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ProSieben Debuts ‘Staying Alive,’ Pairing Pop Stars With Avatars of Late Music Icons

Producers keep the technology under wraps and court international buyers pending ratings.

Overview

  • ProSieben premiered the two-part music show on Saturday, using digital avatars of Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Freddie Mercury to sing duets with No Angels, Sasha, Samu Haber and Álvaro Soler.
  • Audience members in the Cologne studio cheered and stood, while many viewers online called the premise tasteless and questioned the ethics of reviving dead performers.
  • Endemol Shine Germany and ProSieben declined to explain the exact method, calling it modern technology and stressing that respect for the artists guided what the avatars say and do.
  • Executives said they are in active talks about versions abroad and may release performances on music platforms later, though for now songs exist only within the TV broadcasts.
  • The show was taped before a live audience in October 2025 and streams on Joyn, with episode two due May 2 and fresh duets featuring the recreated Freddie Mercury and Amy Winehouse.