Genre Talk Show

Within talk shows, two types must be distinguished:
- the mostly evening, serious discussion programmes,
- the daytime tabloid-style "discussion" shows on private TV channels.

Tabloid talk show

Characters

• relatives
• teenagers
• unemployed people
• surprise guest
• wannabe celebrity
• "the cheater"
• "the cheated-on"
• "the slut"
• members of "less educated" social strata
• "paternity doubter"
• "bird of paradise" — extreme appearance, e.g. lots of piercings, face tattoos, very large body etc.
• host — sympathetic, but sometimes shaking their head

Elements

• host
• chairs and sofas on one side, audience on the other
• shadow wall
• camera operators
• guests / audience
• possibly experts
• lie detector
• decision door
• wall onto which a person's shadow is cast to keep them anonymous

Topics

• paternity test
• marriage proposals
• unrequited love
• online love
• feuds, neighbour disputes
• confessions, double lives
• irreconcilable positions on unemployment, sloppiness, children etc.

Speech and behaviour of the guests

• vulgar
• shouting
• mangled idioms
• dialects
• heckling
• crying, laughing
• extreme emotional outbursts
• extreme opinions
• provoking the other guests

Typical sequences

• send one out, question the other one alone first
• "Do you have any idea why you might be here?"
• listing women who have nothing to do with it ("I think it's because of Susi, Annika, Katrin?")
• contradicting statements: "We're together / separated" — "No, we're not"
• "I told you that, you didn't tell me that"
• "XY still owes me money"
• opening statement at the introduction: "I'm XY and I…"
• interjections from the audience, prompted by the host
• loud taking of sides in the audience (agreement, disapproval, demonstrative incredulous laughter, head-shaking etc.)
• dumped via text message, met by text message
• met online — first time meeting in person here
• someone only by phone, doesn't want to come into the studio
• stays in the back, won't come into the studio
• storming out after a fight
• everyone talking at once (only briefly useful for focus reasons)
• "I can sing and I'll prove it" — the wannabe star
• "I have a secret to confess" (I'm actually a man / a woman, I cheated on you, I lead a double life, I'm a stripper)
• "I'm in contact with mysterious forces"
• "Make a decision"

Turning points

• reconciliations (or at least offers thereof)
• bringing in an unexpected person
• announcing the result of a test (lie detector, paternity test)
• asking for forgiveness

Serious talk show

Characters

• celebrities
• politicians
• association / lobby representatives
• artists (actors, writers, singers, musicians, directors)
• expert
• journalists
• person directly affected by the topic
• one eccentric to lighten the mood (Nina Hagen, Klaus Kinski types)

Elements

• host(s) or interviewer
• chairs, armchairs, sofas on one side, audience on the other
• camera operators
• guests / audience
• decoration

Topics

• current political issues
• release of a book, film, album, tour
• personal topics (illnesses, problems, life-shaping experiences)
• life story of the person, appreciation of their life, anecdotes
• expert information

Speech and behaviour of the guests

• politicians — talkative, evasive, full of empty phrases, agile
• experts — serious, objective
• association / lobby representatives — one-sided, possibly evasive
• artists — subtly plug their (latest) work, talk about their work
• the affected person — not articulate, seems media-inexperienced, stutters, stumbles, comes across uncertain

Typical sequences

• interruptions for video clips, charts, photos, music
• translation when the guest is foreign-speaking
• host's introductory text
• host's closing words
• drinks are poured / consumed
• interview format
• controversies and arguments are usually polite and mostly factual
• audience members are asked
• loud disapproval / agreement from the audience on controversial topics
• host strives for (their own) objectivity
• guest arrives late, only during the broadcast

Turning points

• someone heavily attacked storms out of the studio in agitation
• the affected person loses self-control
• one of the discussants steps out of their typical role (e.g. a politician shares something deeply personal)