| Deutschland 83 | |
 | |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Original run | 17 June – 5 August 2015 (US) |
| DVD release | September 29, 2015 (US) |
| Season chronology | |
| previous None |
next Deutschland 86 |
Deutschland 83 is an eight-episode German television series. It is a co-production between AMC Networks' SundanceTV and RTL Television by the production company, UFA Fiction, with international distribution by RTL Group's Fremantle Media International.
The series premiered in the United States on 17 June 2015 on SundanceTV, making it the first German-language series to air on a U.S. network, and on RTL in Germany on 26 November 2015. In the UK it premiered on More4 on 3 January 2016, becoming the most successful foreign language drama aired by the broadcaster.
Plot[]
Set in a divided Germany in 1983, during a peak period for Cold War tensions between East and West. Martin Rauch, a wide-eyed 24-year-old East German soldier plucked from obscurity, goes undercover as a West German soldier for the East Germany Secret Service.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Jonas Nay as Martin Rauch / Moritz Stamm (8 episodes)
- Maria Schrader as Lenora Rauch (8 episodes)
- Ulrich Noethen as General Edel (8 episodes)
- Sylvester Groth as Walter Schweppenstette (8 episodes)
- Sonja Gerhardt as Annett Schneider (8 episodes)
- Ludwig Trepte as Alex Edel (8 episodes)
- Alexander Beyer as Tobias Tischbier (8 episodes)
- Lisa Tomaschewsky as Yvonne Edel (8 episodes)
Recurring Cast[]
- Carina Wiese as Ingrid Rauch (8 episodes)
- Vladimir Burlakov as Thomas Posimski (7 episodes)
- Godehard Giese as Karl Kramer (6 episodes)
- Errol Trotman-Harewood as General Jackson (6 episodes)
- Michaela Caspar as Frau Netz (6 episodes)
- Jens Albinus as Henrik Mayer (4 episodes)
- Nikola Kastner as Linda Seiler (4 episodes)
Guest Cast[]
- Anna von Berg as Ursula Edel (7 episodes)
- Uwe Preuss as Markus Fuchs (6 episodes)
- Florian Bartholomäi as Felix von Schwerin (5 episodes)
- Niels Bormann as Fritz Hartmann (5 episodes)
- Beate Maes as Renate Werner (4 episodes)
- Merab Ninidze as Alexej Stepanov (4 episodes)
- Charlotte Crome as Cosima von Schwerin (3 episodes)
- Lena Lauzemis as Nina Rudow (3 episodes)
- Matthias Lier as Krishna (2 episodes)
- Peter Sikorski as Globowsky (2 episodes)
- Philipp Baltus as Werner Freisinger (2 episodes)
- Thomas Chemnitz as Joachim (2 episodes)
Episodes[]
| Number | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quantum Jump | 17 June 2015 |
| 2 | Brave Guy | 24 June 2015 |
| 3 | Atlantic Lion | 1 July 2015 |
| 4 | Northern Wedding | 8 July 2015 |
| 5 | Cold Fire | 15 July 2015 |
| 6 | Brandy Station | 22 July 2015 |
| 7 | Bold Guard | 29 July 2015 |
| 8 | Able Archer | 5 August 2015 |
Reception[]
The first two episodes premiered at the Berlinale 2015 to very positive reviews. In its US television premiere, it also received positive reviews, with mention of its humor and successful depiction of a Cold War thriller, with favorable comparisons to the US show, The Americans. At least one critic called it the best show of the summer of 2015.
In the United Kingdom, it also received positive reviews and became the most-successful foreign language drama ever aired on Channel 4.
In Germany, it had low ratings for RTL which led to Amazon Germany acquiring the exclusive premiere rights to Deutschland 86 and its follow up series Deutschland 89.
Trivia[]
- The opening credits for the German transmission of the show uses the song "Blue Monday" by New Order whereas the UK and US broadcasts use the song "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling. The original version of the latter features on the soundtrack.
- The season covers the summer of 1983 to early 1984.
Videos[]
| Seasons |
|---|
| Deutschland 83 • Deutschland 86 • Deutschland 89 |