Nostalgia in the media library
Cult series to binge-watch
“Two Munich people in Hamburg” with Uschi Glas and Elmar Wepper.
© imago/teutopress
“I’m marrying a family” or “Two Munich people in Hamburg” with Uschi Glas and Elmar Wepper – these 80s cult series are available in the media library.
“One Heart and One Soul” (1973-1976, Das Erste)
The TV series “A heart and a soul” satirically addresses the coexistence of a West German family in the 1970s. The action takes place in a terraced housing estate in North Rhine-Westphalia, more precisely in Wattenscheid. Everyday issues are dealt with and, above all, the clash between the conservative attitudes of parents Alfred (Heinz Schubert) and Else Tetzlaff (Elisabeth Wiedemann, Helga Feddersen) and the idealistic approaches of the ’68 movement, which were led by their daughter Rita (Hildegard Krekel) and from the GDR-born son-in-law Michael (Diether Krebs, Klaus Dahlen) will be represented.
The sitcom was introduced to German TV with this chamber play-like format. This made it a significant milestone in the history of television. It was also the first series to deal with the political events of the time.
“I’m marrying a family” (1983-1986, ZDF)
The cult series “I’m marrying a family” is still repeated regularly around Christmas time to this day.
It tells the story of Angelika “Angi” Graf (Thekla Carola Wied), who is a divorced mother who lives in West Berlin with her three children and works in a children’s fashion boutique. Through her friends Bille (Maria Sebaldt) and Alfons Vonhoff (Herbert Bötticher) she meets the commercial artist Werner Schumann (Peter Weck) and falls in love with him. After Angi had kept her children a secret, she told Werner about them. He decides to marry them all. The new family experiences typical family adventures together, such as the loss of pets, the first heartbreak and weddings with friends.
“The Black Forest Clinic” (1985-1989, ZDF)
“The Black Forest Clinic” was an absolute hit with up to 28 million viewers every week (at the time a market share of 60 percent). The Carlsbau clinic building in Glottertal near Freiburg im Breisgau, built in 1913/1914, served as the external backdrop for the fictional Black Forest clinic.
The series revolves around Professor Klaus Brinkmann (Klausjürgen Wussow), who returns to his hometown as chief physician and meets up with his son Dr. Udo Brinkmann (Sascha Hehn) and the nurse Christa Mehnert (Gaby Dohm). In addition to the Brinkmann family’s network of relationships, other employees of the clinic and people from their private environment are also included. The first season focuses on the relationship between Klaus and Christa, who eventually get married and have a son. However, Klaus suffers a heart attack…
“The legacy of the Guldenburgs” (1987-1990, ZDF)
“The legacy of the Guldenburgs” revolves around the life of the fictional German noble family von Guldenburg. Led by the head of the family, Martin Graf von Guldenburg (Karl-Heinz Vosgerau), the family lives at Guldenburg Castle and owns a stud farm and a beer brewery. Only the count knows about the financial difficulties. The rival Balbeck family around Jan Balbeck (Sigmar Solbach) tries to take over the Guldenburgs’ property. When the count dies in a car accident, his survivors – his second wife, Countess Christine von Guldenberg (Christiane Hörbiger), their two children and two adult children from his first marriage – realize that the family is on the verge of ruin.
Other roles to be seen include: Brigitte Horney as Hertha Countess von Guldenburg, Iris Berben as Evelyn Lauritzen, Katharina Böhm as Susanne “Nane” Countess von Guldenburg, Ruth Maria Kubitschek as Margot Balbeck and Alexander Wussow as Tobias Kröger.
“Two Munich people in Hamburg” (1989-1993, ZDF)
After “Police Inspectorate 1” (1977-1988) and “Our most beautiful years” (1983-1985) followed “Two Munich people in Hamburg” (1989-1993) the third big series hit with the then TV dream couple Uschi Glas (79) and Elmar Wepper (1944-2023). Actress Uschi Glas celebrates her 80th birthday on March 2nd, a nice occasion to reminisce about series memories – the fact that audience favorite Elmar Wepper died unexpectedly in Munich on October 31st, 2023 is the sad occasion.
That’s what “Two Munichers in Hamburg” is about: Julia Heininger (Uschi Glas), department head at Bayernbank in Munich, is transferred to Hamburg, where she is supposed to manage the bank branch. At first she is not enthusiastic because she suspects that her Bavarian opponent Dr. Ralf-Maria Sagerer (Elmar Wepper) is behind it. Their enmity is heightened when he is sent to Hamburg to monitor their investments. Julia moves into a house with her son Maxl (Florian Stubenvoll) and housekeeper Fanny (Enzi Fuchs) and becomes friends with the neighbor, delicatessen dealer Alfred Haack (Heinz Reincke). When she gets to know Ralf, her supposed adversary, better, she develops feelings for him.
And these are by no means the only retro series; it’s worth taking a look at the media libraries: “The Wicherts from Next Door (1986-1991), “The Country Doctor” (1987-2013, ZDF), “Forsthaus Falkenau” (1989- 2013) and there is more to discover there.