''Vienna Blood'' is a British-Austrian

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...

television series set in

Vienna, Austria en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, in the 1900s. Based on the ''Liebermann'' novels by

Frank Tallis Frank Tallis (born 1 September 1958) is an English author and clinical psychologist, whose area of expertise is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He has written crime novels, including the collection of novels known as the ''Liebermann Paper ...

, the series follows Max Liebermann ( Matthew Beard), a doctor and student of

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...

, as he assists Police Detective Oskar Rheinhardt ( Juergen Maurer). By providing psychological insights into the subjects’ motives, they investigate disturbing murders with success. A continuing sub-theme is the growing

anti-Semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

against the Liebermann family. Max is a member of a liberal Jewish family in

Leopoldstadt Leopoldstadt (; bar, Leopoidstod, "Leopold-Town") is the 2nd municipal Districts of Vienna, district of Vienna (german: 2. Bezirk) in Austria. there are 103,233 inhabitants over . It is situated in the heart of the city and, together with Bri ...

, a traditional Jewish district, while Oskar, a lapsed Catholic, is based at that district's police precinct. It began broadcasting on BBC Two on 18 November 2019. On 6 July 2020, it was recommissioned for a second series. The third series began broadcasting on BBC Two on 14 December 2022.

Cast

Main

* Matthew Beard as Max Liebermann * Juergen Maurer as Oskar Reinhardt * Luise von Finckh as Clara Weiss *

Jessica De Gouw Jessica Elise De Gouw (born 15 February 1988) is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress in the television series ''Arrow'', as Mina Murray in the NBC TV series ''Dracula'', and as Elizabeth Hawkes in ...

as Amelia Lydgate (Series 1) * Lucy Griffiths as Amelia Lydgate (Series 2) *

Amelia Bullmore Amelia Mary Bullmore (born 31 January 1964) is an English actress, screenwriter and playwright. She is known for her roles in ''Coronation Street'' (1990–1992), ''I'm Alan Partridge'' (2002), '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2009), '' Twenty Twelve ...

as Rachel Liebermann *

Conleth Hill Conleth Seamus Eoin Croiston Hill (born 24 November 1964) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has performed on stage in productions in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the United States. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards and received two T ...

as Mendel Liebermann

Recurring

Charlene McKenna Charlene Lee McKenna ( ga, Searlaoin Nic Chionaoith; born 26 March 1984) is an Irish actress. She became a household name in Ireland after starring as Jennifer Jackson in the miniseries '' Pure Mule'' (2005). She appeared on Irish television in ...

as Leah Liebermann *

Oliver Stokowski Oliver Stokowski (born 8 August 1962) is a German film and stage actor. He is best known for his per formance as ''Schütte - Prisoner No. 82'' in ''Das Experiment''. In 2014 he won the Grimme-Preis The Grimme-Preis ("Grimme Award"; prior to ...

as Professor Gruner (Series 1-2) * Raphael von Bargen as Inspector/Commissioner von Bulow * Simon Hatzl as Police Commissioner August Strasser (Series 1-2) * Josef Ellers as Sergeant Haussmann * Harald Windisch as Professor Matthias (Series 1) * Luis Aue as Daniel Liebermann (Series 1) * Miriam Hie as Therese Lindner (Series 2-3) * Florian Teichtmeister as Jonas Korngold (Series 2)

Guest

* Ulrich Noethen as Graf von Triebenbach *

Michael Niavarani Michael Niavarani (born April 29, 1968 in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian-Persian stand-up comedian in the tradition of Austrian cabaret, an author, and a TV and movie actor. Niavarani, whose comedic work often draws on his inter-cultural upbringi ...

as Herr Bieber * Ursula Strauss as Juno Holderlein *

Johannes Krisch Johannes Krisch (born 1966) is an Austrian actor. He has appeared in more than forty films since 1987. Selected filmography References External links * 1966 births Living people Austrian male film actors {{Austria-actor-stub ...

as Major Julius Reisinger * Kathrin Beck as Madame Borek

Episodes

Series overview

Series 1 (2019)

Series 2 (2021)

Series 3 (2022)

Production

The series was a co-production of Endor Productions and MR Film (Austria). Each episode consists of two parts, but numbering of episodes varies by country. In Austria, episodes are numbered by case (3 episodes per season) but in the USA by part (6 episodes per season).

Locations

The first series was filmed on location in Vienna and

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

, beginning in October 2018. Locations included the Vienna State Opera house and

Volkstheater The Volkstheater in Vienna (roughly translated as "People's Theatre") was founded in 1889 by request of the citizens of Vienna, amongst them the dramatist Ludwig Anzengruber and the furniture manufacturer Thonet, in order to offer a popular co ...

, as well as Landstrasse Hauptstrasse, Herz Jesu church, Votivkirche, St. Charles Borromeo Church, Griechengasse, Molker Steig, Schreyvogelgasse, Dreimaderlhaus, Schonlaterngasse, Alte Schmiede, the Vienna University Archive, the Billrothhaus (Vienna 9) the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

, the Riesenrad, Palais Pallavicini, the Burggarten park, the Stadpark, the

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...

, Otto Wagner Hospital, Villa Mauthner von Markhof, Kirche am Steinhof, the Riesenrad (Ferris wheel), Stephansdom, Sankt-Ulrichs-Platz, Palais Pallavicini,

National Library A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant wo ...

Zentralfriedhof The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...

, Friedhof der Namenlosen,

Museum of Military History The Museum of Military History – Military History Institute (german: Heeresgeschichtliches Museum – Militärhistorisches Institut) in Vienna is the leading museum of the Austrian Armed Forces. It documents the history of Austrian ...

, Cafe Morgenstern, Café Sperl, and Café Bräunerhof and features the Beethovenfries. In Lower Austria, the Schloss Grafenegg appears. Series 2 was also filmed in Vienna and Lower Austria, featuring such locations as Hotel Imperial, the Stadtpark, Kursalon Hübner,

Schönbrunn Palace Schönbrunn Palace (german: Schloss Schönbrunn ; Central Bavarian: ''Schloss Scheenbrunn'') was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing, Vienna. The name ''Schönbrunn'' (meaning “beautiful spring”) has its root ...

, the

, Traungasse, Lagergasse, Buchfeldgasse, Florianigasse, Schulhof, Kirche am Hof, Franziskanerkirche, Michaelerkirche, Palais Collalto, Kartäuse Mauerbach (monastery) and the Franzensburg in Lower Austria. Filming of Series 3 was split between

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...

(including the Párisi Udvar Hotel and the Vígszínház Theatre, Bedo House, Postal Museum, the

National Museum of Hungary The Hungarian National Museum ( hu, Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum) was founded in 1802 and is the national museum for the history, art, and archaeology of Hungary, including areas not within Hungary's modern borders, such as Transylvania; it is not to ...

and the Hazai Bank) and Vienna (including the Loos House,

Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa * Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco * Belvedere, Harare, Z ...

, Dr Ignaz Seipel Platz, Jesuitengasse, Michaelerplatz and the

Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrun ...

Broadcast

The first series of three 90-minute episodes was broadcast in the United Kingdom on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

between 18 November and 2 December 2019. Austrian channel ORF 2 aired the show beginning 20 December 2019 with dubbing. In the United States, PBS showed the series in six 45-minute episodes; broadcast began on 19 January 2020.

Reception

Vienna Blood received a 53% critics rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, with the "Critics Consensus" reading, 'Though it rarely rises above 'watchable,' fans of period crime series may enjoy passing time with Vienna Blood's charismatic cast anyway.' ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

's'' Emine Saner, giving three out of five stars to the first episode, remarked that the series was similar to Thompson's prior work on ''Sherlock'', particularly in its leads' dynamic and the presentation. However, she did praise the two lead actors. Sean O'Grady of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' gave it five out of five stars, praising the direction, recreation of the period and storytelling.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{authority control 2019 British television series debuts 2010s British crime drama television series 2010s British mystery television series 2020s British crime drama television series 2020s British mystery television series BBC crime television shows British detective television series Television shows based on British novels English-language television shows Television shows set in Vienna