TV recommendation -- Babylon Berlin

[Whisper]

In case you're looking for some TV with interesting firearms content, I'd highly recommend Babylon Berlin, the German detective show now streaming on Netflix (first three seasons are available; fourth season is in production now).  It starts out a little convoluted but the various threads start coming together in a fascinating way.  It's set in 1929 so you get some of the Cabaret nightclub vibe, plus some of the noir sensitivities of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.  There's also an interesting look at Weimar Republic society and politics.  And 1920s-style psychotherapy and PTSD treatment.  Plus blazing shootouts with .25s and .32s, communist agitators, Nazi scum, German-style riot control, political intrigue and assassination, etc.  Equal-opportunity male and female nudity.  This is the most expensive TV show in German history, and it shows -- the sets, costumes, props (especially the guns, cars, and trains) are fantastic, and there's little CGI.  Most of the guns are European, so you'll see things that are uncommon here.  The main character carries a Dreyse, and you'll also see Ortgies, Tokarev, Lignose, Sauer, and Nagant handguns, plus Mauser, Mosin, and Steyr rifles.  And some I didn't recognize. But of course like all crime shows set in this period, there's a Thompson 1928 (used effectively to hose down some commies) and a Colt 1911.

For music fans, the nightclub scenes have some elaborate productions, and there's even a guest appearance by Bryan Ferry as one of the performers.  Some of the other performers are apparently European music stars not known to me.

My main criticism - the show is in German, but the dialogue is dubbed.  If you want to hear the original sound and watch English subtitles, you can, but the subtitles are somewhat simplified from what characters are actually saying, and metaphors aren't always conveyed accurately.  I recommend watching with both the dubbed dialogue and the English subtitles...unless you speak German, in which case you should just watch with original sound. 

Cheers,

Whisper

Edited September 2, 2020 by Whisper

[Defender]

40 minutes ago, Whisper said:

In case you're looking for some TV with interesting firearms content, I'd highly recommend Babylon Berlin, the German detective show now streaming on Netflix (first three seasons are available; fourth season is in production now).  It starts out a little convoluted but the various threads start coming together in a fascinating way.  It's set in 1929 so you get some of the Cabaret nightclub vibe, plus some of the noir sensitivities of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.  There's also an interesting look at Weimar Republic society and politics.  And 1920s-style psychotherapy and PTSD treatment.  Plus blazing shootouts with .25s and .32s, communist agitators, Nazi scum, German-style riot control, political intrigue and assassination, etc.  Equal-opportunity male and female nudity.  This is the most expensive TV show in German history, and it shows -- the sets, costumes, props (especially the guns, cars, and trains) are fantastic, and there's little CGI.  Most of the guns are European, so you'll see things that are uncommon here.  The main character carries a Dreyse, and you'll also see Ortgies, Tokarev, Lignose, Sauer, and Nagant handguns, plus Mauser, Mosin, and Steyr rifles.  And some I didn't recognize. But of course like all crime shows set in this period, there's a Thompson 1928 (used effectively to hose down some commies) and a Colt 1911.

For music fans, the nightclub scenes have some elaborate productions, and there's even a guest appearance by Bryan Ferry as one of the performers.  Some of the other performers are apparently European music stars not known to me.

My main criticism - the show is in German, but the dialogue is dubbed.  If you want to hear the original sound and watch English subtitles, you can, but the subtitles are somewhat simplified from what characters are actually saying, and metaphors aren't always conveyed accurately.  I recommend watching with both the dubbed dialogue and the English subtitles...unless you speak German, in which case you should just watch with original sound. 

Cheers,

Whisper

I loved this show.  I lived in Germany and still watch some of their shows if they are either dubbed or subtitled.  This one i watch the dubbed version. Can hardly wait for the next season.  Another good one was Berlin Station. but i heard its not coming back for a new season...

[KahrMan]

Sounds good.  I will have to check it out.  I have started watching several Korean crime/cop shows.  Korea puts out some good shows.  They are subbed though dubbed.  Stranger is a straight cop/crime based show while Signal is cop/crime show with a little sci-fi thrown in.  

[Noseknot]

The third season kind of lost me, but this show is definitely an amazing period piece.

[Whisper]

11 hours ago, Noseknot said:

The third season kind of lost me, but this show is definitely an amazing period piece.

I'm in the third season now, and I'm really liking it.  The subplot about the Phantom, the masked murderer at the film studio, is highly melodramatic, but that mirrors the actual cinematic world of the 1920s -- films then were intentionally melodramatic.  I think it's a clever bit of writing.  Rath's fight with the Phantom in about episode 6 is...remarkable.