TV review
“Kranitz – money back in case of separation”
Couple therapy in comical: brilliantly improvised series with star cast
Actually, Manni (Bjarne Mädel) should only test whether Sandy (Anna Schudt) takes it seriously with marital fidelity. But then he falls in love with his boss’s wife. Relationship therapist Klaus Kramitz explores whether the relationship between the two has a future.
© ARD Degeto / NDR / Thomas Leidig
Couples therapist Klaus Kranitz takes a special approach: he wants to solve all problems in just three sessions. In six improvised episodes, well-known actors like Bjarne Mädel or Charly Hübner take to the couch. Great fun.
“I also studied psychology for a semester … Basically, I went into the private sector very quickly”: When asked about his training, the otherwise eloquent couples therapist Klaus Kranitz quickly becomes tight-lipped. With good reason: he actually makes his living as a real estate agent. But he has built up a second mainstay as a marriage counselor.
In doing so, he pursues a very innovative approach: He promises to solve the couple’s problem in just three sessions of 30 minutes each. For this he asks the proud sum of 1500 euros – which he only claims if successful.
Jan Georg Schütte plays the leading role and directs
“Kranitz – Money back in case of separation” tells the stories of six couples – one in each episode. The special thing about this comedy series, which the NDR will broadcast from this Wednesday: The dialogues are improvised. Jan Georg Schütte is responsible for the format, not only playing the main role of the therapist, but also directing and contributing to the script. The whole story is based on the ARD radio play “Paartherapeut Klaus Kranitz”, which Schütte came up with together with the author Wolfgang Seesko.
Schütte was able to win over prominent actors for the TV implementation of this idea: Bjarne Mädel, Charly Hübner, Anna Schudt, Günther Maria Halmer and Angela Winkler, among others, will be involved.
The series covers a wide range of couple problems: Sometimes it is a lateral thinker couple who have lost their lust for sex. Sometimes it is an environmentalist who neglects his wife because she is worried about the toads. And sometimes the reversal of roles from housewife to family breadwinner also brings love back. In any case, therapist Kranitz always finds creative ways to get the relationship going again.
“Kranitz – Money back in the event of separation” with a reduced ensemble
For Jan Georg Schütte it is not the first time that he has worked with improvisation: He has already conducted large ensembles without a written script in the films “Altersglüh – Speed Dating für Senen” (2014) and “Klassentreffen” (2019). For the former he was even awarded the Grimme Prize.
“Kranitz – Money back in the event of separation” is somewhat reduced, in each scene only three people can be seen – which is probably due to the pandemic. But that doesn’t detract from the fun: In the six 40-minute episodes, first-class actors demonstrate their comic talent that it is pure joy.
At the end of all episodes, the relationship problems are resolved, Kranitz pocketed his 1500 euros – and the viewer had a lot of fun. So there are only winners.
“Kranitz – Money back in the event of separation” starts on Wednesday, October 20 at 10:30 pm on NDR. Another five episodes each Wednesday. All six episodes are already available in advance in the ARD media library