Observed Signal · Jun 23, 2026 · Series Renewal · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
NDR Developing Second Season of 'Schwarzes Gold'
NDR has announced that a second season of the ARD drama series "Schwarzes Gold" is in development, following the first season’s strong performance in the ARD Mediathek. NDR Program Director Frank Beckmann said the story is not finished and confirmed development is already underway; further details on cast, content and production start will be released later. NDR reported the six-episode first season has reached 9 million plays in the Mediathek with a 60% playback rate. The series’ score by Hans Zimmer and Aleksey Igudesman was awarded the Opus Klassik for Film Music/Score of the Year. Producers on the project include Matthias Greving and Kirsten Lukaczik; the first season was produced by Kinescope Film with co-producers FilmNation Entertainment, Hero Squared and 4Film, and world distribution by The Fifth Season.
A broadcaster renewing a successful original series is relevant to content and publisher strategy but has limited direct impact on the AdTech/MarTech industry.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- NDR announced a second season of the ARD series "Schwarzes Gold" is in development.
- Frank Beckmann (NDR Program Director) stated the story is not finished and a second season is being developed.
- NDR reported the first season’s six episodes achieved 9 million plays in the ARD Mediathek with a 60% playback rate.
- "Schwarzes Gold" won the Opus Klassik in the category "Filmmusik/Score des Jahres" for composers Hans Zimmer and Aleksey Igudesman.
- The first season was produced by Kinescope Film in co-production with FilmNation Entertainment, Hero Squared (Hungary) and 4Film; world distribution was handled by The Fifth Season.
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ZDF Starts Filming Season 2 of Späti and Tschappel
ZDF has begun production on second seasons of its series Späti and Tschappel. Tschappel was commissioned for 10 episodes (up from eight in season one) and is filming in Zußdorf and surrounding areas through August 7, 2026; scripts are by Marius Beck, Marc Philip Ginolas and Theresa Weininger. The series has previously won a Grimme-Preis and a Blauer Panther. Späti’s ten-part second season is filming in Berlin through about August 19, 2026; Wilson Gonzalez returns as Fred. Directors on Tschappel include Marc Philip Ginolas and Marius Beck; Späti is directed by Max Rainer and Biko Erki. Producers named include LAX Entertainment and Apollonia Film for Tschappel and btf (bildundtonfabrik) for Späti. ZDF editorial contacts are listed for both productions.
New Generation of 'Club der roten Bänder' Released
An interview on DWDL.de discusses the creation and launch of a new generation of the German series 'Club der roten Bänder.' Producers Hauke Bartel and Gerda Müller describe their intent to create a new story that respects the original's legacy while avoiding direct continuations. The new series was developed editorially by Solveig Willkommen, written by Adrian Spring (with Kristen Loose helping develop the season arc), directed by Felix Binder and Aki Wegner, and features a young cast including Voicu Dumitras, Jona Levin Nicolai, Greta Krämer, Mariama Jobe and Yoran Leicher. The show is available on RTL+ and will air in double episodes on Vox from September 8; the new run is six episodes long and places greater emphasis on mental-health storylines.
ARD’s 'Nachtstreife' Leaves Mainz After Final Mainz Season
ARD will publish six new episodes of the documentary series "Nachtstreife" from Mainz on August 19 in the ARD Mediathek; the first episode will also air on linear TV on August 24 after the "Tagesthemen," and the six episodes will be broadcast as double episodes on SWR Fernsehen starting September 2. This is the seventh season of the series and the fifth set in Mainz, but it will be the last time the Mainz police units are filmed there. SWR plans future filming in Ludwigshafen; NDR contributes a Hamburg edition and HR is developing a Frankfurt season. The new episodes were produced by Die Company LS Media GmbH (Feb–Jun 2025) and emphasize officers' encounters with people in acute mental-health crises. The format uses on-camera commentary from officers rather than an off-screen narrator.
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