Post Titled: TATORT

Last month I had a small speaking role as an American CIA agent in the television series "TATORT" (meaning "Crime Scene") a half day of shooting, getting used to having a camera in my face and acting naturally in front of it- it was a wierd but fun challenge, actually something which I really didn't think that much about- until I read this today:

"Sunday evening, 8:15 pm in the German-speaking world. You call a friend: "Are you crazy? Do you know what time it is?" The others you try don't even pick up the phone or, maybe worse, answer with an arid politeness worthy of superintendent Borowski: "I'm listening."

Nine million people in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland retreat each week to their sofas to watch the crime series Tatort (crime scene). Swiss journal du investigates a collective cult phenomenon, "this last collective feeling of community which otherwise can only be experienced during the World Cup".

What is it that lures whole nations Sunday after Sunday, for thirty-seven years now, to watch good chasing evil, to see good win and evil lose? The authors in the issue find in Tatort a certain amount of "Heimatkunde (local history), social and geographical studies of the authentic German." It is a "Sunday outing to the provinces", or even "social-liberal enlightenment in the manner of the 1980s". Tatort as "collective therapy for a whole nation – or just some fun you can share with others: it all comes down to 'family'"."

Nine million viewers? It now makes sense that every German I mentioned this to said "WHAT?!? Your're in Tatort!?" Nuts, I donät even know when the episode is airing, sometime in Dec. or January- nor can I remember what it was called.

Article found here in Eurozine (scroll down tot he bottom)