The German-language crime series Criminal: Germany (German: Kriminal; literally, Criminal) premiered in Germany on March 6, 2019 on the free-to-air channel ZDF. The ten episodes of the first season, which will run Monday through Friday from 19 to 27 March at 22:15 UTC+1, are based on police procedurals written by George Kay and Jim Field Smith (with the exception of episode 4), and directed by Holger Ellermann and Lukas Renner. Criminal Germany: A New Anthology Series worth Checking Out
Table of Contents
What is Criminal?
Though the first season of Criminal was written by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, there are also two talented German writers on the team. Christian Berkel, who is most well-known for his roles in Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation and Downfall, writes alongside Jonathan Berlin who has won a BAFTA (British Academy Award) and four Emmy Awards. The showrunner is another successful writer-director with one series already under their belt.
The aim of this new anthology series is to portray some of the realities that can be encountered when living as a police officer in present day Germany.
Each season will have six episodes that showcase how law enforcement handles cases such as domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, cyber crime and more.
The Plot
The series follows cops who, in six episodes (not including a catch-up episode), are hunting down serial killers, mass murderers and con men. The actors portraying these policemen include Eva Meckbach as Hanna Ernst, Peter Kurth as lead inspector Ulrich Heller and Deniz Arora as Police Sergeant Max Muller. The show is set in Berlin and there’s a fair amount of German spoken on the show – both by the main characters, by bystanders, and by victims of crime.
There’s some good chemistry between the three leads but one does wonder how long it will take for them to crack their first case.
We’ll have to wait until early 2020 for that answer.
The Cast
The series features German actors, including many renowned European stage actors, such as Eva Meckbach and Christian Kuchenbuch. Other cast members include Florence Kasumba, Sylvester Groth, Nina Hoss, Julika Jenkins, Barbara Morgenstern and Ben Becker. It is set in a German city with customs and situations not unlike those seen in other parts of the world. The goal of the series is to present stories that are both socially relevant and entertaining. In its first season, Criminal Germany dealt with themes like cross-border crime, terrorism, and political corruption.
If you’re interested in a new anthology series from Europe that deals with topics that are both social relevant and entertaining then you should check out Criminal Germany on Amazon Prime Video.
The Review
It’s always exciting to see a new series made for German viewers, and Criminal does not disappoint. Like any anthology series, the best thing about Criminal is that each episode is its own self-contained story. Unlike many American crime shows where you know the case will get solved by the end of the hour, each episode of Criminal provides you with an answer or two but leaves enough open to be able to start fresh next week. The cast are all fantastic and it doesn’t hurt that they’re speaking in their native tongue which makes watching this even more immersive than your average police procedural.
Who are the characters?
Kommissarin Nicole Thiel (Eva Meckbach) is the lead investigator at a Düsseldorf Police Department. Formerly an investigative journalist, she now finds herself going through the tedium of chasing dead ends and solving open-and-shut cases. Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk reporter Nils Buchhold is obsessed with her, constantly questioning her about case details to feed his perfect crime TV show. Reporter Sven Gerlach is on a different kind of crusade – he wants to find out what happened in 1987 when six innocent people were found dead after being killed by unknown assailants.
I’ve been reading this series since it was first published in Germany and I’m very excited for it to be translated into English!
Accused
Peter Kurth – Jochen Müller
The German anthology Criminal is set in the country’s most modern and multicultural city, Frankfurt am Main. It was commissioned by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF in 2017. The first series Criminal – Frankfurt stars Eva Meckbach as police officer Sophie Feller who, after returning to the Frankfurt police force following a career break, finds herself investigating cross-border crimes involving different jurisdictions and organized crime networks. It also stars Sylvester Groth as Peter Kurth (Jochen Müller), her boss, who runs an independent special unit that tackles complicated cases.
Deniz Arora [de] – Yilmaz Yussef
Based on crime stories by top-ranking German journalists, Criminal: Germany is a 2019 German-language police procedural anthology series created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, and starring Eva Meckbach, Sylvester Groth. The first two episodes are a hit and people are excited for the next ones. Those who can speak German should enjoy watching the series which deals with sensitive topics like child abuse or neglect while also tackling cases of identity theft. And those who can’t read subtitles? You’re in luck as well! There’s an English dub so you don’t have to worry about missing out on anything.
Nina Hoss – Claudia Hartmann
If you’re in the mood for a new crime drama, then look no further. Criminal, a series that is set to air on February 5th on TNT, will certainly be worth checking out. It is shot beautifully and stars some well-known faces such as Eva Meckbach and Sylvester Groth. The show was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith who are known for their work with the other anthologies series Broadchurch. There are six episodes which focus on different crimes from different perspectives. In each episode there are two detectives from different parts of the country – Berlin and Hamburg. They work together because there is no national police force in Germany. One of the detectives has a connection to one of the victims, or one of the perpetrators. They have 48 hours before they need to hand over their case.
Police
Eva Meckbach – Detective Chief Inspector [de] Nadine Keller
Similar to FX’s The Bridge, Criminal offers a German-language series that investigates crime cases in three distinct locales. Three-time winner of the German TV Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Eva Meckbach stars as detective chief inspector Nadine Keller of Hamburg’s Cold Case Department. In each episode, she tackles cold cases from her own city and two other locations with the help of a team of specialists.
The series premiered on March 1st and airs Sundays at 9pm on ARD in Germany and at 10pm on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
Sylvester Groth – Detective Chief Inspector Karl Schulz
German actor Sylvester Groth plays the detective in charge of the Criminological Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) in Hamburg, Germany. In an attempt to show how detectives can come from any background, the show focuses on Schulz’s character and his personal life, such as his marriage and family life. He is often shown having marital problems but tries to focus on his work and be a good father for his daughter.
Florence Kasumba – Antje Borchert
Eva Meckbach and Antje Borchert lead the way in Criminal, a German anthology series that premiered on Netflix in January 2019. The show is an international collaboration between George Kay and Jim Field Smith (formerly of Kudos TV) who created it. They’re both well-versed with police procedurals and have worked together before on the ITV series Criminal Justice from 2008 to 2010. Each episode of Criminal follows two or three different cases led by a female protagonist as she grapples with personal problems while trying to solve them professionally. For example, in the pilot episode, Florence Kasumba plays Lara Schilling, a detective inspector with Berlin’s homicide department whose marriage is falling apart because her husband has lost his job at BMW.
Christian Kuchenbuch [de] – Martin Ludwig
In 2015, George Kay and Jim Field Smith launched the British anthology series Criminal for Channel 4. Now Kay and Smith have a new series out in German. They partnered with the RTL television network to air the series on their pay-TV channels. Eva Meckbach stars as a police officer named Marie Linden who investigates crimes, while Sylvester Groth plays her boss Frank Thiel. The first three episodes of Criminal Germany came out last week and they can be viewed on Amazon Prime Video. I really liked this show because it’s refreshingly different from other procedurals like Law & Order or CSI. The plot is that an older police detective (Meckbach) is investigating cases along with her young partner (Groth). Their unorthodox methods make them prime targets for headstrong superiors who think they should just do things by the book.
Jonathan Berlin – Stefan Proska
Criminal is a police procedural anthology series made for TV by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, starring Eva Meckbach. Criminal centers around new inspector Anna Sanders, played by Meckbach. The story follows her as she works on a special task force in Hamburg that deals with complex crimes – including terrorism and gang crime. Part of what makes the show so compelling is that it’s set in Germany, which offers an entirely different perspective than most American stories about law enforcement. It’s also been said to be one of the first major German-language drama productions to feature Muslim characters. With only four episodes currently available, it’s not difficult to binge watch all four episodes right now!
Lawyers
Christian Berkel – Dr. Marquardt
Christian Berkel is a popular German actor and one of the leads in the anthology series Criminal. He has performed in many movies, TV shows, and plays.
Berkel grew up in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany and was raised Catholic. His mother was also an actress. Berkel first acted at age 5 with her. In 1976 he became famous for his role as Markus Schroeder in the television show Good Times, Bad Times.
Berkel’s most famous roles are in Das Boot (1981), Der Untergang (2004), and Leipzig’s Ballad of Death (1991).
In 2011 he played Dr.
Who is behind this show?
This show is created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, and stars Eva Meckbach, Sylvester Groth. It follows a group of German police officers solving a new crime every episode. We’re just starting out with Criminal Germany, but there are four seasons to get lost in for now. As an anthology series, Criminal Germany switches up the cast each episode – this allows the audience to become more invested in characters they may not have met otherwise.
The unique thing about this series is that it’s not set up like other popular crime dramas where the detectives work together to solve crimes. Instead, Criminal Germany focuses on each character as they work on different cases throughout their career as detectives.
What can we expect from it?
Crime dramas like Law and Order and CSI have had a strong following in America for decades. In the past few years, some of these stories have been shared with the world. One of the newest to add to this list is Criminal, a German show that debuted on public broadcaster ARD’s video-on-demand service on December 3rd, 2018. The anthology series revolves around three criminal cases over 10 episodes. They are primarily set in Hamburg, where police officers Kristin Otto (Eva Meckbach) and Thomas Ritter (Sylvester Groth) work as investigators.
How do they market it?
Watching a show about criminals is one of the most common activities on television. Of course, there are numerous options and it’s important to find one that suits your needs. One of the newest series to do this is Criminal, a German-language anthology series with 10 episode seasons; a new season premieres every four months. Every season has an entirely different story line and cast, but does have some recurring actors across episodes. It also doesn’t follow any continuity from season to season which can be jarring for fans who like watching a continuing storyline. There is currently only one actress playing a protagonist, Eva Meckbach, who portrays police officer Maria Schneider in Season 1 and 2.
Will there be a criminal Germany Season 2?
Though Criminal is an anthology series, it has been confirmed that the next season will be in Iceland and will star Andrea Sawatzki. While there are no definite details about the plot of the new series, it is believed that there will be a powerful woman at the center of the story.
While there is not much information yet on Criminal Season 2, we can’t wait to watch this talented cast tackle new roles. We’ll just have to tune in for all the exciting drama!
Is Criminal Germany on Netflix?
There are few television shows these days that can make the claim of quality but Criminal, a German-language police procedural anthology series, is one. It consists of 10 episodes, each directed by different people and has a cast of engaging and charismatic actors. The show tackles social issues like immigration in ways that not only challenge you to reconsider your assumptions but also entertain you. Eva Meckbach stars as Danni Rossmann, an investigator for the Berlin’s criminal police department and Sylvester Groth plays Berlin detective Tobias Geiger.
With most international crime dramas dominating American televisions, it’s refreshing to see this exciting new program from Europe. If you want something to watch on Netflix that will be worth every minute spent watching it, check out Criminal Germany!
How many seasons of Criminal Germany is there?
There are currently three seasons of Criminal German on Netflix with a fourth season in the works and not yet available to stream. The anthology series has been met with acclaim, culminating in the 2018 Silver Berlin Bear for Best International Crime Drama at the Berlin Film Festival. We recommend it if you’re looking for something fresh to watch and would be perfect for fans of binge-watching murder mysteries! Does anyone know when season four will be released?
We’ll update this post once we find out!
How many episodes of Criminal are there in Germany?
I just finished the first season of Criminal: Germany and I’m already looking forward to Season 2. There are a total of 10 episodes in the first season. The show has been renewed for a second season which will be released in 2020.
This anthology series was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, two award-winning screenwriters from the UK who have also written some of my favorite TV shows such as The Fall, Prime Suspect, Endeavour, Foyle’s War, Dalziel & Pascoe and Death Comes To Pemberley among others.
I don’t know what it is about this show but I couldn’t stop watching it!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Criminal series are there?
The first season of Criminal, an anthology series that tells stories based on various crimes, premiered in 2007. The show was met with a positive response and its network immediately announced the second season. This crime series has even been nominated for Emmy Awards for Best Writing and Best Cinematography. The newest anthology series, Criminal: Germany debuted on March 4th and is now streaming on Netflix. The German-language police procedural series stars Eva Meckbach and Sylvester Groth. Check out this video preview of the new criminal TV show!
How many episodes is Criminal: UK?
The Criminal UK was made up of a total of 12 episodes and aired on BBC One from 14 February to 4 April 2016. In the US, it was picked up by BBC America and ran from 27 September to 18 November 2016 with 10 episodes. There are no plans for a third season of the show as of yet. However, there have been some rumors that suggest that Netflix is considering making a version of the series set in London.
How much is Netflix in Germany?
Netflix is an American company, founded in 1997 and based in Los Angeles, California. In 2016, Netflix’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Reed Hastings said that the DVD home video rental market had been effectively obsolete for many years. Since the birth of Netflix, streaming services have become one of the most popular methods of watching TV and movies. With a monthly subscription to Netflix, you get access to an extensive library of movies and TV shows. With this accessibility comes a price though. Netflix prices start at $7.99 per month for basic HD streaming on up to $13.99 per month for premium 4K Ultra HD viewing with HDR content and access to Dolby Atmos soundtracks if you subscribe to the highest tier package available at that time. Criminal Germany: A New Anthology Series worth Checking Out
Is criminal Spain in English?
The show was originally created for the German speaking audience, but translations of each episode are available for free online at www.translateme.tv/criminal-germany. This means that there is now a way to keep up with this show if you don’t speak German or don’t know someone who can tell you what it all means! It’s also worth noting that this new series seems to be following in the footsteps of an earlier anthology series called Criminal which ran on Denmark’s TV2 and had similar success, so this one has some serious potential.
Will there be a third series of criminal UK?
As mentioned in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF, George Kay (creator of the series) has stated that he is still undecided about what to do next. It’s not just a question of us and West End continuing to talk about it – I have been thinking about it for a long time and will discuss things with the creators in January. The first two seasons of Criminal UK were enormously successful, but I want to make sure if we come back we’re not just repeating ourselves. So while there may be some more Criminal US down the line, there are no plans for any more Criminal UK right now. Criminal Germany: A New Anthology Series worth Checking Out
