From student in Bayreuth to checker at KiKa

"Watch out, watch out, here comes Checker Julian!" - is how every episode of the children's science show begins. The show, hosted by Julian Janssen, has been broadcast on KiKA since March 2018. Janssen originally wanted to become a music presenter, which is why he moved from Stuttgart, where he was born in 1993, to Bayreuth.

In 2013, he began his Bachelor's degree in Media Studies at the University of Bayreuth. "The fact that the degree course focuses on practical experience really appealed to me," says Janssen in an interview with UBTaktuell. Gaining practical experience was very important to him during his studies. He helped out at the film event "Kino Jenseits", hosted the university radio station "Schalltwerk" for two years, DJed at the Glashaus as a member of the music editorial team and organized his own house and 90s parties. "I also regularly borrowed camera equipment from the media lab for my own projects with friends," reports Janssen. He also took part in the "32 Stunden abgedreht" film competition several times. The aim is to write a screenplay on a topic that is announced at the start of the competition, then shoot and edit a short film based on it – all within just 32 hours. "I was quite successful and won several prizes," says Janssen.

A friend from the university radio station became aware of the Checker job advertisement. "She came up to me and said, 'That's a great fit for you'," says Janssen. With the help of friends, he shot a Checker-style report as an application. He interviewed Dr. Silvan Wagner from the Chair of Germanic Medieval Studies at the University of Bayreuth on the topic of "What did knights do in their free time?". This took him to the second round: a shoot in the goat pen with the Checker team. "I even had to milk a goat," he recalls. This was followed by a third casting round in the studio, the "Checkerbude", in which Janssen explained invisible ink for secret messages. "The entire casting process took over three months and I was super nervous because I really wanted it to work," he says. He still remembers the moment he was accepted: "I was on campus, between the entrance to the Frischraum and the lake, when I got the call from the checker team. After that, I had to lay down on the floor."

Dr. Silvan Wagner already noticed that Janssen had the talent to be a Checker during the filming of the short report. "What impressed me about Julian during his report with me was his authentic interest and his enthusiasm. Both are the best prerequisites for a successful "third mission", i.e. the dovetailing between university and society, to which he ultimately dedicated himself after his studies - and this in relation to our most important communication partners: the children," says Wagner.

While still a student, Janssen started filming Checker Julian and wrote his bachelor's thesis in Munich, where the show is produced. The new task also shaped the completion of his studies: the topic of the bachelor's thesis was the role of entertainment in children's television. After all, the Checker programs should not only inform, but also be funny. "It's a special task that we have, namely to explain complex topics in a child-friendly way. The challenge is to make it as entertaining as possible. It's demanding, but it's also a lot of fun," says Janssen.

Julian Janssen seems to be more than up to the challenge. He is now so well known among his target group of 6 to 10-year-olds that he is often approached on the street. Not only children, but also parents often ask for his autograph or a selfie. "The third group are teachers who sometimes tell me that they show the Checker episodes in class," reports Janssen.

However, Janssen is not only active as Checker Julian. He also works as an actor and voice actor - among other things, he plays the lead role of Alfonso in the children's film "The Secret of La Mancha", which was released in German cinemas on May 1. He also presents live events and talks for children. "It's a typical artist's life, all wildly mixed up," says Janssen.

He would choose to study at the University of Bayreuth again at any time. "I had a lot of freedom during my studies and was able to pursue things that I enjoy, like the university radio station Schalltwerk," he says. "Everything was possible. These things, some of which were not for ECTS, helped me enormously in practice."