Der Schwächste fliegt!
Encyclopedia
Der Schwächste fliegt! is the German version of the game show The Weakest Link
, literally meaning The Weakest one flies (colloquial
German
for: is thrown out).
It was first broadcast on 19 March 2001, on RTL
. The show premiered weekdays at 15:00 and was hosted by Sonja Zietlow
(who was already known for her tough-talking styles on her self-titled talk show from previous years). Just like the British version, the show pitted nine contestants against each other for a pot of DM
50,000 (which had to be donated to charity, the winner picking the exact recipient). But by September of that year, the show was sinking fast in ratings, so in order to gain ratings, Sonja treated the contestants with more respect. Previously, Sonja bullied the contestants with insults such as "Da wollen wir doch mal sehen, wer unsere kostbare Studioluft lang genug weggeatmet hat!" (Let's take a look: who has used up our valuable studio air long enough?)
The change in Sonja's behaviour did not sufficiently revive the show, and it was cancelled in December. In February 2002 (after the introduction of the Euro
as a physical currency), the show was given another chance in the late-night Saturday slot, this time with a newly revamped studio, that now featured an audience, and a higher prize of €
50,000. This version lasted for only two months.
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
, literally meaning The Weakest one flies (colloquial
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for: is thrown out).
It was first broadcast on 19 March 2001, on RTL
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
. The show premiered weekdays at 15:00 and was hosted by Sonja Zietlow
Sonja Zietlow
Sonja Zietlow is a German television presenter. She is most famous for her own tabloid talk show Sonja, which aired from 1997 to 2001 on Sat.1, and, more recently, as host of several RTL shows, most notably "Der Schwächste fliegt!", German adaptation of the hit BBC quiz show "The Weakest Link" in...
(who was already known for her tough-talking styles on her self-titled talk show from previous years). Just like the British version, the show pitted nine contestants against each other for a pot of DM
German mark
The Deutsche Mark |mark]], abbreviated "DM") was the official currency of West Germany and Germany until the adoption of the euro in 2002. It is commonly called the "Deutschmark" in English but not in German. Germans often say "Mark" or "D-Mark"...
50,000 (which had to be donated to charity, the winner picking the exact recipient). But by September of that year, the show was sinking fast in ratings, so in order to gain ratings, Sonja treated the contestants with more respect. Previously, Sonja bullied the contestants with insults such as "Da wollen wir doch mal sehen, wer unsere kostbare Studioluft lang genug weggeatmet hat!" (Let's take a look: who has used up our valuable studio air long enough?)
The change in Sonja's behaviour did not sufficiently revive the show, and it was cancelled in December. In February 2002 (after the introduction of the Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
as a physical currency), the show was given another chance in the late-night Saturday slot, this time with a newly revamped studio, that now featured an audience, and a higher prize of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
50,000. This version lasted for only two months.