Deutschland sucht den Superstar (2002): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2002, Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a family and reality series.

What it’s about. Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and 2003. Debuting to mediocre ratings in October 2002 on the RTL network, the show has since become one of the most successful shows on German television. The program aims to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nationwide auditions in which viewer voting determines the winner. Voting is done through telephone and SMS text voting.

Who’s in it. Deutschland sucht den Superstar stars Michelle Hunziker as Self - Host, Carsten Spengemann as Self - Host, Ilse DeLange as Self - Judge and Toby Gad as Self - Judge, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.3/10, Deutschland sucht den Superstar has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Deutschland sucht den Superstar page.

If you liked it. Fans of Deutschland sucht den Superstar tend to enjoy Anne with an E, Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall and Big Time Rush.