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Luxembourg National Research Fund

New FNR Science Challenge Show: Take Off

The FNR is proud to announce its new show ‘Take Off’! The science game challenge show will have 13 episodes, in which 12 resourceful youngsters face tricky science challenges. In each episode, one candidate must leave the show until one candidate emerges as the winner. The show is now open to applications from potential candidates, which must be aged 15 – 21. The show will be recorded in June 2023 and will air on RTL, RTL Play and YouTube in 2024. Take Off, the first show of its kind in Luxembourg, is a joint initiative of the André Losch Fondation (ALF) and the FNR.

In the science challenge show “Take Off”, 12 contestants aged 15-21 will compete against each other, first in teams, then individually. With cleverness, skill, scientific spirit and logic, they have to solve tricky challenges in order to get ahead, because: in each episode, one participant has to leave the show! In the grand finale, prize money of 10,000 EUR  awaits the winner.

The concept of the show is inspired by the award-winning science show Rakett69 from Estonia, which won the prize for the best European educational show and is now in its 14th season. The show will be hosted by FNR’s Joseph Rodesch (aka Mr Science) and Lucie Zeches, together with Olivier Catani from RTL.

Timeline overview

  • Opening of applications (must be aged 15 – 21): 21 April 2023
  • Deadline for applications: 21 May 2023
  • Pre-casting: 6 June and 7 July at the Lycée Aline Mayrisch: On the first day of pre-casting, you can expect short individual and team challenges with which you have to impress the Take Off team in order to be invited to the second day. Here you can convince the team of your motivation in an interview. In the pre-casting 30 candidates will be selected for the casting – the first episode of the show!
  • Casting parkour: 10 June 2023 in Esch Belval: From here on you’ll be on TV! The selected candidates of the pre-casting now have to run a course in which they have to solve three challenges as quickly – and correctly – as possible. The four fastest candidates automatically advance to the next round. The other eight will be selected by a jury.
  • Studio episodes: 18 – 28 August 2023: The twelve candidates who make it through the casting will shoot the first studio episodes in Esch Belval.
  • Broadcast: January 2024. “Take Off” will be broadcast from January 2024 on RTL Telé, RTL Play, the Youtube channel of science.lu and on the website takeoffshow.lu, as well as being accompanied on numerous social media platforms (Tiktok, Instagram, and on Facebook by science.lu). The show will be hosted by Joseph Rodesch (aka Mr Science) and Lucie Zeches (both from FNR) from the science.lu team, as well as Olivier Catani from RTL.
More information is available on takoffshow.lu

Related contacts

Lucie Zeches

Science Writer/Communicator

Joseph Rodesch

Science Communicator (Mr Science)