Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Looking for something to watch at home while hiding from the cold German weather outside? We’ve put together a selection of TV series on Netflix that are ideal for working on your German while at home - the perfect complement to your German lessons.
Luckily for us, in recent years Netflix has upped their game when it comes to foreign-language original content. Following on from the (surprise) success of its series Dark (the German answer to Stranger Things), the online streaming giant has since churned out several more German-language series, all of which are more than up to the task of keeping you entertained through the long weeks of quarantine.
So shut out reality, draw the curtains and settle in for a serious binge-a-thon.
Loosely based on Morton Rhue’s 1981 novel The Wave (which was adapted into a German film in 2008), this series tells the story of a group of idealistic teenagers who decide to band together to tackle social injustice. But what begins as a playful revolt against the establishment quickly takes a dark turn as the group’s actions become increasingly radical and risky.
Part of an anthology series spanning 12 episodes and four different countries, Criminal: Germany is set entirely within the confines of a police interrogation room and sees detectives engage in intense psychological cat-and-mouse games with their suspects, in order to get to the truth in three compelling cases.
This coming-of-age comedy series follows high-school nerd Moritz Zimmerman, who, in the hope of winning back his ex-girlfriend, launches an online drug business with his best friend Lenny. It’s not long before the pair are one of the biggest dealers in Europe, and things quickly start to spiral out of control.
This addition to Netflix’s German-language catalogue reimagines the father of psychoanalysis as a cocaine fiend who teams up with a detective and a medium in 19th-century Vienna to hunt down a serial killer. Expect murders, mystery, narcotics and a rather slipshod attitude to historical accuracy.
Set in Frankfurt, Skylines revolves around hip-hop producer Jinn, who is dragged into the violent underworld of organised crime, after signing with a dodgy record label that’s mixed up in the drug business. Spoiler: Skylines was cancelled after one series, so if you can’t bear an open ending, this one is probably not for you.
So, there you have it, there’s plenty of TV to keep you occupied during the cold winter months. If you’re hungry for more, why not check out our lists of the best German TV series and best German movies on Netflix?