TV remake

Free ride to happiness in love with the “Herzblatt Taxi”

Presenter Tina Ritschl ensures that the Austrian sky will soon be full of violins.(Bild: ORF)

One in three Austrians is single. In Burgenland, one in four is looking for their better half. Anyone who would like to change their relationship status should seize the opportunity and get into the "Herzblatt Taxi" soon. Applications for the new ORF show are still open. 

In the 1990s, the TV couple show "Herzblatt" was all about flirting and banging. In each show, a man and a woman put three candidates of the opposite sex, who were hidden behind a partition, through their paces with tricky questions. However, they only got to see their chosen "sweetheart" after a summary by "Susi", who charmingly summarized the candidates' answers with her erotic voice. 

The popular format was hosted by Rudi Carell, Reinhard Fendrich, Hera Lind, Christian Clerici and Jörg Pilawa, among others. Prominent candidates included Volker Pieszek and Kai Pflaume. 

Rudi Carell and his successor Reinhard Fendrich made television history with "Herzblatt".(Bild: ORF / First Look / picturedesk.com)

Kai Pflaume (right) as a 24-year-old with his rivals. He won the race.(Bild: ORF)

Love in town and country
From January 2025, ORF will bring the cult dating show back to the screens. However, the flirting will no longer take place in a TV studio, but in an environmentally friendly, sky-blue electric bus that will travel across Austria as the "Herzblatt Taxi" and, in addition to authentic encounters and genuine emotions, will guarantee singles looking for a partner in the country one thing above all: love to go.

Tina Ritschl is on the road on behalf of Cupid, the god of love. The 34-year-old Ö3 presenter, who is celebrating her television debut with the show, takes her place behind the wheel of the "Herzblatt Taxi" and sets off on a journey to all the federal states for nine episodes.

After the mega-successful reality show format "Taxi Orange" in 2000, ORF is now relying on the "Herzblatt Taxi".(Bild: ORF)

Closeness factor guaranteed
"I was single for a long time myself, so I know that it's not easy to find the right person. I'm now in steady hands and want to help others find happiness in love," says the Vienna native, who studied business administration, completed her master's degree in international marketing in London and has been working for ORF since 2012.

To ensure that the relationships that develop in the Herzblatt-Taxi can withstand everyday life and don't fail due to geographical distance, only singles from the same federal state are chauffeured around the area - in line with the motto "Why wander far away when the good things are so close?" The rest works in the same way as the original: Three potential dating partners take a seat on the back seat at the back of the bus, introduce themselves and reveal what they are looking for: a man for one night, a life partner or the love of their life after all? 

Applications are still possible
Filming in Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria has already been completed. From next week onwards, the matchmaking will take place in Carinthia (October 15 and 16), Salzburg (October 17 and 18), Tyrol (October 19 and 21) and Vorarlberg (October 22 and 23).

Before the single man gets on board, the partition wall goes up and the candidates disappear behind masks. So he only gets to hear their answers to his questions. However, you can usually tell who you like by their voice and who makes your heart beat faster. To liven things up, the participants also have to pass small challenges before the Herzblatt cab stops at a romantic location and the big decision is made as to who gets to enjoy a candlelight dinner with whom.

Gastgeberin Tina Ritschl (34) über das Konzept

The Herzblatt vehicle will then make a stop in Burgenland on October 28 and 29 - as the "crowning finale", so to speak, according to Ritschl: "Anyone who is single, at least 20 years old and up for a cool adventure can still apply quickly. Because one thing is certain: even if there are no sparks in the cab, the day will be an unforgettable experience! The singles I've already met have all exchanged cell phone numbers and said they want to meet up again."

This is how it can work
And who knows, maybe one or two singles will use their appearance in front of the cameras as a springboard - just like the future German show host Kai Pflaume ("Nur die Liebe zählt", "Klein gegen Groß"), for whom "Herzblatt" not only gave him "airplanes in his stomach" at the age of 24, but also a great TV career.

Singles looking to flirt can  applyat [e-mail] or at https://tv.orf.at/herzblatttaxi/index.html.