German Series in the USA
Berlin crime dramas make for ‘Must-See’ TV

Still from the Netflix series "Dogs of Berlin" | © Netflix / Foto: Sergio Belinchon
Modern-day Berlin is the favored locale of German showrunners looking to make binge-worthy series. There’s just something in the Berliner Luft that makes for compelling crime thrillers... call it the Berlin that tourists never see, if they’re lucky.
Here are a few of the series that flipped the script on German crime thrillers. Gritty, dark, brutal and intensely action-filled, these series are a clear departure from the rather tame whodunnit school of prime-time murder mysteries.
In the Face of Crime

Blochin

4 Blocks

The second season in 2018 proved more controversial, with some debate as to whether the show provided an authentic view of Neukölln or simply glorified gangsterism. But the controversy didn’t hurt the ratings in Germany, and a third season was released in 2019. Read more about this series in our Binge Fever feature: 4 Blocks - Berlin is ours now!
Watch „4 Blocks“ Streaming
In the USA (Season 1 und 2):
Amazon Prime
HBO Max
In Germany (Season 1–3):
TNT Serie auf SKY
Amazon Prime
iTunes
Dogs of Berlin

Dogs of Berlin creator Christian Alvart clearly took the controversy surrounding former Mannschaft star Mesut Özil as a springboard. He adds to the mix a neo-Nazi association, match-fixing, blackmail, and the foreign-born “crime clans” of Berlin’s Marzahn district for a series that misses no opportunity to be provocative. Frank Lamm’s camerawork makes Berlin by night memorably atmospheric, right down to the last U-Bahn station.
Watch “Dogs of Berlin”
In the USA and Germany on: Netflix
Beat

This being a German crime series, things get very, very dark for Beat. At the end of the last episode, you may feel like you too are stumbling out of an all-night club, blinking in the daylight. (Amazon Video)
You Are Wanted

Ich hab’ noch eine Staffel in Berlin
Clearly, there’s no end to intrigue in Germany’s capital or crimes that need solving. It’s not hard to imagine that the city’s status as the crossroads of Europe and the world capital of nightlife will keep Berlin, in all its glory and its seamy side, on our screens for years to come. And honorable mentions go to a few US series set in Berlin:Homeland

Sehen Sie „Homeland“
In den USA:
HULU
Amazon Prime
In Deutschland:
Amazon Prime
iTunes
Berlin Station

Counterpart

The series stars J.K. Simmons, Olivia Williams, Harry Lloyd and Nazanin Boniadi in double roles, and explores in a psychologically appealing way how differently life could have turned out thanks to the tiniest changes. Moreover, Counterpart makes Berlin the city of spies again: the Cold War with a sci-fi upgrade includes monitored flats in Friedenau, a hidden border crossing under Tempelhof Airport and agents meeting at the Kulturforum.
• Berlin is the capital of TV and film production of Germany, if not all of Europe
• More than 330 productions are filmed every year in Berlin: cinema films, TV series, shorts, documentaries
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH provided €22.7 million in support to 104 film and TV productions in 2016, including €1.8 million for TV series
• 5,000 days spent each year filming in Berlin (all productions combined)
• In Berlin and Brandenburg, the productions have added more than €150 million to the local economy, returning €6 for every euro in subsidies
• Berlin-Brandenburg productions sold for €7.5 billion in 2016, up from €6.6 billion the year before (source: Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg)
• The states of Berlin and Brandenburg had increased their annual production subsidies by €1.2 million in their 2018-19 budgets.
Source: visitberlin.de
• More than 330 productions are filmed every year in Berlin: cinema films, TV series, shorts, documentaries
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH provided €22.7 million in support to 104 film and TV productions in 2016, including €1.8 million for TV series
• 5,000 days spent each year filming in Berlin (all productions combined)
• In Berlin and Brandenburg, the productions have added more than €150 million to the local economy, returning €6 for every euro in subsidies
• Berlin-Brandenburg productions sold for €7.5 billion in 2016, up from €6.6 billion the year before (source: Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg)
• The states of Berlin and Brandenburg had increased their annual production subsidies by €1.2 million in their 2018-19 budgets.
Source: visitberlin.de