It doesn’t always have to be Hollywood, some really good series also come from Germany. Even Netflix has already made the international breakthrough with a production in this country. TECHBOOK summarizes the best German series.
When it comes to German series, one usually thinks of “Lindenstraße”, “Traumschiff” or “Tatort”. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly clear that really high-quality content is also being produced in this country. However, these are rarely found on free TV, but mainly on streaming services. Here are our top 5 German series that you should definitely have seen.
Dark
“Dark” was the first Netflix series ever to be produced entirely in Germany and was able to collect numerous awards. These included, for example, the Grimme Prize or the Golden Camera for leading actor Louis Hofmann.
The science fiction mystery series tells of the disappearance of two children in the fictional small town of Winden. The mysterious incident changes the lives of four families. It quickly turns out that there was already a similar case in 1986. But that’s not all, because everyone in Winden seems to have a dark secret that needs to be hidden at all costs. The dark time travel series can be seen with all three seasons on Netflix.
Also interesting: Netflix unveils its most popular series of all time
4 blocks
Clan boss Ali “Tony” Hamady has no clean slate in “4 Blocks”, because everything revolves around organized crime in Neukölln for him. Tony would like to get out of the shady business mainly because of his wife and daughter, but in reality it is anything but easy. Not only enemies and the police are after him, even his own family in the person of his brother are on his heels.
“4 Blocks” premiered on the pay TV channel TNT Serie in 2017 and made it to ZDFneo as a free TV premiere a few months later. The series has parallels to the mafia epic “Gomorrah” on Sky and is still one of the most impressive German series.
Babylon Berlin
Berlin 1929: In the turmoil of a declining Weimar Republic and the rise of political extremism, Commissioner Gereon Rath, who is moving from Cologne to the Spree, is investigating a case of extortion. The scene of the crime is the Moka Efti nightclub in Berlin, but Rath’s conflicts there have long gone beyond simple moral offences. The investigator quickly gets caught between political fronts and right in the middle of organized crime in the capital. He gets help from the dedicated shorthand typist Charlotte Richter, among others.
“Babylon Berlin” is a crime series involving “Run Lola Run” director Tom Tykwer, for which Sky and the ARD subsidiary Degeto have joined forces.
Also read: Sky brings new HBO series to Germany
The boat
“Das Boot” is undoubtedly one of the most interesting German series and follows on from the hit film of the same name by star director Wolfgang Petersen. The focus is on the crew of the U 612, which is deployed in 1942 together with its crew of 40 under adverse conditions. At the same time, there are also problems on land, where Sabine Strasser finds herself in the conflict between Germany and the Resistance.
What is special about the Sky Original is the cast of German and international stars such as Stefan Konarske, Lizzy Caplan and Joana Ribeiro. In addition, the series was nominated for the German Television Award in 2019.
Bad Banks
An exciting thriller series in the heart of the Frankfurt banking scene. The protagonist is the young and talented investment banker Jana Liekam (Paula Beer). When she meets with a customer at a major international bank, she puts her foot in it and is dismissed without notice. However, this does not harm her career, because department head Christelle Leblanc (Désirée Nosbusch) quickly gets her a more influential job in the Frankfurt banking metropolis. Jana proves herself, but contact with Christelle has unexpected downsides.
“Bad Banks” is a story about power and billions. Parallels to “Wall Street” are certainly not unintentional. Undoubtedly one of the best German series so far!