Netflix unveils five German originals

Global streamer Netflix has unveiled five new German originals, including a futuristic dystopian drama from Wiedemann & Berg Television.

Kelly Luegenbiehl

The shows were announced by Kelly Luegenbiehl, VP of creative, international originals at the SVoD service, at the Medientage München (Munich Media Days) conference this morning.

Widemann’s Tribes of Europa is set in 2070 and follows three siblings who live in the aftermath of a mysterious global catastrophe which has broken up Europe into micro-states in which tribes battle for supremacy. The series is written by creator and director Philip Koch, Jana Burbach and Benjamin Seiler.

Skylines centres on a hip-hop producer in Frankfurt who signs with music label Skyline Records and then has to deal with the company’s gangster brother, who turns up to demand his share. The show is from Berlin-based prodcos Komplizen Film and StickUp Filmproduktion.

The Barbarians, from Narcos producer Gaumont, follows three young people against the backdrop of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9AD, when Germanic tribes ambushed and obliterated three Roman legions. The series is created by Arne Nolting, Jan-Martin Scharf and Andreas Heckmann.

Produced by Berlin- and Cologne-based BTF Productions, Don’t Try This at Home, follows a high school student who aims to get back the love of his life by setting up Europe’s largest online drugs business from his bedroom.

BTF MD Philipp Käßbohrer has written the series along with Sebastian Colley, head writer of project development, and writer and comedian Stefan Titze.

Finally, an as-yet-untitled three-part Christmas miniseries from Sommerhaus Film, written by Katharina Eyssen, centres on a family’s emotional and crazy Yuletide. The story is told through four generations of women who have come together to clear the air over all the secrets they are hiding from each other.

Netflix has continued to press ahead with its international originals in light of its bumper third-quarter, during which it added 5.9 million new subscribers around the world. At the beginning of October, the streamer announced it was teaming up with Spain’s Bambú Productions again for eight-part murder mystery High Seas (Alta Mar).

In related news, Netflix has renewed comedy Atypical for a third season. The coming-of-age series focuses on the life of an 18-year-old who is on the autistic spectrum.

The Sony Pictures Television-produced series is created, written and exec produced by Robia Rashid (How I Met Your Mother), with Seth Gordon and Mary Rohlich also exec producing.