Cologne: Sebastian Pufpaff studied political science, sociology and constitutional law. So he is able to see connections – even in the large television universe in which he now works. But he can’t recognize an alleged cross-connection, as he says: the one between his new show and Stefan Raab. “I don’t understand what the connection is supposed to be,” says Pufpaff. “Why should I make a new show because Raab is back?” He shakes his head.
As an observer of the television cosmos, you have to ask him about it, because a few stars have clearly started moving recently. For three years, Pufpaff has been moderating, quite successfully, on ProSieben “TV total”, which was once presented by Raab until 2015. Raab, on the other hand, is no longer part of it, but has switched to the competition.
The former butcher’s apprentice has been hosting a new show on RTL+ since September that has striking parallels to “TV total” – and is published almost simultaneously every week. The long-standing show band Heavytones, who still played for Pufpaff, followed Raab. It could be interpreted as a declaration of war.
And right in the middle of this mixed situation, Pufpaff and his people are now expanding the “TV total” brand. From Monday (November 25th, 8:15 p.m., ProSieben) there will be a second show per week, it is a kind of spin-off and is called “TV total – But with a guest”. Is it all a coincidence? If you follow Pufpaff’s words, that’s how it is. The genesis was different.
Grandma’s potato salad as a model
“If something is going well, the station will sometimes ask you whether you can do more of it,” he explains. There was the idea of doing a second episode of “TV total” every week. So far the show runs on Wednesday evenings. “But I am a strict advocate of the statement: “Make it like grandma’s potato salad,” says Pufpaff. “It’s better to have too little than too much, then people will want more of it.” That means: no second “TV total”. But a show that covers a part that doesn’t currently exist in the original show.
“TV total – But with a guest” is therefore a “personality show” with a guest at the center. Pufpaff, who lives in Bad Honnef around 20 km south of Bonn, even makes a comparison to the old WDR classic “Zimmer frei!” into the game, a mixture of games, comedy, music and talk, which ended in 2016. As in “room available!” Back then, we were even supposed to eat together – but everything under the well-known humor umbrella of “TV total”.
Bring conversations backstage forward
“We show the guest’s slip-ups, we confront them with what they see on social media,” explains Pufpaff. “We’re “roasting” him.” Theoretically, the celebrity could also get up and leave if things get too cheeky. “We want to get people to not pretend,” he says. “Usually the cooler conversations are had backstage and the funniest questions are asked. We want to do it frontstage.” Confirmed guests include rapper Bushido, ex-footballer Thorsten Legat, designer Harald Glööckler, presenter Stefan Mross and presenter Katja Burkard. The show is scheduled to run every week in the winter.
The fact that this is happening is also due to the fact that Pufpaff managed to permanently establish “TV total” again. This stands out from many other failed return campaigns that came onto television with the so-called retro wave and were washed away with it. Pufpaff refers to his great team. There are actually people from the beginning of the show 25 years ago. “But also very young people who say: “Loriot? I don’t know him.”»
Soul food meatballs
And perhaps his own style has also “broken up” a bit, he says, allowing himself to look a little into his soul. “You can imagine it like this: I’ve crossed the field once and now something else can be grown if necessary,” he says. He doesn’t mean to say that everything was wrong before or that he’s now doing everything right. “But it makes the field usable again. For a different joke content.” Even if it was “one of the most difficult inheritances” that one could have inherited.
For the first edition of “TV total – But with a guest” Pufpaff and his team rented a pub. They want to watch the show together. The food is already there – there will be meatballs. What a former butcher’s apprentice would probably also like. But that is of course a completely different topic.
