25 years of “Galileo”
ProSieben starts an extensive anniversary party
The three presenters Stefan Gödde (from left), Funda Vanroy and Aiman Abdallah are looking forward to the anniversary of their show “Galileo”, which will be celebrated on December 1st and 2nd.
© ProSieben / Frank Zauritz
December 1st and 2nd at ProSieben are dedicated to “Galileo”. The knowledge show is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
“Galileo” is celebrating its 25th birthday – and with it Aiman Abdallah (58). Because the presenter has been there since the knowledge show was born on November 30, 1998. The format has become “into his blood” over the years, he says, and believes that the show will be around for a “very, very long time”. First of all, the anniversary will be celebrated extensively on December 1st and 2nd.
Anniversary TV marathon
Afterwards, Abdallah and his colleague Stefan Gödde (47) will moderate the prime-time special edition “25 Pictures – The Greatest Pictures from 25 Years of Galileo” from 8:15 p.m. Various “Galileo” episodes will follow until Saturday evening – and a premiere: On December 2nd there will be “Galileo Kids” for the youngest viewers from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The game concludes at 7:05 p.m. with the game show “Galileo Top Brain,” in which Joko Winterscheidt, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Thore Schölermann and Matthias Killing, among others, demonstrate their knowledge. “A viewer also has the chance to win 25,000 euros,” announces Abdallah.
It was initially unforeseeable that he would one day become “Mister Galileo”. He was a rugby player, studied computer science and initially worked as a sports presenter. At ProSieben he was then able to put his interests together: “A happy coincidence, or rather: I was apparently in the right place at the right time,” says Abdallah. “He had originally applied for a different format – and was then invited again to another casting for “Galileo”. “I didn’t yet know that this day would change my professional life for so many decades.” When the show started , the presenter was 33. “In the beginning, the magazine was a television show for the team and me. Today we can say that ‘Galileo’ has passed into our blood. We are passionate about this show and I am very happy that we were able to accompany so many people on their journey into adulthood.”
Developed into a brand
The show has won several awards, including the Grimme Prize in 2010 and the German Television Prize in 2017. Abdallah explains the fact that it was able to survive for so long while other formats were quickly discontinued as follows: “Always keep up with the times, that is our motto. As society has changed, so have interests and needs We have also changed and adapted our program accordingly.” The format has become longer, can also be seen on weekends and there are many special programs. “Galileo” has “developed from an 18-minute program into a real brand,” says the face of the first hour. Abdallah also believes in a rosy future: “I think ‘Galileo’ will be around for a very, very long time. We are already very well positioned, including on TikTok and YouTube. In the future, we will certainly be in addition to our classic long contributions and Reports will certainly increasingly produce small ‘bits of knowledge’ that are tailored to the various social media platforms.”
He himself will also remain in the format. He doesn’t have any other dream shows: “I’ve been able to do and try out so many things. So there’s no real wish at the moment. But I’m happy to be involved in anything that has the ‘Galileo’ label!”