Overview

• In a dpa interview published August 31, Hallervorden said many talk shows feel unbearable and function as promotion for books, films or party programs.
• He lamented the loss of adversarial exchanges that once defined the format, invoking Herbert Wehner, Franz Josef Strauß, Willy Brandt and Helmut Kohl as examples.
• He argued that guests often lack any connection to one another, preventing genuine conversation or on-screen tension.
• Hallervorden said he seldom watches TV because he oversees multiple stages, including Berlin's Schlosspark Theater and the cabaret Die Wühlmäuse, and he opened the Mitteldeutsche Theater in Dessau in 2022.
• The 89-year-old will turn 90 on September 5, 2025, with the comments reflecting his current focus on theater work rather than television.