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End of a talk era: end for “Anne Will” in the first
The talk show “Anne Will” will end at the end of 2023. photo
© Jörg Carstensen/dpa/Archive
She is one of the best-known political talkers and wants to do something new from 2024: Anne Will will end her show on the first at the end of the year. What comes in the future after the “crime scene”?
It is a duty for the country’s top politicians. For many TV viewers, it’s simply a Sunday tradition: “Anne Will” in the first. At the start of the week, political tips and messages are regularly placed there in front of an audience of millions. Will (56) belongs to the top ranks of political talkers. So far. Because at the end of 2023 it will be over.
Is it a coincidence that this is piling up right now? That gradually a whole generation of talk show greats seems to be stepping down? Only recently did Frank Plasberg take his hat off to “Hart aber fair” – also in the first. The 65-year-old said goodbye to the screen with the advice of an older gentleman, which he intends to heed in the future: “Always wear light-colored clothes and smell good.” After all, the talk show still exists – moderator Louis Klamroth has moved up.
It’s different with Anne Will. “2024 is a new start! Then it’s time for change, other projects, new perspectives,” said the 56-year-old on Friday. What she means by that is unclear. Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) said: “Anne Will rules out another contract extension for the previous show in favor of new projects, about which she is already in discussion with NDR.”
It is not yet known how things will continue on the prominent Sunday evening square in the ARD community program. “Anne Will” will run until the end of the year. Then the contract expires. According to the broadcaster, the NDR and the ARD are in talks. The talk competition on ZDF is big with Markus Lanz and Maybrit Illner during the week. Some time ago, the first expanded Sandra Maischberger’s broadcasting slots.
16 years of political talk in the first with Anne Will
By the time Will stops, she will have presented Polittalk in the first for over 16 years. The then Chancellor Angela Merkel came to her when she wanted to place a message – in a one-on-one conversation.
But even before her talk time, Will was well known. Until 2007 she was a presenter on the ARD news flagship “Tagesthemen”. Before the “Tagesthemen” she was the presenter of the “Sportschau”. She began her career with a traineeship at Sender Freies Berlin (later RBB). A growth of public service broadcasting.
Sunday evening slot
In 2011, the time slot of your talk show changed to Wednesday, but in 2016 it returned to Sunday. In 2022, an average of more than 3.6 million viewers watched the talk on Sunday evening, which corresponds to a market share of 15.1 percent. In 2021 it was 4.12 million. A look at earlier years: According to NDR, there were 4.18 million viewers in 2010 and 3.97 million in 2020. 2015 – broadcast slot Wednesday – on the other hand only 1.48 million.
ARD program director Christine Strobl said: “When Anne Will says goodbye at the end of the year, she has shaped political talk in the first for over 16 years. This was and is only possible because she has continued to develop personally and with her program.”
She will obviously also be missed by someone who could be described as the secret talk show guest king before his time as Federal Minister of Health. Karl Lauterbach (SPD) tweeted: “The show with @annewill is almost always exciting and is now almost a kind of democratic institution. The level of discussion is certainly much higher than in parts of social media. You will miss the show. But fortunately not yet “.
Will’s political talk continues to this day, even though there has been a lot of malice for such TV formats in recent years. Critics complained, for example, that there were too many politicians there – and often the same ones.