Frank Elstner Fortune

Short introduction

Frank Elstner is one of the best-known German-language radio and television presenters of the past decades. From the 1960s onwards, he made a significant contribution to the popularity of radio stations such as Radio Luxemburg. From the 1980s onwards, Frank Elstner appeared as a showmaster in large to large television shows and developed concepts for television shows himself. From 1981 there was the now world-famous television show “Wetten, dass ..?”, Invented by Frank Elstner. This program has become one of the most successful television shows in Europe.

Early life

Frank Elstner was born with talent for shows and shows of all kinds as a child. His parents are the two Austrian actors Erich Elstner and Hilde Engel-Elstner. Frank Elstner was born in Linz an der Donau and later grew up in Baden-Baden and Rastatt. After attending the Ludwig Wilhelm High School in Rastatt and the Margrave Ludwig High School in Baden-Baden, Frank Elstner became an altar boy. He was able to get his first experience with broadcasting at an early age, since he was allowed to produce radio plays for Südwestfunk. Since he had not passed his Abitur, Frank Elstner was unable to fulfill his wish to study theater studies in Freiburg.

Career

Frank Elstner was really known from 1964, when he worked as speaker and moderator and later as program director until 1983 on the four happy waves of Luxembourg radio. Since the first name of Frank Elstner was actually Tom and there was already a speaker with the first name at Radio Luxemburg, Elstner was asked to moderate his programs under the first name Frank. Incidentally, this was his brother’s first name. From that moment on, Elstner’s name was no longer Tom, but Frank. One of Frank Elstner’s best-known programs was the Sunday “Hit Parade”, “The Big 8” and the “Funkkantine” program that was broadcast during the week, which, alongside him, moderated other veterans from radio and television, such as Dieter Thomas Heck. The television career began with “Hit in the Basic Law!”, Which was broadcast from 1964 to 1968. Frank Elstner also became known with “Game Without Borders”, where he moderated the successor to his former boss at Radio Luxembourg, Camillo Felgen.

Career highlights

The highlight of Frank Elstner’s career is without a doubt “Wetten, dass….”. Elstner is the inventor of the now famous show, with which he first appeared on German television in the Federal Republic of Germany and Austria in 1981. After moderating the show 39 times in total, he handed it over to Thomas Gottschalk in 1987. On the occasion of the summer broadcast of Wetten, dass ..? In 2011 in Mallorca, Frank Elstner again moderated a bet.

In addition to the famous show program “Wetter dass …”, Frank Elstner developed other formats that later also achieved a high level of awareness. For example, he was able to develop several programs for the broadcaster ZDF such as “Nose in Front” and “Elstner and the Detectives”, the ratings of which, however, did not meet the broadcaster’s wishes, which is why they were discontinued. Therefore, from the 1980s onwards, he also turned to new channels such as RTL. The program “Jeopardy!”, Which was broadcast there from the late 1980s is a television show developed by Frank Elstner. Frank Elstner also moderated the “Aber Hallo” format at RTL from the 1990s. Later, Frank Elstner founded his own entertainment company, which he called Elstnertainment. Frank Elstner has performed a lot for Südwestrundfunk in recent years, so the third television program was able to announce the Saturday evening talk show “People of the Week”. He also became the successor to Cherno Jobatey in the program “Do you understand fun?”, Which was broadcast on the ARD program “Das Erste”. On the last broadcast, he introduced his successor Guido Cantz. He also repeatedly moderated the show “Einfach Millionär” and the ARD television lottery “Ein Platz in der Sonne” on public television.

Famous quotes

“Microphones are the only thing that politicians like to be held up to.” Frank Elstner

Amazing facts

Many viewers today regard Frank Elstner as a veteran that decisively shaped the German-speaking television landscape. At the same time, Frank Elstner is something special, because besides him, no other moderator has managed to stay in business as long. He received awards for his achievements like no other moderator before and after him. The festival for his 75th birthday is also unique when ARD television threw the party “Top, the bet is valid” for him and broadcast it on television. Frank Elstner has won many prestigious awards, so he was awarded the “The Golden Camera” award three times. The television show by and with Frank Elstner is repeated at regular intervals.