ZDF (, short for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen; ; "Second German Television") is a German public-service television broadcaster based in

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

. It is run as an independent

nonprofit institution A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, which was founded by all federal states of Germany (''Bundesländer''). ZDF is financed by

television licence A television licence or broadcast receiving licence is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts, or the possession of a television set where some broadcasts are funded in full or in part by the licence f ...

fees and advertising revenues. The broadcaster is well known for its famous programmes ''

heute ''heute'' (; German for ''today'') is a television news program on the German channel ZDF. The main program is broadcast at 19:00, and includes news, with an emphasis on political news from Germany, Europe and the world, plus 'mixed' news from cu ...

'', a newscast established in 1963, and '' Wetten, dass..?,'' an entertainment show that premiered in 1981, with a suspension from 2014 to 2021. Norbert Himmler, ZDF's director general, was elected by the ZDF Television Council in 2021.

History

ZDF-Hochhaus Mainz 20211105 HOF0779900001020211121 RAW-Exportcens

In 1959, the government of

Konrad Adenauer Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (; 5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a Germany, German statesman who served as the first Chancellor of Germany, chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the fir ...

began preparations to form a second nationwide television network with the intention of competing with ARD. Adenauer perceived ARD's news coverage to be too critical of his government, and believed that two of the organizations primarily responsible for its news reporting – the ''

Deutsche Presse-Agentur Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (dpa) is a German news agency founded in 1949. Based in Hamburg, it has grown to be a major worldwide operation serving print media, radio, television, online, mobile phones, and national news agencies. News is avai ...

'' and ''

Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR; ''Northwest German Broadcasting'') was the organization responsible for public broadcasting in the German Länder of Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia from 22 September 1945 to ...

'', which produced the nightly ''

Tagesschau (German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality ...

'' – were too close to the opposition

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

(SPD) to ever be able to report neutrally on his Christian Democratic Union government. The new television company, called the ''Freies Fernsehen Gesellschaft'' (Free Television Society) but derisively called ''Adenauer-Fernsehen'' by critics, was founded on 25 July 1960. The

Deutsche Bundespost The Deutsche Bundespost (German federal post office) was a German state-run postal service and telecommunications business founded in 1947. It was initially the second largest federal employer during its time. After staff reductions in the 198 ...

began constructing a second transmitter network on

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...

channels, which required new reception equipment. For older receivers, a converter was sold for about 80 DM (). As with the earlier ARD television network, the location of the transmitters was carefully planned to ensure the entire country would be able to receive the programming. To test the transmitters and encourage the public to purchase UHF receivers, the federal government allowed the ARD network to create a temporary secondary channel, ARD 2, which was broadcast daily from 8 to 10 pm. ARD 2 began broadcasting on 1 May 1961 in the transmission area of

Hessischer Rundfunk Hessischer Rundfunk (HR; "Hesse Broadcasting") is the German state of Hesse's public broadcasting, public broadcasting corporation. Headquartered in Frankfurt, it is a member of the national consortium of German public broadcasting corporations, ...

and a month later expanded nationwide.

Interstate agreement

The

SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...

-led states of

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

, Lower Saxony, and

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

appealed to the

Federal Constitutional Court of Germany The Federal Constitutional Court (german: link=no, Bundesverfassungsgericht ; abbreviated: ) is the supreme constitutional court for the Federal Republic of Germany, established by the constitution or Basic Law () of Germany. Since its inc ...

, which on 28 February 1961 in the '' First Broadcasting Judgment'' blocked the plan. While building and maintaining telecommunications infrastructure, such as television transmitters, is a responsibility of the federal government under article 87f of the Basic Law, the constitution does not extend these duties to running a television or radio broadcaster. Under article 30, any power or duty not explicitly assigned to the federal government is reserved for the states. Therefore, the court ruled only the states had the right to set up a television broadcaster. (Conversely, the same decision supported new

longwave In radio, longwave, long wave or long-wave, and commonly abbreviated LW, refers to parts of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave broadcasting band. The term is historic, dating from the e ...

broadcaster

Deutschlandfunk Deutschlandfunk (DLF, ''Broadcast Germany'') is a public-broadcasting radio station in Germany, concentrating on news and current affairs. It is one of the four national radio channels produced by Deutschlandradio. History Broadcasting in the ...

, which had been established by the federal government in November 1960; its focus was on external broadcasting and therefore under the federal government's remit to conduct foreign relations.) After this decision, in March 1961, the states decided to establish a central nonprofit public television network independently of Adenauer's effort. On 6 June 1961, the state

premiers Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

signed at a premiers' conference in Stuttgart the interstate agreement on the "establishment of the public institution ''Second German Television''". On 1 December 1961, though not all states had ratified the agreement, it went into force in the states that had done so (

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

, North Rhine-Westphalia,

). The last state, Bavaria, filed the instrument of ratification on 9 July 1962.

Launch

The station began broadcasting from

Eschborn Eschborn () is a town in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse, Germany. It is part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area and has a population of 21,488 (2018). Eschborn is home to numerous corporations due to its proximity to Frankfurt and relatively ...

near

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

on 1 April 1963, with a speech by the first director general (Intendant), Dr. Karl Holzamer. The channel broadcast its first programme in colour in 1967. In 1974, ZDF moved its base of operations to Mainz-Lerchenberg, after briefly being located in

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

. From 5 October 1996 ZDF broadcasts 24 hours a day.

Finances

ZDF is financed by a license fee of €18.36 per month, which must be paid by all households in Germany, except handicapped people and persons on social aid. ZDF shares the income with ARD and

Deutschlandradio Deutschlandradio (DLR) (''Radio Germany'') is a national German public radio broadcaster. History ''Deutschlandfunk'' was originally a West German news radio targeting listeners within West Germany as well as in neighbouring countries, ''Deutsc ...

. The fees are not collected directly by ZDF, but by the Beitragsservice, a common organization of the ARD member broadcasters, ZDF, and

. ZDF also has income from sponsorships and programming and advertising sales.

Transmission and reception

Terrestrial

As ZDF is a channel, not a network, the channel is broadcast throughout Germany, with no regional variations or affiliates, using a number of signal repeaters. ZDF transmitters broadcast a digital signal. Analog signals were gradually phased out, a process which lasted from 2002 to 2008. ZDF does not run any transmitters itself. Throughout the analogue days, all ZDF transmitters were run by the

which was later privatised as

Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom AG (; short form often just Telekom, DTAG or DT; stylised as ·T·) is a German telecommunications company that is headquartered in Bonn and is the largest telecommunications provider in Europe by revenue. Deutsche Telekom was ...

's subsidiary

T-Systems T-Systems International GmbH (T-Systems) is an internationally operating service provider for information technologies and digital transformation. The company is part of Deutsche Telekom AG and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. As of 2012, T ...

Media Broadcast. (This is in contrast to the other public German broadcaster, ARD, which owns its main transmitters.) ZDF was not previously allowed to use ARD's transmitters. ZDF has used both ARD and Telekom transmitters since changes to the law in the 1990s, and since the digital switchover.

Cable

ZDF has also been relayed by

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

since the days of the first cable pilot projects.

Satellite

The first Europe-wide

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...

broadcast via

Astra 1C Astra 1C was a geostationary communications satellite launched in 1993 by the Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), now SES Astra. The satellite remained in service until 2011 and is now derelict. History Astra 1C was the third communi ...

began in August 1993 during the

Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin The IFA ( ) or Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (International radio exhibition Berlin, a.k.a. 'Berlin Radio Show') is one of the oldest industrial exhibitions in Germany. Between 1924 and 1939 it was an annual event, but from 1950 it was ...

(IFA – "International Broadcasting Exhibition") in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. In the same decade, these new technologies were used to enable

digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals **Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...

broadcasting of ZDF. Today, ZDF is available free-to-air throughout Europe on

Astra 19.2°E Astra 19.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. Astra 19.2°E used to be commonly kn ...

Other channels

ZDF operates two digital channels:

ZDFneo ZDFneo is a German free-to-air television channel, programmed for an audience aged 25 to 49 to counter the primarily older-skewing main channels of public broadcasters ZDF and ARD. It replaced ZDF's documentary channel ZDFdokukanal on 1 Novemb ...

(aimed at 18- to 45-year-olds) and

ZDFinfo ZDFinfo is a German free-to-air documentary television channel owned by ZDF. It was launched on 27 August 1997 as ZDFinfokanal, and later rebranded as ZDFinfo on 5 September 2011. On 1 May 2012, a high-definition simulcast the channel was laun ...

(documentaries). Both are transmitted in SD and HD. A commercial subsidiary called ZDF Enterprises GmbH manages programme sales, acquisitions, international coproductions, and a growing number of important activities in new media. ZDF Enterprises owns a Dutch TV production and distribution company Off the Fence. ZDF also operates various channels in cooperation with other networks:

Arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plus ...

3sat In logic and computer science, the Boolean satisfiability problem (sometimes called propositional satisfiability problem and abbreviated SATISFIABILITY, SAT or B-SAT) is the problem of determining if there exists an interpretation that satisfie ...

KI.KA KiKA (contraction of ''Der KinderKAnal von ARD und ZDF'' ARD and ZDF">ARD_(broadcaster).html" ;"title="he Children's Channel of ARD (broadcaster)">ARD and ZDF]) is a German free-to-air television channel based in Erfurt, Germany. It is man ...

, and Phoenix (German TV station), Phoenix.

Design

ZDF's animated station-identity

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

s, the ''

Mainzelmännchen The Mainzelmännchen are six comedic cartoon characters used as mascots for German public service television broadcaster ZDF. They first aired on television in 1963 as a way to accommodate a government regulation disallowing confusion between adve ...

'' (a play on the words "Mainz" and "

Heinzelmännchen The Heinzelmännchen () are a mythical race of creatures, appearing in a tale connected with the city of Cologne in Germany akin to gnomes, or elves. The little house gnomes are said to have done all the work of the citizens of Cologne during t ...

"), created by Wolf Gerlach for the channel's launch in 1963, quickly became popular and are still shown between commercials. In 1976,

Otl Aicher Otto "Otl" Aicher (; 13 May 1922 – 1 September 1991) was a German graphic designer and typographer. Aicher co-founded and taught at the influential Ulm School of Design. He is known for having led the design team of the 1972 Summer Olympics ...

, a graphic designer, created ZDF's corporate design. A new design for ZDF was created by Lee Hunt in February 2000.

Administration

Director general

Administratively, ZDF is headed by a director general (''Intendant''), who is elected by the ZDF Television Council, the composition of which is in turn determined by "societally relevant groups" named in the ZDF Treaty. Directors General since the start of ZDF: * 1963–1977:

Karl Holzamer Johannes Karl Holzamer (October 13, 1906 – April 22, 2007) was a German philosopher, pedagogue and former director general of the German television station ZDF. Life Karl Holzamer was born in Frankfurt am Main and after the abitur in 19 ...

* 1977–1982:

Karl-Günther von Hase Karl-Günther von Hase (15 December 1917 – 9 May 2021) was a German diplomat and Secretary of state. As head of the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government, he served as spokesman of government under three chancellors. He was ...

* 1982–2002: Dieter Stolte * 2002–2012: Markus Schächter * 2012–2022:

Thomas Bellut Thomas Bellut (born 8 March 1955) is a German journalist. From 2012 to 2022, he was the director (German: ''Intendant'') of the TV channel ZDF. Early life and education Bellut was born in Osnabrück. After graduating from the school Antonianum ...

* 2022–present: Norbert Himmler

Supervising board

The supervising board supervises the work of the intendant. They pay special attention to the budget. The supervising board has 14 members: * Five representatives of the federal states * One representative of the federal republic of Germany * Eight independent members (not allowed to work for the government or other public entities)

Television board

The Television Board supervises ZDF and authorizes the budget. They also elect the Director General. The board has 60 members: * Sixteen representatives of the states of Germany * Two representatives of the federal republic of Germany * Two representatives of the Protestant churches * Two representatives of the Catholic Church * One representative of the Central Council of Jews in Germany * 21 representatives of selected civil society groups * 16 members nominated by the federal states, representing different social causes

Membership

ZDF became a full member of the

European Broadcasting Union The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; french: Union européenne de radio-télévision, links=no, UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area or who ar ...

in 1963. It also has numerous individual cooperation agreements with broadcasters around the world. ZDF is a supporter of the

Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) is both an industry standard ( European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) TS 102 796) and promotional initiative for hybrid digital TV to harmonise the broadcast, Internet Protocol Television (I ...

initiative which promotes the establishment of an open European standard for hybrid set-top boxes for the reception of broadcast TV and broadband multimedia applications with a single user interface.

Programming

Children

* '' 1, 2 oder 3'' (1977–present) * '' ALF'' (1988–1993) * ''

Alfred J. Kwak ''Alfred J. Kwak'' is a Dutch-Japanese children's animated comedy-drama television series based on a Dutch theatre show by Herman van Veen, produced by Telecable Benelux B.V. in co-production with VARA, ZDF, TVE, TV Tokyo and animated by Tele ...

'' (1990–2003) * ''Die Kinder von Bullerbü'' ''(

Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn Books by Astrid Lindgren featuring the Six Bullerby Children (in the US released as ''The Children of Noisy Village''): * ''All About the Bullerby Children'' * ''Cherry Time at Bullerby'' * ''Six Bullerby Children'' * ''Springtime at Bullerby'' ...

)'' * ''

Dog City ''Dog City'' is an animated television series that was produced by Nelvana Limited and Jim Henson Productions in association with Channel 4, Global Television Network, FORTA and Canal+ Spain and aired on Fox Kids from September 26, 1992, to Novem ...

'' (1995–1997) * ''

Fraggle Rock ''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...

'' ''(Die Fraggles)'' (1983–1995) * '' Hals über Kopf'' (1987–1993, 1997) * ''

Löwenzahn Löwenzahn (''Dandelion'') is a children's television series produced and aired by German public broadcaster ZDF on German television. Originally conceived and hosted by Peter Lustig, the first episode aired on 7 January 1979, then titled ''Pust ...

'' (1981–present) * ''

Pingu ''Pingu'' is a stop-motion children's television series co-created by Otmar Gutmann and Erika Brueggemann. It was originally produced from 1990 to 2000 by Swiss company The Pygos Group (originally called Trickfilmstudio) for SF DRS in Switzerlan ...

'' (1990–2004) * '' Pippi Langstrumpf'' ''( Pippi Långstrump)'' (1969–present) * ''

Rappelkiste ''Rappelkiste'' (1973–1984) was a progressive pedagogic television series for children in Germany. Regarding its general conception and idea, it is very roughly comparable to ''Sesame Street'' in the English-speaking world. It was produced by Z ...

'' (1973–1987) * ''

Tabaluga Tabaluga is a German media franchise featuring a fictional green dragon, created by German rock musician Peter Maffay, children's songwriter Rolf Zuckowski and author Gregor Rottschalk. Artist Helme Heine drew the image of Tabaluga as it is cur ...

'' (1997–2007) * ''

Cosmic Quantum Ray ''Cosmic Quantum Ray'' is a CGI- animated television series. The series premiered in the United States on November 5, 2007 on Animania HD, then in 2009 in Germany on KI.KA, and then later on October 10, 2010 on The Hub (later in 2014 became D ...

'' (2009) * '' Tabaluga tivi'' (1997–2011) * ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...

'' ''(Die Muppet Show)'' (1977–1989) * ''

Mia and Me ''Mia and Me'' is a German children's series created by Gerhard Hahn. In the United States, it aired on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. channel from May 3, 2014, to December 25, 2016. The show mixes live action with computer animation. ''Mia and Me'' is e ...

(2012–present)

Culture

* ''aspekte'' (1965–present) * ''Das Blaue Sofa'' (2003–present) * ''Das Literarische Quartett'' (1998–2006, 2015–present)

Documentaries

* ''37 Grad'' (1994–present) * ''

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

'' (2014) * ''

Die Deutschen ''Die Deutschen'' (“The Germans”) is a German television documentary produced for ZDF that first aired from October to November 2008. Each episode recounts a selected epoch of German history, beginning (first season) with the reign of Otto t ...

'' (2008/2010) * ''

Terra X ''Terra X'' is a brand used by the German public broadcaster ZDF since 2008. Between 1982 and 2008, the brand name was ''ZDF Expedition''. Some topics under the brand ''Terra X'' are documentaries about history, nature, archaeology and science. ...

'' (1982–present) * ''Terra Xpress'' (2011–present) * ''ZDFzeit'' (2012–present) * ''ZDF-History'' (2000–present)

Entertainment

* ''

Bares für Rares ''Bares für Rares'' (), also known as ''Cash or Trash'' in English, is a German television series on Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) presented by Horst Lichter, produced since 2013. It was first aired on August 3, 2013, on ZDF's sister channe ...

'', hosted by Horst Lichter (2013–present) * ''Blond am Freitag'' (2002–2007) * ''Blond am Sonntag'' (2001) * ''

Dance Academy ''Dance Academy'' is an Australian teen-oriented Dramatic programming, television drama produced by Werner Film Productions in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and ZDF. Series one premiered on 31 May 2010, and series tw ...

'' (2010) * ''Das große Los – Die Show für die Aktion Sorgenkind'', hosted by

Dieter Thomas Heck Dieter Thomas Heck (born Carl-Dieter Heckscher; 29 December 1937 – 23 August 2018) was a German television presenter, singer and actor. He is known as the presenter of the popular TV program ''ZDF-Hitparade'', featuring German Schlager mus ...

(1996–2000) * ''

Die Anstalt (English: "News from the (mental) institute") was a political cabaret program on German television station ZDF, hosted by Urban Priol and Frank-Markus Barwasser, who replaced Georg Schramm. Broadcast monthly from 2007 to 2013, it usually fe ...

'', comedy hosted by

Claus von Wagner Claus von Wagner (born 28 November 1977) is a German Kabarett artist, a stand-up observational comic and political satirist. Early life Born in Munich, von Wagner grew up in Miesbach, south-east of Munich. His father, originally from Prussia, w ...

and Max Uthoff (2014–present) * '' Die Goldene Kamera'' (1973, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994–present) * '' Die goldene Stimmgabel'', hosted by

(1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001–2007) * ''Die größten Musical Hits'' (''The Greatest Musical Hits'') * ''Die Helene Fischer Show'', hosted by

Helene Fischer Helene Fischer ( /heˈleːnə ˈfɪʃɚ/; German: eˈleːnə ˈfɪʃɐ born Jelena Petrovna Fischer, 5 August 1984) is a Russian-born German singer. Since her debut in 2005, she has won numerous awards, including 17 Echo awards, four "Die Kron ...

(2013–present) * ''Die Pyramide'', German version of

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

hosted by

(1979–1994) * ''Die Pyramide'', German version of

hosted by Micky Beisenherz and Joachim Llambi (2012) * '' Die ZDF-Hitparade'', hosted by

Viktor Worms Viktor Worms (born 30 August 1959) is a German radio and television host and producer. Career Worms was born in Düsseldorf. After graduating from high school Koblenzer Straße in Düsseldorf in 1981, Worms completed a traineeship at Radio Luxemb ...

/Uwe Hübner (1969–2000) * ''Die ZDF-Kultnacht'' (2002–present) * ''

Disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

'' (1971–1982) * ''

Grand Prix der Volksmusik The Grand Prix der Volksmusik (English: Grand Prix of Folk Music) was an annual regional song contest for folk music, held from 1986 until 2010. The countries taking part were Germany, Austria, Switzerland and, from 2000, South Tyrol. History The c ...

'' (1986–2010) * ''

heute-show The ''heute-show'' ("(the) today show"; stylized in its logo as ''heute SHOW'') is a German Late night television, late-night news satire, satirical television program airing every Friday evening on public broadcasting channel ZDF. A conceptual ...

'', comedy hosted by

Oliver Welke Oliver Welke (born 19 April 1966) is a German television presenter, journalist, satirist, comedian and voice actor. Biography Welke was born in Bielefeld and studied journalism at the University of Münster, graduating in 1993. He then worke ...

(2009–present) * ''Kerner kocht'', cooking show hosted by

Johannes B. Kerner Johannes Baptist Kerner (born 9 December 1964) is a German television host, journalist, and former sportscaster. Early life Born in Bonn, Kerner was raised in Hersel, Bornheim, in a Catholic household. He attended boarding school at Aloisiu ...

(2005–2008) * ''Lafer! Lichter! Lecker!'', cooking show hosted by

Johann Lafer Johann Lafer (born September 27, 1957, in Sankt Stefan im Rosental, Styria, Austria) is an Austrian chef living in Germany. Johann Lafer became well known through his TV cooking show and his numerous cookbooks. His television show is self-produce ...

and Horst Lichter (2006–2017) * ''Mainz bleibt Mainz, wie es singt und lacht'' (Carnival) (1973–present) * ''Melodien für Millionen'', hosted by

(1985–2007) * ''Musik liegt in der Luft'', hosted by

(1991–1998) * ''

Neues aus der Anstalt (English: "News from the (mental) institute") was a political cabaret program on German television station ZDF, hosted by Urban Priol and Frank-Markus Barwasser, who replaced Georg Schramm. Broadcast monthly from 2007 to 2013, it usually featu ...

'', comedy hosted by

Urban Priol Urban Priol (born 14 May 1961) is a German people, German Kabarett artist and comedian. Life Urban Priol was born on 14 May 1961, in Aschaffenburg. He spent his childhood in Obernburg am Main. In 1980, he made his abitur at the Kronberg-Gymnasiu ...

(2007–2013) * ''

Nicht nachmachen! Nicht nachmachen! (English: ''Don't Imitate!'') was a German comedy-documentary TV series that airs on ZDF and ZDFneo. The two hosts, Wigald Boning and Bernhard Hoëcker, defy the warnings and restrictions on various items to see what happens when ...

'' (2012–2013) * ''Rockpop'' (1977–1981) * ''Rock Pop Music Hall'' (1984–1986) * ''Show Palast'', hosted by

(1999–2000) * '' Wetten, dass..?'', hosted by

Frank Elstner Timm Franz Maria Elstner (born 19 April 1942), known as Frank Elstner, is a German television presenter. Early life Elstner went to school in Rastatt in Germany and gained his first experience in broadcasting as a child when he acted in radio ...

Thomas Gottschalk Thomas Johannes Gottschalk (born 18 May 1950) is a German radio and television host and entertainer. He is best known for hosting '' Wetten, dass..?'', for many years Europe's biggest television show, which he steered to huge success in Germany, ...

(1981–2014, 2021-present) * ''Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel'', hosted by

Carmen Nebel Carmen Nebel (born 24 July 1956 in Grimma, then East Germany) is a German television presenter. Nebel majored in German studies, English studies and pedagogy at Humboldt University of Berlin. After completing her degree she began appearing on GDR ...

(2004–present) * ''

ZDF-Fernsehgarten ''ZDF-Fernsehgarten'' (English: ''ZDF Television garden'') is a German entertainment TV show broadcast live from the grounds of the ZDF broadcasting centre at Mainz. It is a seasonal live programme which airs only during the summer months with 16 ...

'', hosted by

Andrea Kiewel Andrea Kiewel (née Mathyssek, born 10 June 1965 in East Berlin) is a German television presenter and former competitive swimmer. She is the current presenter of ZDF Fernsehgarten and ZDF Fernsehgarten on Tour. Andrea usually presents 'Will ...

(1986–present)

Information

* ''

Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst ''Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst'' ("Case number XY... unsolved") is a German interactive television programme first broadcast on 20 October 1967 on ZDF. Created by Eduard Zimmermann, it aims to combat and solve crimes. The programme is currently p ...

'', hosted by

Eduard Zimmermann Eduard Zimmermann (4 February 1929 – 19 September 2009) was a German journalist, television presenter and security expert. Life Eduard Zimmermann was born on 4 February 1929 in Alte Heide in the borough of Schwabing-Freimann in Munich, Germ ...

/ Sabine Zimmermann/

Butz Peters Butz Peters (born 22 January 1958 in Hanover) is a German television presenter and jurist who presented '' Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst'' from 1997 to 2001. He is the author of four bestsellers (among others ''Tödlicher Irrtum – Die Geschichte ...

Rudi Cerne Rudi Cerne (born 26 September 1958) is a German TV presenter and former figure skater. He is the 1984 European silver medalist and a two-time West German national champion. He competed at two Winter Olympics, finishing fourth in 1984. Person ...

* ''auslandsjournal'' (1973–present) * ''Berlin direkt'' (1999–present) * ''Bonn direkt'' (1987–1999) * ''Chronik der Woche'' (1965–1984) * ''Die Drehscheibe'' (1964–1982) * ''drehscheibe'' (1998–present) * ''Frontal'', hosted by

Bodo H. Hauser Bodo Hugo Hauser (23 February 1946 – 22 July 2004) was a German journalist and writer. Life Hauser was born and died in Krefeld. From 1968 to 1972 Hauser studied at University of Freiburg, at University of Lausanne and University of Bonn. Sin ...

and

Ulrich Kienzle Ulrich Kienzle (; 9 May 1936 – 16 April 2020) was a German journalist and author. He was known for specializing in the politics and culture of the Middle East. He worked for several broadcasters, including German public television network ...

(1993–2000) * ''Frontal21'' (2001–present) * ''hallo deutschland'' (1997–present) * ''

'' (newscast) (1963–present) * ''

aus den Ländern'' (newscast) (1983–1992) * ''

heute journal ''heute-journal'' (roughly ''Today's Journal'') is a television news magazine broadcast on ZDF, a national German television network. History The programme premiered on 2 January 1978 as a late weekday evening 20 minute program. Originally, it ...

'' (newscast) (1978–present) * ''

mittag'' (newscast) (1998–2009) * ''

nacht'' (newscast) (1994–2015) * ''

Xpress'' (newscast) (2015–present) * ''Kennzeichen D'' (1971–2001) * ''länderjournal'' (1991–1996) * ''Leute heute'' (1997–present) * ''ML Mona Lisa'' (1988–present) * ''

Politbarometer The Politbarometer (lit. ''political barometer'') is a long-standing German election poll and television program on ZDF. The program is aired monthly, usually on Friday evenings. During the program, the survey results are presented. The survey is co ...

'' (1977–present) * ''tele-illustrierte'' (1982–1991) * ''Volle Kanne – Service täglich'' (1999–present) * ''WISO'' (1984–present) * ''ZDF-abendmagazin'' (1996–1997) * '' ZDF-Magazin'', hosted by

Gerhard Löwenthal Gerhard Löwenthal (8 December 1922 in Berlin – 6 December 2002 in Wiesbaden) was a prominent German journalist, human rights activist and author. He presented the '' ZDF-Magazin'', a news magazine of ZDF which highlighted human rights abuses in ...

Fritz Schenk Fritz Schenk (10 March 1930, Helbra – 4 May 2006, Frankfurt am Main) was a German publicist, journalist and television anchorman. He became well known for the general public thanks to his participation in '' ZDF-Magazin''. Family Schenk was ...

Wolfgang Weinert Wolfgang is a German male given name traditionally popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The name is a combination of the Old High German words ''wolf'', meaning "wolf", and ''gang'', meaning "path", "journey", "travel". Besides the regula ...

Hans Scheicher Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...

(1969–1988) * ''ZDF-Mittagsmagazin'' (1989–present) * '' ZDF-Morgenmagazin'' (1992–present) * ''ZDFzoom'' (2011–present)

Series

* '' ALF'' (1988–1996) * ''

Bella Block ''Bella Block'' is a long-running German detective television series starring Hannelore Hoger as inspector Bella Block. The show was first broadcast in 1994 on ZDF and last aired in 2018, having run for 38 seasons. See also * List of German t ...

'' (1994–present) * ''Blochin'' (2015) * ''

Borgia The House of Borgia ( , ; Spanish and an, Borja ; ca-valencia, Borja ) was an Italian-Aragonese Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the town ...

'' (''Borgia: Faith and Fear''), co-producers CANAL+ (France) and others (2011, 2013) * ''

The Bridge The Bridge may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Art * ''The Bridge'' (sculpture), a 1997 sculpture in Atlanta, Georgia, US * Die Brücke (''The Bridge''), a group of German expressionist artists * ''The Bridge'' (M. C. Escher), a lithograph ...

'' (2011), co-producers

Sveriges Television Sveriges Television AB ("Sweden's Television Stock Company"), shortened to SVT (), is the Sweden, Swedish national public broadcasting, public television broadcaster, funded by a public service tax on personal income set by the Riksdag (national ...

and DR * ''

Cologne P.D. Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...

'' (2003–present) * ''

Das Kriminalmuseum ''Das Kriminalmuseum'' was a German television series. It ran from 1963 to 1970 on ZDF and was one of its first programs. Each episode began with a tracking shot through an unspecified crime museum, stopping at one of the displays, whose story w ...

'' (1963–1973) * ''

Das Traumschiff ' ("The Dream Ship") is a German television drama series by ZDF. The series, about a cruise ship that travels to places around the world, debuted in 1981 and became one of the most-watched television shows in Germany. A total of 83 episodes have ...

'' (1981–present) * ''Der Adler – Die Spur des Verbrechens'' ''( Ørnen)'' (2005–2007, 2009–2010, 2012, 2014, 2017) * '' Der Alte'' ''(The Old Fox)'' (1977–present) * '' Der Bergdoktor'' (2008–present) * ''

Der kleine Doktor ''Der kleine Doktor'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * '' 4 Blocks'' ( TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * '' Alarm für Co ...

'' (1974, 1981–1982) * '' Der Kommissar'' (1969–1976) * ''

Der Kommissar und das Meer ''Der Kommissar und das Meer'' (Swedish title: ''Kommissarien och havet'') is a German-Swedish television series. It is loosely based on the crime novels by Mari Jungstedt. The series has been broadcast in Germany since 2007 on channels ZDF and ...

'' ''(Kommissarien och havet)'' (2007–present) * ''

Der Kriminalist ' is a German television series produced by Monaco Film Hamburg, subsidiary of Odeon Film. Directors during the first season were Sherry Hormann and , during the second: Thomas Jahn, Jobst Oetzmann Jobst Christian Oetzmann (born 4 November 196 ...

'' (2006–present) * ''

Der Landarzt ''Der Landarzt'' is a German television series that aired for 22 seasons from 1987 to 2013. During early seasons, the show revolves around country doctor Dr. Karsten Matthiesen who runs a practice in his Northern German hometown of Deekelsen wi ...

'' (1987–2016) * ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and a ...

'' (1974–1998) * ''

Die Bergretter ''Die Bergwacht'' (since 2012 ''Die Bergretter'') is a German mountain rescue television series, broadcast since 26 November 2009 on ZDF. The series is set in the Austrian Alps and centers around a fictional ''Bergwacht'' (mountain rescue) team i ...

'' (2009–present) * ''

Die Chefin ''Die Chefin'' is a German crime drama television series starring Katharina Böhm as First Police Chief Inspector Vera Lanz, a Munich police detective who has to balance her professional and private life. The show premiered on 24 February 2012 o ...

'' (2012–present) * ''Die Garmisch-Cops'' (2012, 2014, 2016) * ''

Die Rosenheim-Cops ''Die Rosenheim-Cops'' is a German television series set in Chiemgau, mainly in Rosenheim. It is produced by the Bavaria Film GmbH for the ZDF public TV network. The cost per episode is estimated at 425,000 euros. Concept The series' main ...

'' (2002–present) * ''

Die Schwarzwaldklinik ''The Black Forest Clinic'' (german: Die Schwarzwaldklinik, ) is a German medical drama television series that was produced by and filmed in West Germany. The series was produced between 1984 and 1988 with the original airing being from October 2 ...

'' ''(The Black Forest Clinic)'' (1985–2013) * ''Die Toten vom Bodensee'' (2014–present) * ''

Diese Drombuschs ''Diese Drombuschs'' is a German television series that originally aired on ZDF for six seasons from 1983 to 1994. The show revolves around a typical German middle class family living in the city of Darmstadt. Cast * Witta Pohl as Vera Drombu ...

'' (1983–1995, 1998–2000) * ''Dr. Klein'' (2014–2016) * ''

Ein Fall für Zwei ''Ein Fall für zwei'' (''"A case for two"'') is a German television series, which premiered on 11 September 1981 on ZDF. The series, set in Frankfurt am Main, features two main characters who solve crimes: a defense attorney and a private invest ...

'' (1981–2013) * ''

Ein starkes Team ''Ein starkes Team'' (German for: "a strong team") is a German crime television series developed by the German television channel ZDF since March 1994. Up to four new 90-minute episodes are broadcast annually, resulting in a current total of 89 e ...

'' (1994–present) * ''

Forsthaus Falkenau ''Forsthaus Falkenau'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Blocks'' (TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * ''Alarm für Cobr ...

'' (1989–2016) * ''

Freunde fürs Leben ''Freunde fürs Leben'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Blocks'' (TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * ''Alarm für Co ...

'' (1992–2005, 2008) * ''Friesland'' (2015–present) * ''

Girl friends – Freundschaft mit Herz ''girl friends – Freundschaft mit Herz'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Blocks'' (TNT Serie, 2017–2019) ...

'' (1995–2009) * ''Helen Dorn'' (2014–present) * ''Herzensbrecher – Vater von vier Söhnen'' (2013–2016) * ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order t ...

'' ''(Ein Engel auf Erden)'' (1987–1990) * ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

'' (1985, 1988) * ''

Hotel Paradies Hotel Paradies was a sitcom that aired on ZDF with a total of 27 episodes. It aired twice a week from January 16, 1990, to April 12, 1990, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:50 PM. The show was written by Herbert Lichtenfeld. From episodes 1 to 12, ...

'' (1990–1992, 1995–1996, 1998, 2000–2001, 2009) * ''

Ich heirate eine Familie Ich heirate eine Familie ''(I am marrying a family)'' is a television series that aired from 1983 to 1986 on German television network ZDF. 14 episodes were produced. Curth Flatow wrote the screenplays, while all episodes were directed by Pet ...

'' (1987–1992, 1998–2008, 2013) * ''

In Plain Sight ''In Plain Sight'' is an American drama television series that premiered on the USA Network on June 1, 2008. The series revolves around Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, office ...

'' (2010, 2013–2014, 2016) * ''Inga Lindström'' (2004–present) * ''

Jack Holborn Jack Holborn was a 1982 ZDF Adventure TV mini-series. The story is based on the 1964 book by Leon Garfield. It was shown in the United Kingdom by ITV. Plot Jack Holborn is a 13-year-old boy living in an orphanage in late 18th-century Bristol. Jac ...

'' (

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

for Christmas 1982) * '' Jack Taylor'' (2013, 2017) * ''

Jede Menge Leben ''Jede Menge Leben'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Blocks'' (TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * ''Alarm für Cobra 1 ...

'' (1995–1996) * ''

Kidnap and Ransom ''Kidnap and Ransom'' is a British television three-part miniseries, originally shown on ITV in January 2011 with a second series following in February 2012. The series follows the work of a British hostage negotiator Dominic King, played by ...

'' ''(Der Jäger – Geld oder Leben)'' (2016–present) * ''

Kommissarin Lucas ''Kommissarin Lucas'' is a German series of telefilms set in Regensburg, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany. It streams in some English-language countries as "Detective Ellen Lucas." The series had starred Ulrike Kriener in the title role of Ellen ...

'' (2003–present) * ''Kripo Holstein'' (2013–2015) * ''

Ku'damm 56 Ku’damm 56 is a German television trilogy about the 50s youth generation in the period between the end of World War II and the German Wirtschaftswunder. It tells the story of a conservative mother and her three daughters of marriageable age. Th ...

'' (2016) * ''

Küstenwache The German Federal Coast Guard (german: Küstenwache des Bundes) is a civilian law enforcement organisation whose primary missions are border protection, maritime environmental protection, shipping safety, fishery protection and customs enforcem ...

'' (1997–2016) * ''

Leipzig Homicide ''Leipzig Homicide (SOKO Leipzig)'' is a German crime drama television series first broadcast on 31 January 2001 on ZDF. More than 400 episodes have been screened since. On 12 November 2008, the first of a two-part crossover between ''SOKO Leipz ...

'' (2001–present) * ''Letzte Spur Berlin'' (2012–present) * ''Lotta & ...'' (2010–present) * ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' ''(Magnum)'' (2012–2015) * '' Matlock'' (1998–1992) * ''

Midsomer murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...

'' ''(Inspector Barnaby)'' (2005–present) * ''

Mino Mino may refer to: Places in Japan * Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture * Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture * Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Mino, an alternate spelling of Minoh, a city in Osaka Prefecture * Mi ...

'' (1986 Christmas

) * ''Mordkommission Königswinkel'' (2017–present) * ''Morgen hör ich auf'' (2016) * ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the ...

'' ''(New Tricks – Die Krimispezialisten)'' (2005) * ''

Notruf Hafenkante ''Notruf Hafenkante'' is a German television series broadcast on ZDF. It is set in Hamburg and is about the members of the police department PK 21 and the doctors of the fictional hospital Elbkrankenhaus. The show's premise is modelled on the ...

'' (2007–present) * ''

Ray Donovan ''Ray Donovan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ann Biderman for Showtime. The twelve-episode first season premiered on June 30, 2013. The pilot episode broke viewership records, becoming the biggest premiere of all t ...

'' (2014–2016) * '' Salto Kommunale'' (1998, 2001–2002) * ''

Salto Postale ''Salto Postale'' is a German sitcom television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * '' 4 Blocks'' ( TNT Serie, 2017–2019) * '' Alarm für ...

'' (1993–1997, 2002–2003, 2006) * ''Sibel&Max'' (2015–2016) * '' Siska'' (2002–2010) * ''

SOKO 5113 Soko ( sh-Cyrl, Соко) was a Yugoslav aircraft manufacturer based in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company was responsible for the production of many military aircraft for the Yugoslav Air Force. SOKO was created in 1950 by the rel ...

'' (1978–present) * ''

SOKO Donau ''SOKO Donau'' (in Germany ''SOKO Wien'') is an Austrian crime drama television series produced by ORF in collaboration with the German network ZDF. It is the sixth spin-off of the German crime series ''SOKO 5113'' (''SOKO München'' since 2015 ...

/SOKO Wien'' (2005–present) * ''

SOKO Hamburg ''SOKO Hamburg'' (English title: ''Hamburg Homicide'') is a German police procedural television series that premiered on 27 March 2018 on ZDF. It is the ninth offshoot of ''SOKO München'', launched in 1978. "SOKO" is an abbreviation of the Germ ...

'' (2018–present) * ''

SOKO Kitzbühel ''SOKO Kitzbühel '' is an Austrian television series produced by ORF in collaboration with the German network ZDF. It is the third spin-off of the German crime series ''SOKO 5113'' (''SOKO München'' since 2015), launched in 1978. The show, w ...

'' (2003–present) * ''

SOKO Rhein-Main ''SOKO Rhein-Main'' is a German police procedural television series that premiered on 19 April 2006 on ZDF. The series aired for two seasons and was discontinued in 2008. It is the seventh offshoot of ''SOKO München'', launched in 1978. "SOKO" ...

'' (2006–2008, 2010) * ''

SOKO Wismar ''SOKO Wismar'' is a German police procedural television series that premiered on 6 October 2004 on ZDF. It is the fifth offshoot of ''SOKO München'', launched in 1978 under the name ''SOKO 5113''. "SOKO" is an abbreviation of the German word ...

'' (2004–present) * "

Solo für Weiss Solo für Weiss is a German crime television film series with Anna Maria Mühe in the role of a target investigator, Nora Weiss. The series was first produced in 2016 and was broadcast as the ''Television Movie of the week''. After two contiguous ...

" (2016–present) * ''Sperling'' (1996–2013) * ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' ''(Raumschiff Enterprise)'' (1972–1982) * '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' ''(Raumschiff Enterprise: Das nächste Jahrhundert)'' (1990–1993) * ''

Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall ''Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall'' (at the beginning only called ''Von Fall zu Fall'' and sometimes only called ''Stubbe'') is a German language, German crime detective television series starring Wolfgang Stumph as detective Stubbe. It is being broad ...

'' (1995–2016) * ''

Stuttgart Homicide ''SOKO Stuttgart'' (English title: ''Stuttgart Homicide'') is a German police procedural television series that premiered on 12 November 2009 on ZDF. It is the eighth offshoot of ''SOKO München'', launched in 1978 under the name ''SOKO 5113''. ...

'' (2009–present) * ''

The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...

'' ''(Reich und Schön)'' (2002–2008, 2010–2011) * '' The Fall'' ''(The Fall – Tod in Belfast)'' (2015) * '' The Five'' (2017) * ''

'' ''(Die Muppet Show)'' (1977–1989) * ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' ''(Die Simpsons)'' (1991–1993) * ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'' ''(Schatten der Leidenschaft)'' (2008) * ''

Unser Charly ''Unser Charly'' (in English Our Charly) is a German television series produced by Phoenix Film and broadcast on ZDF. It ran from 27 December 1995 to 9 June 2012. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of televi ...

'' (1995–2012) * '' Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter'' ''(Generation War)'' (2013) * ''

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...

'' (2006–2008) * ''

Welcome Back, Kotter ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the series ...

'' (1979–1980) * ''

Wilsberg ''Wilsberg'' is a German TV series based on novels about the fictional private detective Georg Wilsberg. A first TV episode was aired in 1995, five years after the release of the first novel, starring Joachim Król. Since the second episode (aired ...

'' (1999–present)

Sport

* ''

das aktuelle sportstudio ''Das aktuelle Sportstudio'' (stylized in lowercase) is a weekly sports TV show on German channel ZDF, broadcast late on Saturday evenings. The program is repeated later on 3sat. It was first broadcast on 24 August 1963. From 1999 to 2005, the ...

'' (1963–present) *

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...

(1966-present) *

UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...

(1964-present) *

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...

(Final Only)

Talk

* ''Dunja Hayali'', hosted by

Dunja Hayali Dunja Hayali (born 6 June 1974) is a German journalist and television presenter for public broadcaster ''ZDF''. Early life and education Hayali is the daughter of Christianity in Iraq, Iraqi Christians from Mosul. Her mother is Chaldean Catho ...

(2015–present) * ''Johannes B. Kerner'', talk show hosted by

(1998–2009) * ''live'' (1986–1997) * ''Markus Lanz'', talk show hosted by

Markus Lanz Markus Lanz (born 16 March 1969) is a German-Italian television presenter based in Germany. Early life Lanz is a member of the German-speaking majority in the Italian province of South Tyrol. He grew up in Geiselsberg, a village located 1,3 ...

(2008–present) * ''Maybrit Illner'', a political talk show hosted by

Maybrit Illner Maybrit Illner (née Klose; born 12 January 1965) is a German journalist and television presenter. Education Born in East Berlin, Illner went to school in the Friedrichshain area of Berlin and studied journalism at the University of Leipzig ...

(1999–present) * ''Peter Hahne'', hosted by Peter Hahne (2010–2017) * ''Tacheles'', hosted by Johannes Gross (1996) * ''Willemsens Woche'', hosted by

Roger Willemsen Roger Willemsen (15 August 1955 – 7 February 2016) was a German author, essayist and TV presenter. Biography Willemsen was born and passed his Abitur in Bonn. He studied German philology (Germanistik), philosophy and history of art in Bonn, ...

(1994–1998) * ''Zeugen des Jahrhunderts'' (1979–present)

Audience share

Germany

The average viewer age is 62 years (as of 2016).

References

External links

* *
ZDF
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

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