“Tatort”: Three commissioners are giving up their jobs

“Crime scene”
Three inspectors are giving up their jobs

“Tatort” viewers have to adapt to some changes, as the program director and ARD coordinator fiction, Jörg Schönenborn, announces. After the fans had to say goodbye to two popular inspectors, it is now official that a third well-known face will no longer be seen in his role indefinitely.

“Tatort” actor Til Schweiger is no longer there

“With Til Schweiger no further Tatort films are planned for the time being,” says the program director. Compared to “TV Digital”, Schönenborn basically announced some changes in the popular crime series: “I can reveal that we are working on new ideas for teams that the viewers can be excited.” There is a lively exchange between the colleagues who work at the “crime scene”, what is good or very good and what new things can be tried out. “This also refers to considerations, great, few so far to win well-known actors and actresses as new investigators who have not previously been associated with the ‘crime scene’.”

The program director then gave a little insight: “Some topics of the next few months are about modern agriculture and EU subsidies, a murder in the supplier environment or the hunt for a treasure in the Palatinate. Murder out of passion is also included.” The many changes are probably also due to the declining rates of “crime scene” compared to the previous year: According to “extra” the crime series has been losing viewers almost continuously since 2015. After an absolute low of 8.01 million television viewers on average in 2018, the figure recovered to 8.38 million by 2021 and fell again to 8 in 2022, 14

“We have to learn to value success differently,” says von Schönenborn. “Of course, linear television use is declining overall, and ‘Tatort’ is also affected. However, ‘Tatort”s market shares are relatively high.”

Not only Til Schweiger leaves the row

Actor Til Schweiger, 59, is not the only actor to leave the “crime scene”. The popular actress Heike Makatsch, 52, will also no longer be seen in her role as Ellen Berlinger after the SWR will part with the Mainz “Tatort” with the last episode in autumn. “It was a great honor for SWR to be able to work with such a distinctive and multifaceted actress as Heike Makatsch in ‘Tatort’,” said SWR program director Clemens Bratzler in July 2023. According to Bratzler, the background to the hiring was financial problems: “Inflation also leads to noticeable cost increases in our fictional productions, which we can unfortunately no longer absorb without cuts in the offer.”

At least the third “crime scene” commissioner is undoubtedly retiring voluntarily: Axel Milberg, 67, said goodbye to his role as Klaus Borowski after 38 episodes and more than 20 years. “I will definitely not miss Borowski,” revealed the actor in an interview with “RND”. “I would miss it if that were the end of my professional life, but I am already preparing for other interesting projects for the next year, which are also possible because I no longer play the role of commissioner and thus a new one view is possible.”

It is important for the actor to also play completely different roles, and “Tatort” would have blocked three to four months a year with, among other things, the shooting, the weeks of book development, dress rehearsals and director talks. “I’ve lived in hotels for more than three years just for the ‘crime scene’. It’s crazy.” But of course the role was a great gift and a companion for him. In 2025, the actor will be seen for the last time in a new case for Borowski.

Sources used: rnd.de, ndr.de, swr.de, de.statista.com

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