ZDF director Norbert Himmler says Böhmermann's show became too fanatical at the end

Himmler's mixed verdict

Norbert Himmler, intendant of ZDF, has given a mixed assessment of the satirical programme ZDF Magazin Royale in an interview with the weekly Die Zeit, published on 29 October 2026. He said Böhmermann had broadcast outstanding programmes, and he pointed to the awards they received. In his view, however, the style had worn down over time and the show had perhaps become too fanatical toward its end. Himmler added that the programme had provoked reactions both positive and negative, and that neither Böhmermann nor the broadcaster had overlooked them.

“He delivered magnificent broadcasts that were decorated with the Grimme and the Fernsehpreis.”

The beekeeper dispute

The criticism includes a 2023 segment in which Böhmermann accused a beekeeper from Saxony of marketing bee sponsorships as a supposed commitment to environmental protection, which he called beewashing. The beekeeper responded satirically by using Böhmermann's name and picture to advertise his honey. A later lawsuit was decided in the beekeeper's favour. Himmler said satire should target people who bear responsibility or expose grievances, but that it must not be unfair. He applied that standard to the 2023 segment and called the focus on a single beekeeper disproportionate.

“Going after a beekeeper, making him practically the main subject of a broadcast, I consider disproportionate.”

How the show is ending

ZDF Magazin Royale is set to air its final episode on 18 December, after more than six years on air. Böhmermann said at the end of September in an interview with SPIEGEL that the decision to end the show had come from him alone. Himmler confirmed that account in the Zeit interview and said the presenter had drawn the line under the show on his own initiative. According to Himmler, the broadcaster and Böhmermann have discussed the format and the presenter's role intensively for years. The intendant also said Böhmermann wants to reinvent himself.

Tears at the news

In his podcast Fest & Flauschig, Böhmermann said Himmler had reacted to the news of the show's end with tears in his eyes. Asked about that claim in the Zeit interview, Himmler gave a personal and uncertain answer. He said he still asks himself whether the tears were tears of relief and joy, or tears of sorrow. The exchange shows that the intendant and the presenter are still discussing the end of the programme in public.

“Yes, I still ask myself today whether those were tears of relief and joy, or tears of sorrow.”