Deutschland 83/86/89 [SundanceTV] [**Spoilers**]

Gimme A Pound

silverharp wrote: »

there was a german version of the show if i understand it right, they werent talking about the US show

So the one on D 86 is just the German version of the American 70s/80s series? Surprised it was available in East Germany. But no doubt there were all kinds of loopholes and exceptions under the surface - there'd have to be, otherwise people would go mad.

That's one of the things I really love about the show - while I couldn't even begin to support communism, it shows the humanity and "normalness" and nuance of the people living under it, whether in support of it or not.

silverharp

Beckett Eager Player wrote: »

So the one on D 86 is just the German version of the American 70s/80s series? Surprised it was available in East Germany. But no doubt there were all kinds of loopholes and exceptions under the surface - there'd have to be, otherwise people would go mad.

That's one of the things I really love about the show - while I couldn't even begin to support communism, it shows the humanity and "normalness" and nuance of the people living under it, whether in support of it or not.

if you lived near the border you could pick up west german tv but you would be in trouble if you were caught tuning into it

Johnny Red Cab

In fact West German TV could be received in almost all of the DDR. It was only Dresden and Rugen that couldn't get it. These areas were known as the valley of the clueless.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tal_der_Ahnungslosen

gmisk

Beckett Eager Player wrote: »

Gorgeous as ever - stylish, sharp, witty, just like 83 (but with a growing confidence). Acting and writing just as sublime. Interesting new location (South Africa) and political angle now.

One thing it lacked was the string of great songs on the soundtrack - not as big on music this time (so far).

Also, it doesn't make sense that a young man behind the iron curtain most of his life would have such exemplary English.

But otherwise perfection in my opinion.

Totally agree with all this, I miss the music but bar that it is again excellent.
Maria Schrader is outstanding IMO.

Keplar240B

Just noticed D86 this on tv guide on RTE2 which episode is on tonight? is it the first one ?

Johnny Red Cab

Second I believe.

prinzeugen

Keplar240B wrote: »

Just noticed D86 this on tv guide on RTE2 which episode is on tonight? is it the first one ?

The second one. The first one is on the RTE player until tonight.

Reputable Rog

silverharp wrote: »

there was a german version of the show if i understand it right, they werent talking about the US show

Correct it seems quite different, there may be some similarities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSBX7cxeEDo. I hated the US version.

Anyway D86 is outstanding so far, glad to see Schweppenstette back,far and away my favourite character.
An outstanding actor as well.

granturismo

The subtitles are useless - regularly the white text is on light coloured backgrounds. I dont remember this being a problem in series 1.

gmisk

granturismo wrote: »

The subtitles are useless - regularly the white text is on light coloured backgrounds. I dont remember this being a problem in series 1.

Ok I thought that was just me....I have crap eyes....but I had serious problems with them as well.

Barna77

granturismo wrote: »

The subtitles are useless - regularly the white text is on light coloured backgrounds. I dont remember this being a problem in series 1.

I gave up watching it on the telly because they were impossible to read.
"Better" on the iplayer.

The Black Oil

2.02 was fairly playful at times. I did enjoy the intelligence committee trying to brainstorm. :pac: Thought the general bloke later on was gonna say 'you're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off'.

No one feels alone in East Germany...

Acosta

granturismo wrote: »

The subtitles are useless - regularly the white text is on light coloured backgrounds. I dont remember this being a problem in series 1.

They were big and yellow when on Channel 4 for D83.

A few people were giving out on twitter about it, but no response from RTE.


Wasn't really feeling the first episode. It was missing too many characters, not enough Germany and no music. The second one however was really good. Felt much more like D83.

Gimme A Pound

It's a different show really to 83 (obviously but you know what I mean). I prefer 83 tbh but 86 is still excellent, and it's building up nicely. More and more of the original characters are being reintroduced too. The ending this week - crikey!

Prefer when the action is in East Germany as I'm a hoor for cold war backdrops. But a fair bit of it is. Mostly Africa though.

Music is not as much of a thing, which I am slightly disappointed by, but there were some tunes on this episode.

Ted Plain

Absolutely loved D83.

I've only caught snippets of D86 so far, but I have it recorded so I'll watch it again properly.

But, there doesn't seem to be as much cool pop music this time around and for my liking there isn't anywhere near enough DDR!

So, I did pick up on the fact that the Stasi are now considering buying the decommissioned Dreamboat. I guess that's the reason for early references to it.

And so to that scene where Schweppenstette is watching TV. Like Wiesler in The Lives of Others, he is a single career Stasi man who returns home to an empty apartment and makes a very lacklustre dinner and settles in to watch TV.

At least, though, Schweppenstette is having a beer with his!

Anyway, the show that is just starting when he switches on is called Der Schwarze Kanal. It ran for decades and was universally unpopular with the public. The old guy introducing the show is Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler, a notorious propagandist waffler, whose shtick consisted of commenting on news items from West German television and casting them in a bad light compared to the superior socialist way of life.

The joke is that a 'Schnitz' was the amount of time you needed to get from the sofa to change the channel when you heard his voice coming on. :pac:

I saw Generation War being mentioned a few times already and wanted to say that Schweppenstette plays the SS officer villain that shoots the little girl in the head.

I do believe I read somewhere that the show enjoyed an unintended minor cult following in West Germany.

Anyway, watching West German television was certainly frowned upon, but I never heard of anyone being punished for it. An extent of Western pop culture was allowed in the DDR. So, for example, if you were minded to search for Can't Give Me Love by Suzi Quatro on YouTube the performance of it you may end up watching took place in East Berlin and was broadcast on East German state television.

I've been to the Stasi HQ museum in Berlin a few times and in one of the display cases there is a selection of Western pop music albums. If I remember correctly they were actually produced under licence in the DDR. I would say, though, that they were hard to come by.

Acosta

I am enjoying it to a point. The DDR and West Berlin stuff is good, but the African stuff isn't working for me. A lot of Martin's scenes are so OTT that it's just silly and almost cartoonish.


It's a shame there's going to be no second season of The Same Sky. As much as I like D83/86, the former is a superior show.

brian_t

More4 is repeating the first series nightly, starting this Thursday night.

The second series starts on More4 on Friday 8th March at 9pm.

Luckycharm

Really enjoyed the first series but couldn't get into the 2nd series at all especially the South african parts so given up.
I believe there is going to be an Deutschland 89 which should be good especially around the fall of the Berlin wall.

Mike Litoris

Dammit, I just cant get into 86. I loved 83 but this just isn't working for me. I blame the change of directors.

Does it improve?

Acosta

brian_t wrote: »

More4 is repeating the first series nightly, starting this Thursday night.

The second series starts on More4 on Friday 8th March at 9pm.

A little odd the new series is on their secondary channel given how popular D83 was on C4

iguana

Acosta wrote: »

The DDR and West Berlin stuff is good, but the African stuff isn't working for me. A lot of Martin's scenes are so OTT that it's just silly and almost cartoonish.

I wasn't a huge fan of the plot in southern Africa but the escapade in north Africa really stretched credibility and felt shoe-horned in as a way to reference the terrorism in France/Germany in 86. I think it improved a lot in the back half, especially once the plot with

Tina Fisher and her family

got going. I wish much more time had been given over to

Chernobyl

. I found that to be a genuinely chilling plot and had never thought before about how it was a factor in the destruction of the already faltering East German economy. I also really enjoyed the character of Hartman, I thought he was well written and acted.

Acosta wrote: »

It's a shame there's going to be no second season of The Same Sky.

Was this confirmed? I can't find anything about it. I liked TSS a lot though I could have done without the

separated twins/incest

plot. And I think it would have been better if the younger adult characters had been in their late 30s because Schilling wasn't believable as a 25 year old. And there is absolutely no way on earth that someone so young and clearly vulnerable would have the younger woman's job.

Acosta

iguana wrote: »

I wasn't a huge fan of the plot in southern Africa but the escapade in north Africa really stretched credibility and felt shoe-horned in as a way to reference the terrorism in France/Germany in 86. I think it improved a lot in the back half, especially once the plot with

Tina Fisher and her family

got going. I wish much more time had been given over to

Chernobyl

. I found that to be a genuinely chilling plot and had never thought before about how it was a factor in the destruction of the already faltering East German economy. I also really enjoyed the character of Hartman, I thought he was well written and acted.

Last weeks episode was the best so far IMO and we're still only half way through. Due to this taking a while to get going I was happy when I learned it's 10 episodes this time and not 8 as D83 was.

Was this confirmed? I can't find anything about it. I liked TSS a lot though I could have done without the

separated twins/incest

plot. And I think it would have been better if the younger adult characters had been in their late 30s because Schilling wasn't believable as a 25 year old. And there is absolutely no way on earth that someone so young and clearly vulnerable would have the younger woman's job.

Nothing official, but when you look online there's nothing at all regarding a second season. And the first was nearly 3 years ago. You never know, but I'm not hopeful. Totally agree with you regarding the spoiler. I saw it coming a few episodes earlier but hoped I was wrong. Other than that it was great.

prinzeugen

Having watched the whole series, it gets better. The African stuff is a BIG part of the story as it really did happen.

The African and AIDS bits blend together later in the series.

There is 10 episodes and one 2 hour special called Cash and Comrades. It is not fiction! (Well the characters are)

Looking forward to Deutschland 89!

If you want to know how it ends..

Its with the credits!:D

silverharp

Is that doc worth watching?

granturismo

silverharp wrote: »

Is that doc worth watching?

What documentary?

silverharp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CIONyywKZY

prinzeugen

silverharp wrote: »

Is that doc worth watching?

It is.

Its 2 hours long but it explains the shenanigans that the DDR got up to in order to get foreign currency.

Acosta

prinzeugen wrote: »

It is.

Its 2 hours long but it explains the shenanigans that the DDR got up to in order to get foreign currency.

I wonder will RTE show it after this series finishes? Hopefully.

prinzeugen

Acosta wrote: »

I wonder will RTE show it after this series finishes? Hopefully.

I have a link (which I won't post here) if they don't. PM me if its not against the rules.

Dave..M

Not sure if mentioned already but the full D86 series dropped on all4, usually smattering of Lexus ads.