“Crime scene”
US streaming portal shows German crime series
The “Tatort” stars Ballauf and Schenk from Cologne will soon also be seen in the USA and Canada.
© WDR/Frank Schoepgens
In Germany the “crime scene” is a cult. US colleagues have apparently also caught wind of this. A streaming service will show 250 episodes.
The “Tatort” can now also be seen on the streaming portal MHz Choice in the USA and Canada. As the “Hollywood Reporter” exclusively reports, the provider, which specializes in international TV series, has secured the rights to the crime series for North America. Accordingly, a contract for 250 episodes was concluded.
The report also states that the influence of the “Tatort” series on German pop culture cannot be overestimated and that it is a “phenomenally successful series”.
The contract with MHz Choice relates primarily to “Tatort” episodes from WDR, which is currently home to investigative teams from Cologne (Ballauf and Schenk), Münster (Boerne and Thiel) and Dortmund (Faber, Okon and Herzog). In addition, selected programs commissioned by WDR and Radio Bremen are included.
“Tatort” has already been shown abroad several times
The “Tatort” has been produced in German-speaking countries since 1970. In total there are already around 1,200 films, each of which is produced by the state authorities. The traditional broadcast slot is Sunday evening at 8:15 p.m. on Erste, ORF 2 and SRF 1.
The “crime scene” is also marketed in other countries under the title “Scene of Crime”, in the past for example in France, the Netherlands, Russia and Iran. The US special interest channel MHz WorldView has also already shown episodes of the crime series.