David Farnor | On 26, Feb 2019

Deutschland 86 is finally heading to UK TV this March.

The sequel to Deutschland 83 has been anticipated ever since the German drama premiered on Channel 4 back in 2016. The Germany spy drama was the flagship launch title for Walter Presents, the broadcaster’s on-demand service devoted to world drama. Set against the real events, culture wars and political realities of Germany in the 1980s, Deutschland 83 was a stylish coming of age story, framed within a suspenseful thriller. Created by husband and wife team Anna and Jörg Winger, the show was the most watched premiere for a foreign language drama in UK television history. (You can read our review of Season 1 here.)

Now, the series is back, with Walter Presents confirming that Deutschland 86 will arrive on our screens this March. Picking up the action three years on, it sees Martin banished from Berlin and is languishing in a remote African orphanage, but Aunt Lenora has plans for him.

1986 presents a very different climate from 1983: communism is crumbling, and it is the beginning of the end. Low on finances and morale, the GDR are forced to be creative in order to keep the socialist dream alive… often at the cost of their principles. When put in charge of a high-stakes arms deal with South Africa, a supposed enemy of the communist state but in this instance, for financial reasons an ally, Lenora and her new sidekick Rose Seithathi know there is only one person they can turn to to complete the deal: Martin Rausch. Will he be able to overcome his pride to save the East? Can mafioso-style Capitalism save Communism in the nick of time?

In accordance with Anna Winger’s dedication to representing women on screen, this series sees three new key female characters: Rose Seithathi, played by international rising star Florence Kasumba (Captain America – Civil War), undercover West German agent Brigitte Winkelmann played by Lavinia Wilson, and new addition to the GDR taskforce charged with raising funds Barbara Dietrich, played by Anke Engelke.

Deutschland 86 will premiere on More4 at 9pm on Friday 8th March, with new episodes airing weekly on Friday nights and the whole box set available on Walter Presents via All 4 immediately after the first episode’s broadcast.

 

Deutschland 83 becomes highest rated foreign drama in history

14th January 2016

Deutschland 83 has become the highest rated foreign-language drama in UK TV history.

The Germany spy drama premiered on Channel 4 on Sunday 3rd January, as part of the launch of Walter Presents, the broadcaster’s new on-demand service devoted to world drama. The online channel is a major addition to All 4, making foreign TV available to viewers for free and on-demand. While many shows can be streamed in box sets, Deutschland is being used as a flagship title, with episodes broadcast every Sunday evening on Channel 4 and then added to the VOD collection.

So far, figures suggest that Walter Presents has gone down very well among viewers, with the fully consolidated ratings for the first episode of Deutschland 83 making it the highest rated foreign-language drama in UK TV history.

After launching with 1.49 million viewers, Episode 1 has now consolidated with 2.5 million viewers, including figures from those using personal recording devices or watching via other time-shifted measures. This overtakes the opening episode record set by The Returned (9th June 2013), which attracted 2.2 million viewers.

Set against the real events, culture wars and political realities of Germany in the 1980s, Deutschland 83 is a stylish coming of age story, framed within a suspenseful thriller. This is not the first time it has drawn a crowd: created by husband and wife team Anna and Jörg Winger, the show is the first German-speaking drama to play on a mainstream US cable network.

The figures do not include VOD figures from Walter Presents yet, but Channel 4 tells us that these will be released shortly. If Deutschland 83’s linear performance is anything to go by, though, Walter Presents may soon become notable for something other than its name.

The VOD service will eventually host more than 600 hours of drama, with episodes available to download for offline viewing on mobile devices. (For our recommendations, see our Walter Presents reviews.)

How can you get Walter Presents on your telly? Here’s everything you need to know about All 4’s new VOD channel.

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