Anyone who fundamentally rejects FC Bayern will not enjoy “Good Friends”. The six-part series (based on Thomas Hüetlin’s bestseller) is not intended to authentically or even critically document the club’s best phase, it is intended to entertain. And that’s hard enough, because how do you build suspense when we know most of the stories and the ending? David Dietl (yes, the son) stages the years from 1965 to the 1974 World Cup with great attention to detail and a good sense of local color, the historical footage inserted into it fits in perfectly. But above all, he has a sensational ensemble.
The always great Maximilian Brückner shines as manager Robert Schwan, Martin Brambach also shines as national coach Helmut Schön. The show, however, is the young players, who almost become archetypes here: there is the guileless man of hearts Müller (Markus Krojer), next to him the charming rascal Beckenbauer (Moritz Lehmann). In the shared apartment of the shrewd, ambitious Hoeneß (Max Hubacher) and the (especially self-confident) revolutionary Breitner (Jan-David Bürger), things are going very high, and because everyone is so talented, any whimsy is forgiven. Even if in such cases it is almost impossible not to constantly think of the originals and compare the faces, the gestures, the voices: You can hardly imagine this troupe better. The only objection: Why wasn’t Eisi Gulp given a larger role? In addition, some things may be difficult to understand for people north of the Danube. Perhaps the best dialogue: Breitner: “I don’t like the country, but I like the world champion. Does that sound strange to you?” – Hoeneß: “Yes, yes.” (RTL+)