The 3 million euro week was supposed to be the chance for the big money for the candidates in “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” – but this time too no one manages to win the mega prize. On the contrary: several candidates have to experience terrible crashes on the show. In addition to Julius Croonen, who drops from 30,000 euros to 1,000 euros right at the beginning of the final show on Friday, Dorothea Gharibian is also caught off guard: when asked a historical question, her telephone joker leads her on the wrong track. A blessing in disguise: The show’s rules ensure that at least she doesn’t leave the studio empty-handed.
spectators at “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” is getting excited Dorothea Gharibian
The candidate bravely fought her way through the quiz round in the final show on Friday. The initial conditions with which moderator Günther Jauch lures her onto the guessing chair: She gets a safe 5,000 euros, plus the money earned in the new round. A security level is installed at 1000 euros. If she manages the first five questions, she will have 6,000 euros in her wallet – little considering that she earned a whopping 32,000 euros on her first appearance. The problem: On her second appearance she gambles away – and falls back on the minimum amount.
What happens? With a prize level of 50,000 euros, Dorothea Gharibian will be asked a history question. The task: As far as is known, whose direct descendants ended in 1885 with the death of his last, childless grandson Walther? The possible answers: A) Ludwig van Beethoven, B) Vincent van Gogh, C) Otto von Bismarck and D) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. She immediately starts to puzzle. “Beethoven wrote his Ninth Symphony approximately 15 years after the French Revolution in 1789. If he has a grandchild now, that has to be two generations – so theoretically it could work out.”
Dorothea Gharibian with presenter Günther Jauch in the studio of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”Stefan Gregorowius/RTL
Question about Bismarck, Goethe and Beethoven leaves candidate in “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” desperate
Otto von Bismarck excludes them. She has no idea about art, so she has no idea about Vincent van Gogh. “I could call someone,” she says. The problem: The question is very complicated. She therefore decides to simply confront her Joker with the question of when van Gogh, Beethoven and Goethe lived. Is that going well? Unfortunately not. “When did Goethe live?” she asks. Be silent. “In what year did Goethe die?” – “Oh shit, shortly after 1700.” Gharibian continues to ask: “When did van Gogh die?” – “Later.” – “How much later? Before 1900?” – “No, after.” – “Sure?” – “Pretty much.” – “When did Bismarck die?” – “Oh dear…” Then the connection breaks off.
-The descendants of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (photo) ended with his grandson Walther von Goethe.UIG/image
Is this sparse information enough to provide an answer? And would you have known the answer? We are looking for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He had five children, although only his son August reached adulthood. His three children were named Walther, Wolfgang and Alma – they all remained unmarried and childless throughout their lives. Walther died last – and his gravestone bears the inscription: “With him, Goethe’s family died out, whose name endures through all time.” The famous German poet would have been the right answer to the question “Who wants to be a millionaire?”
But unfortunately Dorothea Gharibian doesn’t know that – she sees her theories confirmed by the Joker and decides on Ludwig van Beethoven. “I was annoyed on Monday that I didn’t do it,” she says. Jauch logs in – and has to enter the candidate at “Who will become a millionaire?“Unfortunately disappointing. Because the answer is wrong. The result: Gharibian drops from the 50,000 euros to the security level of 1000 euros. After all: Together with the secured 5,000 euros, she collected 6,000 euros – not bad for the fact that she came empty-handed. ■
