Observed Signal · Jul 3, 2026 · Programming Announcement · Source: Horizont · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
ARD Surprises with New Series, Sends 'Babylon Berlin' to Finale
At the Screenforce Festival on July 3, 2026, public broadcaster ARD presented its programming highlights for the coming season. ARD Media CEO Ralf Hape framed the presentation and the lineup includes the final season of the high-profile series 'Babylon Berlin', a new impro-dramedy titled 'Friesenjunkies' set on Sylt (premise: celebrities, millionaires and ordinary people in a luxury rehab clinic), and a large documentary about 9/11. The announcements position ARD’s upcoming slate around flagship drama, documentary and experimental formats as it heads into the new season.
ARD’s programming slate (final season of a flagship series and new original content) affects linear TV scheduling, premium inventory and sponsorship opportunities for advertisers and media buyers.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ARD presented programming highlights at the Screenforce Festival on July 3, 2026.
- ARD announced the final season of the series 'Babylon Berlin'.
- ARD unveiled a new impro-dramedy called 'Friesenjunkies', set on Sylt and featuring celebrities, millionaires and ordinary people in a luxury detox clinic.
- ARD announced a major 9/11 documentary as part of its upcoming season.
- ARD-Media-CEO Ralf Hape led the presentation at the Screenforce Festival.
Connected Companies & Entities
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
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Babylon Berlin finale skips the Tatort slot
ARD has announced the release plan for the fifth and final season of Babylon Berlin. All eight episodes will be released at once in the ARD Mediathek on 2026-09-10. The linear TV premiere begins on Das Erste on 2026-09-19 (Saturday) with the first four episodes, and the remaining four episodes will air on 2026-09-25 beginning at 22:20. Sky, which withdrew from fiction production, is not involved this season. The season is set in February 1933 and follows Charlotte Ritter and Gereon Rath amid politically explosive events. The series is produced by X Filme Creative Pool in co-production with ARD Degeto, WDR, SWR, HR, Radio Bremen and Beta Film in cooperation with RBB. ARD will also offer companion content including a documentary, a radio drama series and an SWR adventure game.
ARD Program Director Reflects on Babylon Berlin and Future
In an interview with DWDL.de, ARD Program Director Christine Strobl discusses the legacy of the hit series 'Babylon Berlin' and her strategic goals for the public broadcaster. She reflects on the initial challenges of the project, including a partnership with Sky Deutschland, and the lessons learned about cooperation and windowing. Strobl emphasizes the need for more collaboration across the German media landscape, including with ZDF, RTL, and streaming platforms, to remain relevant amid budget constraints and audience fragmentation. She also details her ambition to transform ARD's linear thinking, with a focus on its mediathek, and reveals a reshuffling of the program coordination structure into five core genres. She extended her contract until 2031.
One announces two final series before closure
German broadcaster One has announced two series as its final programming before the channel is folded into the joint ARD/ZDF offering 'Neo' at the end of the year. One will air the free-TV premiere of the eight-episode Sherlock drama 'Sherlock & Daughter' (already on MagentaTV) starting 2 September, with episodes also available in the ARD-Mediathek. The second announcement is season two of the British family saga 'The Hardacres', with the ARD-Mediathek availability and linear airings around 29 September and 6 October. The moves follow a reform treaty requiring ARD and ZDF to reduce their niche channels.
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