Overview
- RTL opened the '3‑Millionen‑Euro‑Woche der Generationen' with generation-themed preliminaries starting Oct. 5 and early episodes through Oct. 6 produced several finalists who reached the €16,000 qualification mark for the Oct. 8 final.
- Under the special rules, contestants who win at least €16,000 in a preliminary may return for the final and must decide whether to keep their secured sum or risk it for up to €3 million, with host Günther Jauch making offers that influence those choices.
- Early broadcasts produced vivid on‑air moments that changed outcomes: an 18‑year‑old (Antonia‑Sophie Roggendorf) qualified after a physical demonstration, a doctor (Franziska Burkhardt) lost at €2,000 after a phone‑joker misidentification of a koala's habitat, and Amadeus Oppitz recovered from a name mix‑up to qualify at €16,000.
- Coverage highlighted a contested incident reported by TAG24 in which Jauch allegedly ignored a candidate's initial wrong verbal answer then logged a later corrected choice after prompting, a report that has driven debate about the host's impact on fairness.
- The week underscores the human stakes of the format as contestants face emotional pressure, split‑second choices and public scrutiny of how a long‑time host balances guidance with rule enforcement before Thursday's decisive final.