The new season of the successful series “Charité” takes place in the future. Fans can expect a lot of science fiction.
There are some things that “Charité VI.” with the three successful previous seasons from 2017, 2019 and 2021: the title, the famous Berlin hospital as the location of the event and the hospital series genre as well as “medical excellence, basic emotional conflicts and questions of values from the respective time,” as producer Henriette Lippold in summarized in a press conference.
Furthermore, everything is actually new and different. The six new parts will be broadcast in double episodes on the first on April 9th, 10th and 11th from 8:15 p.m. Following the two opening episodes, the station will show the documentary “Hirschhausen – Medicine of Tomorrow” from 9:55 p.m. as part of the ARD theme day “The Medicine of Tomorrow”.
Three history seasons – what happened so far
A look back: The first season takes place at the end of the 19th century and tells of medical greats like Robert Koch (Justus von Dohnányi, 63). The technical focus is on the discovery of the bacterial diagnostic agent tuberculin. The fictional lead role was played by Alicia von Rittberg (30), directed by Sönke Wortmann (64, “A Summer’s Tale”).
The second season takes place during the Nazi regime in the final years of the Second World War (1939-1945) and focuses, among other things, on racist pseudo-medicine. It is also about the work of the surgeon Ferdinand Sauerbruch (Ulrich Noethen, 64) and his wife, the internist Margot Sauerbruch (Luise Wolfram, 36). The main actress in the fictional plot was Mala Emde (27), directed by Anno Saul (60, “Nord Nord Mord”, “München Mord”).
The third season takes place at the beginning of the division of Berlin by the Wall (from 1961) and addresses, among other things, the clash of different world views using the example of the conservative gynecologist Helmut Kraatz (Uwe Ochsenknecht, 68) and the socialist-oriented pediatrician Ingeborg Rapoport (Nina Kunzendorf, 52 ) and the success of vaccination against polio. Nina Gummich (33) played the main role in the fictional storyline and was directed by Christine Hartmann (56, “Tatort”).
The three historical seasons were audience magnets from a ratings perspective. And the productions also won prizes at award ceremonies with Bambi, Romy, Jupiter Awards and the nomination for an International Emmy Award.
Visions of the future in a futuristic hospital
But you don’t have to have seen the first three seasons to get into the new one. Because this takes place in the future, more precisely in Berlin in the year 2049. The six-part science fiction series contains many thriller elements in which the doctors, nursing staff and patients deal with unknown bacteria, computer viruses and the injustice of the just renewed health care reform.
The new episodes take place against the background of the extreme climatic conditions that prevail in this Berlin scenario. It tells of the committed protest against the socially dividing reforms and of a “European intervention force” that equips its fighters for European democracy with chips in their heads.
Simulated operations are shown, which are then carried out by surgical robots. Organs come out of the printer, gender-sensitive treatments are normal. So-called locked-in patients, who are physically paralyzed but conscious, can move freely in the digital cyberverse with the help of neurotechnologists. But not everything is becoming more technical and artificial. For example, there are pre-surgery sessions that take away patients’ fears. You can also select your favorite music and the desired lighting mood for the operation…
The research-relevant focus of the fourth season is the microbiome, i.e. the bacteria and fungi that colonize the human body and which is as individual as the fingerprint or the iris of the eye.
Filming in Portugal
Due to the futuristic settings, the look and style of the new season is somewhat reminiscent of the eight-part science fiction novel adaptation “The Swarm” (2023). When it comes to the visual style, the “Charité” creatives, directed by Esther Bialas (42, “SOKO Hamburg”), relied on bright and yellowish colors. They also found them in the new hospital in Lisbon, which was still under construction during filming. The films were also made in Portugal because the climate, light and vegetation on site in a future Berlin are also conceivable.
This time the main roles are played by Sesede Terziyan (43) as Dr. Maral Safadi, Angelina Hätsch (40) as her wife Dr. Julia Kowalczyk, Gina Haller (37) as Marlene Hirt and Timur Isik (43) as Dr. Ferhat Williamson. Also in the cast are Moritz Führmann (45), Jan-Gregor Kremp (61) and Jenny Schily (56).
Conclusion
“Charité VI.” is courageous, exciting and provides interesting but also worrying food for thought. In some places there is perhaps a bit too much finger pointing, other scenes could also come from a soap opera. But since the six-part series was created expressly with the help of medical advice, it is probably quite credible.
“We have chosen future scenarios that are not so far removed from our current reality […] All of the things we are discussing are already being considered or are being tested,” confirmed editor Adrian Paul from the leading broadcaster MDR in the press conference. “Of course we have fictionalized some things, we have sped it up a little […]”But everything we say is based on extensive research,” the editor continued. Many Charité employees were involved in this research, which began four years ago in April 2020, as well as many external consultants such as futurologists , “which made it possible for us to tell stories in a very realistic way,” he added.
Finally, a clear note: If you liked the first three seasons, you should completely free yourself from it before the fourth, because the new episodes have nothing to do with that. Now it’s time: off to the future!