September 10 will be a key date for fans of "Babylon Berlin". On this Thursday, ARD Mediathek will release all eight episodes of the fifth and final season at once. Das Erste will follow nine days later: On September 19, episodes one through four will air starting at 8:15 PM, and on September 25, episodes five through eight will follow starting at 10:20 PM. This information comes from ARD's program announcement.
A Missing File
The story covers a brief but momentous period. The season begins on January 30, 1933, when Reich President Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor, and ends in late February. "It only took four weeks back then to eliminate parliamentary democracy, which it still was despite presidential decrees", explains director Achim von Borries. "The opposition was banned and basic rights were suspended. Tens of thousands ended up in illegal camps, the SA was armed and made into an auxiliary police force."
This time, Charlotte Ritter takes center stage. She investigates a series of killings targeting former front-line soldiers, with traces reaching back to 1918. A missing file sheds new light on Hitler's time as a soldier in World War I, and whoever is searching for it won't stop at taking lives, according to the announcement. Then Gereon Rath disappears without a trace.
Familiar Faces and Prominent New Additions
Volker Bruch and Liv Lisa Fries return as Rath and Ritter, with the plot loosely following themes from Volker Kutscher's novel "Märzgefallene". The ensemble once again includes Benno Fürmann, Lars Eidinger, Hannah Herzsprung, Christian Friedel, Fritzi Haberlandt, Godehard Giese, Jördis Triebel, and Martin Wuttke.
New additions include Clemens Schick as Hitler, Devid Striesow as Göring, and Ulrich Noethen as Dr. Forster. As usual, Achim von Borries, Henk Handloegten, and Tom Tykwer are responsible for the script and direction.
A Summary in Numbers
What has been created over ten years can be quantified. ARD-Degeto managing director Christoph Pellander cites 533 shooting days at more than 500 locations, over 400 actors, 17,000 extras, and 2,046 crew members. "Behind each of these numbers are passion, courage, and an impressive collective achievement", says Pellander.
ARD program director Christine Strobl recalls that the series started as the first cooperation between public broadcasting and streaming with international ambitions. The resistance was significant, she says: "It was a major effort, and it was worth it." Producer Uwe Schott quantifies the international success with sales to over 140 countries.
What Else Launches Around the Finale
The series finale doesn't come alone. Also on September 10, "Babylon Berlin - Die Doku" will be released on Mediathek, with Das Erste airing Christian Jakob's film on September 21 at 11:35 PM. The audio drama series "Haus Vaterland" with five episodes of 53 minutes each will be available on ARD Sounds starting September 3.
In addition, the adventure game "Eine Nacht im Moka Efti - Eine Babylon Berlin Story" will launch on Steam in September, developed at SWR X Lab together with Achim von Borries. A making-of for the final season will also be available on Mediathek starting in September.
