Tough but fair: summer break! When is the next edition coming?

Tough but fair: summer break! When is the next edition coming?

Today, June 9, 2025, the stage at “Hart aber fair” remains empty because the show is on its well-deserved summer break. Louis Klamroth, who has taken over the moderation since 2023, will entertain his audience again on July 14th with new, exciting political and social topics. But first, let's take a look at the development of this popular talk show, which has made waves since its launch on January 31, 2001 with Frank Plasberg as host.

A look at history

The origins of “Hart aber fair” go back to 2001, when the show began on WDR. In the first few years it was an insider tip, but in 2007 it made it into the main program on ARD. Not only is the show making waves, it has also won numerous awards, including the German Television Award for Best Information Program in 2003 and the prestigious Adolf Grimme Prize in 2005. However, the talk show has also been criticized for certain episodes, such as the one with Thilo Sarrazin in 2010.

The tough discussion culture is one of the trademarks of “Hart aber fair”, in which five guests – including politicians, experts and journalists – regularly discuss for 75 minutes. Interestingly, viewers can also actively participate, be it via telephone or social networks. An indispensable element of the program is the fact check, which is published the following Tuesday and checks the content of the discussion for its truthfulness. As viewers process the guests' opinions, the show's tension ensures there's never a dull moment.

Criticism and challenges

A current study entitled “The Talk Show Society” has now carried out a critical analysis of the guest composition on talk shows such as “Hart aber fair”. The study shows that of the approximately 1,200 programs analyzed, over 42% of the guests are made up of party political representatives and only 8% speak from the perspective of employees or consumer organizations. Scientists are also more represented on topics such as Corona and climate, but the diversity of the guests and their backgrounds remains a challenge.

It is striking that over 70% of the invited politicians are active in federal politics, while only 20% have regional or local connections. This lack of diversity raises questions about the representation of different sectors of society - something that the makers of "Hard But Fair" urgently need to improve. Although talk show editors argue that they want to cover different perspectives, the reality is often different.

The show celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021 while grappling with the ever-growing influence of social media and viewers' changing communication habits. Given the criticism, it will be exciting to see whether “Hart aber fair” will invite a more diverse group of guests in the future in order to reflect the diverse facets of our society.

In these turbulent times, "Hard but Fair" remains an important forum to shed light on political and social issues. When the show goes on air again on July 14, 2025, it will be interesting to see what topics and guests Klamroth will surprise the audience with. Who knows, maybe next time the show will give voice to even more voices that are often neglected in the debate.

Further information about the shows and the program can also be found at Mercury and NDR.