After a long day at the office, collecting up the kids and preparing dinner, what do you require?

You might sit in front of the Fernseher (television) for some hard-earned Patschen-kino (slipper cinema) if you’re anything like me.

Nothing beats unwinding with a terrific, binge-worthy TV show—unless you do it in German.

And right now, the German television scene is undergoing a revival unprecedented in its history. Netflix has scooped up well-known programs such as “Dark.” At the same time, the German government raised financing for new TV and film productions to $170 million in 2019.

This provides German students with a wide range of options. There’s a German TV show for everyone, whether you favor crime series, soap operas, or game shows. For the best results, you should enroll in the best German language classes.

While watching, you will become acquainted with typical grammatical constructions in context, acquire new vocabulary, and begin to comprehend slang or even specialist jargon.

Learn German by watching TV! 10 Bingeworthy Shows You Can Stream Right Now

1. “Die Pfefferkörner” (German for “Peppercorns”)

Das Erste (The First), a German public broadcaster, produces “Die Pfefferkörner.” The show follows a group of teenagers aged 10 to 14 as they solve mysteries in their areas. These mysteries involve crimes such as stealing a valuable painting from a local art gallery.

“Die Pfefferkörner” is a wonderful place to start if you’re new to watching German television. It’s a children’s program, so while the content may feel a little juvenile for adults, it’s ideal for learners of German at the lower intermediate level.

The episodes are quite short (about 22 minutes). The terminology is simple, and the speech is clear and at moderate speed.

2. “Fast Way to Sell Drugs Online.”

Despite the English title, “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)” is entirely in German. It’s a teen comedy/drama about Moritz, a geeky high school student who sells narcotics online and rises to become a top European drug dealer.

In truth, the plot of this program is based on a simple story (the real Moritz has been serving seven years in prison since 2015).

Aside from the engaging plot, “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)” is excellent for learning language connected to technology, crime, and contemporary slang.

Netflix provides subtitles in both German and English.

3. “Wilberg”

“Wilberg” was created in the 1990s and is now available on Amazon Prime (at posting). The sitcom followed Georg Wilberg, a small-town superhero who works in a bookshop and as a private investigator by night.

His private investigator talents contribute to the safety of his area by uncovering little crimes and even crimes that implicate more powerful persons in his community.

There are a few laughs along the way, as expected! The program is pleasant and hilarious at times, yet it can also be tense and serious. Furthermore, the show is from the 1990s, and it is a little altmodisch (old-fashioned). However, older German speakers may still understand it.

The program currently has three seasons available for streaming. However, you’ll need to check Amazon for the most up-to-date information.

4. “Blochin: The Living and the Dead” (“Blochin: Living and Dead”)

“Blochin: Die Lebenden und die Toten” is a mini-series that aired on 2DF (or ZDF, for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen – Second German Television), another German public broadcaster, in 2015. The drama follows Blochin, a police officer who must confront his dark past as a drug dealer to investigate a crime that threatens to destroy his town and everyday life.

Naturally, old friends from his past are involved in this crime, and what he learns even implicates top German leaders.

This show had just one season, with five episodes ranging from 60 to 90 minutes. Like the others on this list, this program is excellent for acquiring criminal and legal language and gaining an understanding of what is deemed “non-standard German.” This implies that the criminals utilize many informal language and terminology associated with crime and drug lingo.

All episodes have German subtitles, but no English subtitles are available.

5. “Parfum” (English: “Perfume”)

The Parfum: The Story of a Murder (Fiction, Poetry, and Drama) (German Edition)

Keeping with the crime and thriller theme thus far on this list, “Parfum” is a Netflix criminal program. Indeed, “Parfum” is based on the German crime book “Das Parfum” (“The Perfume”), which was first published in 1985 and continues to achieve economic and critical success to this day.

The plot revolves around a group of kids whose friend is murdered. Things don’t feel entirely right even after the buddy has been buried and gone. As the students’ murder investigations unfold, frightening secrets surface, and the students become united for reasons other than their common love of perfume.

Both German and English subtitles are available.

6. “Betty’s Diagnosis” (Betty’s Diagnosis)

“Bettys Diagnose” is another 2DF production about to enter its sixth season on television.

Consider “Bettys Diagnose” to be Germany’s equivalent of the popular American show “Grey’s Anatomy.” This program is essentially a medical drama that follows a group of physicians as they negotiate their work, love, and life. There are splashes of comedy and romance along the road, and the program is never short on drama and cliffhangers!

On 2DF, just a few episodes are uploaded at a time. These are usually the most recent episodes so that you can watch this show in real-time! All episodes have German subtitles.

7. “Der Gleiche Himmel” (“The Same Sky”),

Another German Netflix programme is “Der Gleiche Himmel.” It follows two German families living on opposing sides of the Berlin Wall in the 1970s during the Cold War.

A government agent from East Germany meets and falls in love with a lady from West Germany—as one might anticipate, drama ensues as they try to reconcile their love for each other with the reality of their separate lives.

The show was critically appreciated in Germany, winning several nominations and prizes at German television award ceremonies, as seen by the number of nominations and awards. The performance is excellent, and the cinematography is outstanding. This performance is excellent for learning Cold War-era terminology, particularly as it applies to Berlin in the 1970s.

This program is available on Netflix with English subtitles.

8. “Hotel Sacher” 

“Hotel Sacher” is a soap opera set in the early 1900s in 2016.

In truth, “Hotel Sacher” is based on a genuine hotel in Vienna that you may visit if you happen to be in Austria! The TV program is based on the actual story of widow Anna Sacher. She takes over ownership of the hotel when her husband, Eduard Sacher, dies.

The plot is filled with love, drama, and power as Anna seeks to acquire control of her colleagues and her late husband’s business. Still, others in her life and at the hotel would rather possess the property and its money themselves.

Look for the program with English subtitles on Amazon Prime.

9. “Sorry for Everything!”

“Sorry für Alles,” another 2DF production, is a bit of a departure from the genre of German TV series. “Sorry für Alles” is mostly a game show with a cool—yet creepy—twist.

Unbeknownst to the competitors on the show, they had been tracked for 30 days before the game show’s taping. Their movements and actions have been tracked and documented. Everything is exposed on the show, and they must answer questions regarding the previous 30 days to earn money.

As you might expect, humor and drama coexist as the competitors’ lives are gradually disclosed.

All episodes have German subtitles.

10. “Are you having fun?” (“Do You Understand What I’m saying?”)

“Verstehen Sie Spaß,” like “Sorry für Alles,” is a comedy programme with a hidden camera. This time, the persons being videotaped are aware that they are being watched—at least one of the parties involved!

Instead of observing individuals “in the wild,” the folks and celebrities are placed in various amusing circumstances. Subjects may be forced to eat in the dark, go through a haunted mansion, or be pranked by a close friend or business associate.

In Germany, the song “Verstehen Sie Spaß” is extremely popular. It was the first broadcast in the 1980s and was relaunched in 2010 with a new presenter and a new set of comic gems.

All episodes are entirely in German, with just German subtitles.