Observed Signal · Apr 29, 2026 · Programming Update · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
RTL to Resume Stefan Raab Show in Autumn
RTL announced that "Die Stefan Raab Show" will return in late-night from September 2026 after a summer break of about four months. The program's next-to-last episode before the hiatus airs on 7 May 2026, featuring jetski world champion Nils Wittling as a guest, and previews a new live event — the "Jetski-Star-WM" — that RTL will broadcast from the Regattabahn Duisburg on 29 August. RTL shifted the show to a late-Thursday slot earlier in the year due to weak prime-time ratings; a second weekly episode is available exclusively on RTL+. In the interim schedule, RTL will air a Markus Krebs stage program on 21 May following the new show "Feste der Comedy" with Olaf Schuber, and from 28 May will run the new season of "Der Lehrer" at 20:15 with late-night repeats.
Broadcaster scheduling and a new live-event rights announcement (Jetski-Star-WM) affect linear TV programming and potential ad inventory, but this is routine programming news with limited industry-wide impact.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- RTL will continue "Die Stefan Raab Show" as a late-night format and plans to resume it in September 2026.
- Stefan Raab will take a summer break of around four months; the last episode before the break is scheduled for 7 May 2026.
- RTL will broadcast the newly announced "Jetski-Star-WM" live from Regattabahn Duisburg on 29 August 2026; Nils Wittling appears as a guest on the 7 May episode.
- Raab's late-Thursday slot will be filled on 21 May by a Markus Krebs stage program after the new show "Feste der Comedy" with Olaf Schuber; from 28 May RTL will air a new season of "Der Lehrer" at 20:15 with late-night repeats.
- The show was moved to late Thursday earlier in the year due to weak prime-time ratings; an additional weekly episode is exclusively available on RTL+.
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RTL's Stefan Raab Comeback Loses Momentum
RTL's high-profile return of entertainer Stefan Raab nearly two years ago initially boosted the Cologne broadcaster, but the article reports growing disenchantment and programmatic decline. Raab's weekly show is described as likely beyond rescue, while some of his other formats (notably a Saturday pairing with Barbara Schöneberger and a game show with 'Bully') have performed better. RTL has nevertheless maintained strong overall primetime reach thanks to long-running staples (e.g., Ich bin ein Star, Wer wird Millionär, Let's Dance) and daytime magazines, soaps and news. The network leans more on sports (Europa League, 2. Bundesliga, NFL) and sees selective successes (national team matches, tennis finals). RTL is also deepening production synergies with Sky and sharing morning programming with ntv, while younger reality formats are increasingly produced for streaming arm RTL+.
TV total Returns with Two August Specials
ProSieben confirmed that the comedy show TV total, hosted by Sebastian Pufpaff, will return from its summer break with two special episodes in August 2026. A "Sommer-Edition" is scheduled for Tuesday 11 August at 20:15, followed by a "Retro-Edition" the week after; the first regular post-break episode is slated for 25 August. The article notes the show's recent season averaged over 900,000 viewers weekly and exceeded an 11% share in the 14–49 demographic, peaking at 15.8%. It also reports that Stefan Raab's Stefan Raab Show at RTL will resume recordings in mid‑September with a late‑night Thursday slot and an additional Tuesday edition exclusive to RTL+.
TV total Returns in August with Two Specials
ProSieben confirms that the comedy show "TV total" with host Sebastian Pufpaff will return from its summer break in August with two special episodes. A "Summer Edition" is scheduled for Tuesday, 11 August 2026 at 20:15, followed by a "Retro Edition" on 18 August; the first regular post-break episode is planned for 25 August. DWDL reports the show has been a reliable ratings success since its comeback, averaging over 900,000 viewers and more than 11% share in the 14–49 demographic, with a season peak of 15.8%. Separately, Stefan Raab's RTL show will remain on a longer pause, with recordings eyed for 15 and 17 September and new scheduling including a late-Thursday slot and an additional Tuesday episode exclusive to RTL+.
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