When Uwe Ochsenknecht and Heiner Lauterbach stand together in front of a camera, it's usually about movie roles. On Saturday, July 25, the two actors will be sitting in the quiz chair instead: At 8:15 PM, Das Erste will broadcast the XXL edition "The Chase: Quiz Marathon", in which a total of 16 celebrities compete against the quiz elite. They're playing for charity.

16 Celebrities from Many Entertainment Industries

The guests are divided into four teams. In addition to Ochsenknecht and Lauterbach, fellow actors Armin Rohde and Michael Kessler will participate, along with actresses Mariella Ahrens, Valerie Niehaus and Rebecca Immanuel.

From the music world come Smudo from Die Fantastischen Vier as well as Alec Völkel and Sascha Vollmer from The BossHoss.

Rounding out the group are other audience favorites Johannes B. Kerner, Julian Sengelmann, Thomas Hermanns, Ruth Moschner, Gayle Tufts and Evelyn Burdecki.

Six Chasers, One Goal

On the opposing side awaits the usual lineup. "The Know-It-All" Sebastian Klussmann, "The Quick-Witted One" Annegret Schenkel, "The Quiz Volcano" Manuel Hobiger, "The Generalist" Adriane Rickel, "The Quiz Doctor" Thomas Kinne and "The Quiz God" Sebastian Jacoby are supposed to prevent the celebrities from going home with full pockets. According to the NDR announcement, no special treatment is planned for the anniversary.

The occasion for the long quiz evening is 1,000 episodes in the ARD early evening program. The milestone itself aired on Tuesday, July 21: Episode 999 aired at 6 PM, followed by number 1,000 at 6:50 PM. From Monday to Thursday during this celebration week, double episodes were scheduled each day; on Friday, sports programming took the time slot.

Bommes Praises His Chasers

Host Alexander Bommes (50) has been leading the show since 2012 and attributes the success primarily to the quiz professionals. "1,000 episodes of 'The Chase' represent a continuity in television that is unparalleled. This number stands above all for our impressive chasers who impart knowledge and look forward to the challenges in the duels anew each day", he told the broadcaster.

The supply of contestants also leaves him satisfied: "The number of those who compete against them and want to measure themselves against them is also steadily growing - that makes us very satisfied as a team."

Second XXL Edition to Follow

Even before the celebration week, the format had gained momentum. In early June, during Radio Week, hosts from ARD radio stations competed alongside their listeners against the quiz professionals. The "Quiz Marathon" is also not the only foray into primetime: A second XXL edition with celebrity guests is announced for this summer.

Those who want to play along themselves can do so as usual in front of the television, via the ARD Quiz App, or in the ARD Mediathek. There, the "Quiz Marathon" will be available for viewing worldwide until October 23, 2026 after the broadcast.