At the end of last year I saw posters and billboards all over the place advertising a new drama series here in the UK called Deutschland 83. I was intrigued, but as I have never in all my years here seen a German TV series broadcast in the UK (at least, not without dubbing), I assumed it would be an American production and be in English.
But I am happy to say I was wrong! The first episode of Deutschland 83 aired in England on Sunday 3rd January, and I was delighted to find that it is 100% German! Not only is it made in Germany, but it is in German with English subtitles.
Continental drama has gained huge popularity here in recent years, but it has been dominated by the Swedes, Danes and French. I wonder if they’ll ever show a German series here? I kept thinking. You can not imagine how excited I was to hear the German language on English primetime TV, at long last!
So what’s Deutschland 83 all about? If you live in the US, you may already be familiar with it, as it aired there in June 2015 (and was, incidentally, the first German language series on a US network, too!).
Deutschland 83 is an 8-part drama set in the Cold War period in Germany. It follows a 24 year-old East German man who is sent undercover to the West as a spy for the Stasi.
So far only 1 episode has been shown, but it looks like it’ll be a great series, in my opinion. It has had excellent reviews so far.
If you are able to watch it, I recommend that you do. The fact that it’s subtitled rather than dubbed means you get to listen to the German language, with the subtitles to support you (see how much you can understand without them!). Plus, its subject matter means you get a bit of a German history lesson from it, too.
If you are in the UK, you can watch it on Sundays, Channel 4, 9pm. If you’re outside the UK, you might be able to watch it on YouTube, if it’s available in your country.
Who says watching TV can’t be educational? 😉
Here is the trailer, plus a scene from the first episode.
Servus! I'm Constanze and I live in the UK. I'm half English and half German, and have been writing about German language and culture on this blog since 2014. I am also a fitness instructor & personal trainer.
Comments:
Angela:
Thank you for this recommendation! I couldn’t find it on TV in the USA, so I just bought it on Amazon Prime and am really looking forward to watching the show! I love that it’s in Deutsch with English subtitles; if you know of any more good German shows in this format, please tell us about them in another blog. I really enjoy and appreciate your blogs the way they are though 🙂 Happy New Year, Constanze!!
Constanze:
@Angela Thanks, Angela – really pleased I’ve helped you find a new German show to watch! 🙂 x
Allan Mahnke:
Many thanks! I will be watching for these. Thanks to MHZ, which broadcasts from Washington DC, we see several German series in German with subtitles. They broadcast online, so anyone can watch! Memorable have been the Polizeiruf 110 series with Buckow & König, the Tatort with Ballauf & Schenk, which was a special favorite since my father-in-law’s name was Fred Schenk, and as a boy he was known as Freddie. Unfortunately, he never lived to see the series, which he would have loved. My personal favorite has been Der Tatortreiniger. Also in German but set in Venice is the Brunetti series.
It was fun to see actors we recognize in the promotional videos.
Jim:
Hi Constanze – am also very much enjoying this as it is rare to find a German program with subtitles on UK TV. Keep the blog posts coming too – I enjoy reading and learning from them, especially as I am currently working on and off over in Munich and trying to get to grips with Bairisch at the same time!
Servus!
Jim
Kelly:
I was very excited about this show and I tried the first episode but could not finish it. The subject matter, the styling, the acting, the cinematography — all fantastic.
BUT — I do not speak German so I am watching with English subtitles. The problem is, most of them are completely unreadable. They are white letters in white background and in abnormally small font. Unfortunately I could not make out half of the dialogue and what I could, was only do to constant pausing.
Really too bad, you’d think an editor would have reviewed it before releasing it!
Comments:
Angela:
Thank you for this recommendation! I couldn’t find it on TV in the USA, so I just bought it on Amazon Prime and am really looking forward to watching the show! I love that it’s in Deutsch with English subtitles; if you know of any more good German shows in this format, please tell us about them in another blog. I really enjoy and appreciate your blogs the way they are though 🙂 Happy New Year, Constanze!!
Constanze:
@Angela Thanks, Angela – really pleased I’ve helped you find a new German show to watch! 🙂 x
Allan Mahnke:
Many thanks! I will be watching for these. Thanks to MHZ, which broadcasts from Washington DC, we see several German series in German with subtitles. They broadcast online, so anyone can watch! Memorable have been the Polizeiruf 110 series with Buckow & König, the Tatort with Ballauf & Schenk, which was a special favorite since my father-in-law’s name was Fred Schenk, and as a boy he was known as Freddie. Unfortunately, he never lived to see the series, which he would have loved. My personal favorite has been Der Tatortreiniger. Also in German but set in Venice is the Brunetti series.
It was fun to see actors we recognize in the promotional videos.
Jim:
Hi Constanze – am also very much enjoying this as it is rare to find a German program with subtitles on UK TV. Keep the blog posts coming too – I enjoy reading and learning from them, especially as I am currently working on and off over in Munich and trying to get to grips with Bairisch at the same time!
Servus!
Jim
Kelly:
I was very excited about this show and I tried the first episode but could not finish it. The subject matter, the styling, the acting, the cinematography — all fantastic.
BUT — I do not speak German so I am watching with English subtitles. The problem is, most of them are completely unreadable. They are white letters in white background and in abnormally small font. Unfortunately I could not make out half of the dialogue and what I could, was only do to constant pausing.
Really too bad, you’d think an editor would have reviewed it before releasing it!