ARD Degeto orders Syrreal, CBS Studios crime mystery drama Oderbruch

German broadcaster ARD Degeto has commissioned the latest scripted series to be developed by CBS Studios with Berlin-based Syrreal Entertainment.

Due to begin filming in spring 2022 in Germany and Poland, Oderbruch (working title) is an eight-part series that mixes the crime and mystery genres.

CBS Studios entered a first-look international television agreement with Dogs of Berlin producer Syrreal Entertainment in 2020. The show marks the second project in the partnership after dark comedy Ze Network, which was ordered straight-to-series by RTL-owned TV Now and began production in August in Germany and Poland.

ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group will handle the distribution of the series outside of German-speaking territories.

Karoline Schuch, Felix Kramer and Lucas Gregorowicz will star in Oderbruch, which is being developed exclusively for ARD’s online platform ARD Mediathek.

In the series, the sinister discovery of numerous murder victims shocks the Oderbruch region, the former inland delta on the Polish border that is the most sparsely populated region in Germany.

The serial murder case brings ex-cop Maggie Kring (Karoline Schuch) and detective Roland Voit (Felix Kramer) back together in their old home town, after more than 20 years of separation.

Everything seems to be connected to one of their old cases: the mysterious death of Maggie’s brother Kai, who allegedly drowned in the 1997 flood of the river Oder.

Series creator and head writer Arend Remmers developed the concept with Adolfo J Kolmerer, while Siegfried Kamml, Christian Alvart and Timm Oberwelland serve as producers. Ronny Schalk and Martin Behnke complete the team of writers and Kolmerer directs the series along with Alvart.

Thomas Schreiber, CEO at ARD Degeto, said: “With CBS Studios and Syrreal Entertainment as partners we are expanding the range of international coproductions in our portfolio.”

“Crime meets mystery. ARD Degeto meets CBS Studios meets Syrreal Entertainment. An unusual mix and a good example that surprising formats are possible in German fiction,” added Kamml.

Meghan Lyvers, senior VP of international coproductions and development at CBS Studios, said: “We have been looking for the right genre story to take on as we expand our slate of premium international series, and Oderbruch is a perfect blend of elevated character drama, with a contemporary and unique take on an eternally beloved genre.”

The executives overseeing the project are Christoph Pellander, editor-in-chief at ARD Degeto; Sebastian Lückel, head of acquisitions and coproductions at ARD Degeto; Patrick Noel Simon, commissioning editor at ARD Degeto; and Lyvers.

CBS Studios is also working on Munich Match for Sky in the UK, Germany and Italy, which began production earlier this month in Germany, while Bestseller Boy for Dutch pubcaster AVROTROS started filming in July in the Netherlands and Morocco.