiz show on RTL.
The Belgian format “De slimste Mens ter Wereld” – which means something like “The smartest person in the world” in German – is considered a blockbuster in its country of origin. “Production will start in the spring, broadcasting on RTL is planned for the summer,” said a spokesman for the private broadcaster on Tuesday of the German Press Agency in Berlin. Further details such as the exact German title have not yet been determined, it said.
In Belgium and the Netherlands, the show is extremely popular, with viewers sometimes exceeding 40 percent. Participants are celebrities from the media, politics, culture and science. It’s all about the title for them, you can’t win money on the show.
Three candidates compete against each other and have to collect as many points as possible in several rounds. Each round has its own format. For example, the question is: “What do you know about red cabbage?” Then you have to name terms associated with red cabbage as quickly as possible. Associations like: “Vegetables, color, Christmas”.
There is also a round of word games. The candidates have to find terms that connect words with each other. You compete against the clock and with every correct answer you win seconds. But if you think too long or don’t know anything, valuable time is wasting. At the end there is always a daily winner.
The German version is produced by Fabiola, which already produces the format “We love animals – the pet show” for RTL. Sigl (52) was and is seen in several crime series. He has been playing “Bergdoktor” on ZDF since 2008. He lives in Upper Bavaria. dpa
