Cologne – September 09, 2026 -- "Die große Maus-Show" celebrates its 20th anniversary with a special edition airing Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. on Das Erste.
Host Esther Sedlaczek leads the anniversary broadcast under the theme "Kids Ask, Adults Marvel," featuring a lineup of quiz questions, experiments, and celebrity guests. The show began two decades ago under the title "Frag doch mal die Maus" as a one-off special before becoming a fixture of Saturday night programming on Das Erste.
Six celebrities join the jubilee lineup
Guests for the anniversary episode include Annette Frier, Wincent Weiss, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Axel Prahl, Beatrice Egli, and Till Reiners.
WDR entertainment chief cites two decades of family programming
WDR entertainment director Karin Kuhn said the show represents 20 years of public broadcasting entertainment for the whole family, noting more than 300 children have posed questions and over 100 original experiments have aired across the show's history.
The episode revisits the show's wildest experiments
The anniversary broadcast looks back at some of the strangest experiments from the past two decades, including cars powered by leaf blowers and instruments played underwater. New questions put to the celebrity guests include whether it's possible to throw and catch ice cream during a roller coaster loop, how much energy fireflies waste while glowing, and why voices sound deeper when a video clip is played in slow motion.
Familiar experts return with answers
As always, the answers come from the "Sendung mit der Maus" team: Siham El-Maimouni, Ralph Caspers, and Christoph Biemann. Sedlaczek said she's especially looking forward to reuniting with two former child contestants who have since turned their childhood talents into careers: pianist Laetitia Hahn and diver Jaden Eikermann, both of whom prepared questions for the special.
"Die große Maus-Show" is a WDR production made in collaboration with ITV Studios Germany for ARD, with Michael Kerkmann of WDR serving as editor.