KDD – Kriminaldauerdienst
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''KDD – Berlin Crime Squad'', German title ''KDD – Kriminaldauerdienst'' is a German television series that was broadcast from 2007 to 2010. The series differs from typical police procedurals by focusing on the daily work life and the private problems of the main characters instead of following a "case of the week" scheme, and because of the overarching storylines spanning one or several seasons. Due to its uncommon dramaturgy and its ambiguous drawing of the main characters, it was critically lauded and received several accolades. However, as the limited number of viewers underperformed expectations, the series was cancelled after three seasons. Filmmaker
Edward Berger Edward Berger (; born 1970) is a Swiss nationality , Swiss and Austrian nationality law, Austrian director and screenwriter. He is known for his work in Germany, where he was born and grew up, such as the German films ''Jack (2014 film), Jack'' ...
, who later made
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
and
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
-winning film ''All Quiet on the Western Front'', directed and co-wrote several episodes of Season 2.


Series premise

In German law enforcement, the "Kriminaldauerdienst''” is a 24/7 stand-by service of the ''
Kriminalpolizei ''Kriminalpolizei'' (, "criminal police") is the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the police forces of Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. In Nazi Germany, the Kripo was the criminal polic ...
'' (responsible for criminal investigations). Divided into a day and night shift, the officers of the Kriminaldauerdienst are responsible for collecting information about a crime with the ultimate goal of referring it to the responsible units (unless the crime can be solved during the shift). In reality, Berlin, unlike other major cities such as
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
,
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
or
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, has no such service.


Plot

The series follows the story of the fictional day-shift squad of the Berlin “Kriminaldauerdienst” (Crime Squad) in the problematic quarter
Kreuzberg Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Berlin-Mitte, Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in ...
. It can be divided into three narrative levels; a plot spanning all three seasons is a corruption case within the
Berlin police The Berlin Police (; formerly , ) is the force for the city-state of Berlin, Germany. Law enforcement in Germany is divided between federal and state () agencies. The Berlin Police is headed by the ('Chief of Police'), Dr. Barbara Slowik. ...
that the officers of the Berlin Crime Squad investigate, additionally, the show follows the private lives of the investigators, and the criminal cases they are confronted with every day. The main characters of the show are the seven officers of the Berlin Crime Squad: * '' Kriminalhauptkommissar Helmut Enders'' (Götz Schubert) * '' Kriminaloberkommissar Jan Haroska'' ( Manfred Zapatka) * ''Kriminaloberkommissarin Kristin Bender'' (Saskia Vester) * '' Kriminalkommissar Leo Falckenstein'' ( Barnaby Metschurat) * ''Kriminalkommissarin Sylvia Henke'' (Melika Foroutan) * ''Kriminalkommissar Mehmet Kilic'' (Billey Demirtas) * ''Polizeikommissarin'' (later ''Polizeioberkommissarin'') ''Maria Hernandez'' (Jördis Triebel)


Season 1

In season 1, Jan Haroska embezzles drug money from the crime scene of an explosion in order to help his estranged daughter − and thus his grandson − who is in debt after her husband's suicide. However, the money belonged to the Russian drug dealer Han who now looks frantically for it which endangers Haroska's life and that of his family.
The explosion was orchestrated by another drug dealer, Aoun, to put his rival in his place. The investigation is reassigned from the KDD to the
Landeskriminalamt The State Criminal Police Office, or Landeskriminalamt ((LKA) ) in German, is an independent law enforcement agency in all 16 German states that is directly subordinate to the state's ministry of the interior. Missions Investigations LKAs sup ...
and led by Rainer Sallek who, together with the Berlin Chief of Police, is in business with Aoun. Refusing to let go of the investigation, Enders and his team start to uncover the corruption. In the season finale, the squad is attacked by snipers belonging to the drug mafia during an
undercover operation A covert operation or undercover operation is a military or police operation involving a covert agent or troops acting under an assumed cover to conceal the identity of the party responsible. US law Under US law, the Central Intelligence Ag ...
at the
Gendarmenmarkt The is a square in Berlin and the site of an architectural ensemble that includes the Berlin concert hall, along with the French and German Churches. In the centre of the square stands a monumental statue of poet Friedrich Schiller. The ...
, ending the season with a
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
.
Other storylines include the relationship between Haroska and Maria Hernandez, as well as Sylvia Henke, who is kidnapped and
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
d. Kristin Bender takes a liking to Enes, an adolescent
fugitive A fugitive or runaway is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...
from
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
who has to steal to support himself.


Season 2

In season 2, the squad continues investigating the corruption case. Helmut Enders relies on the contacts of Armin Ponew, a former cop who now is involved in manipulated
sports betting Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a sportsbook or bookmaker (colloquially known as "bookies"), or illegally through priva ...
in the Fußball-Regionalliga (football regional league); as a result, Enders himself becomes entangled in criminal activities.
Additionally, Jan Haroska is forced to leave the KDD because of his relapse into alcoholism and the show chronicles his attempts to sober up and rejoin the police force. Also, Sylvia Henke has difficulties coping with the aftermaths of her rape. Kristin Bender makes an effort to adopt Enes as her
foster child Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family member ...
.


Season 3

The third season is very focused on the character of Mehmet Kilic who has developed a cocaine addiction and works in a night club to support his drug habit.
When an undercover police officer is killed by a weapons dealer, Kilic is asked to go undercover as the victim and he were in the same club that night. Kilic is tested in his loyalty to his colleagues on the one hand, and the Turkish club owner who is his friend, on the other hand. The series finale depicts a
hostage crisis A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...
in the KDD precinct; however, the episode does not present a series finale in a classical sense, but rather another cut within the show's story, with the ending remaining open in many aspects.


Cast and characters

Other important characters include: * Marlies Haroska (Sandra Borgmann), Jan Haroska's daughter * Kristin Bender's significant others ** Petra Kirchhoff (Julika Jenkins) in season 1 ** Thomas Behrens (Martin Brambach) in season 2 ** Müjde (Adriana Altaras) in season 3 * Axel Falckenstein (Falk Rockstroh), Leo Falckenstein's father * Mia (Charleen Deetz), Sylvia Henke's daughter * In Mehmet Kilic's private life ** Elif Kilic ( Sıla Şahin), his wife from
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
** Timur ( Elyas M'Barek), Elif's secret fiancé ** Rüya Deniz ( İdil Üner), Kilic's emancipated girlfriend (seasons 2 and 3) ** Veli Gür (Bülent Sharif), a club owner for whom he works in season 3 * The partners of Maria Hernandez ** Stefan Mahler (Daniel Zillmann) in season 1, shot on duty ** Keitel (
Devid Striesow Devid Striesow (born 1 October 1973 in Bergen auf Rügen, East Germany) is a German actor. After his school education, he moved to Berlin to start an apprenticeship as a goldsmith but the goldsmith's business went bankrupt before Striesow cou ...
) in season 2 ** Nicole Ries (
Laura Tonke Laura Tonke (born 14 April 1974 in Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cit ...
) in season 3


Production and broadcasting

The series was primarily shot in the Berlin neighborhoods of
Kreuzberg Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Berlin-Mitte, Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in ...
and
Neukölln Neukölln (), officially abbreviated Neuk, is one of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is located south-east of Berlin's center and stretches from the inner city southward to the border with Brandenburg, encompassing the eponymous quarter of Neu ...
. For the exterior shots of the KDD precinct, the old building of the Heeresbäckerei Berlin was used whereas the interior scenes were shot a studio close to the
Berlin Tegel Airport Berlin Tegel "Otto Lilienthal" Airport () was the primary international airport of Berlin, the capital of Germany. The airport was named after aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal and was the fourth busiest airport in Germany, with over 24 millio ...
. Season 1, consisting of a pilot episode with a length of 90 minutes and 10 episodes, was broadcast from February 2, 2007 to April 20, 2007 on
ZDF ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...
. Season 2, containing 9 episodes, was broadcast from May 2, 2008 to July 4, 2008.
Shooting on season 3 began in October 2008. On November 17, 2009, the ZDF announced that the series would not be renewed for a fourth season. Because the third season was co-financed by
arte Arte (, , ; ' ('), sometimes stylised in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European Union, European public service Television channel, channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based Europea ...
, the channel had the rights to first run, showing the episodes from January 12, 2010 to March 2, 2010. The final season aired on ZDF from April 9, 2010 to May 21, 2010.


International broadcast

The series was broadcast in French on
arte Arte (, , ; ' ('), sometimes stylised in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European Union, European public service Television channel, channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based Europea ...
under the title ''KDD – Berlin Brigade Criminelle''. In 2010, the series was sold to
Eurochannel Eurochannel is a world television channel focused on European culture and lifestyle through movies, series and other programs dedicated to European culture. Eurochannel broadcasts in original audio with subtitles in English, French, German, Ital ...
and was first broadcast on the Canadian Eurochannel in October 2010 as ''KDD – Berlin Crime Squad'' Eurochannel then went on to broadcast it in Spanish-speaking countries (''KDD: Policia de Investigación''), Portuguese-speaking countries (''KDD: Policia Investigativa de Berlim''),
French-speaking French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-Romance, a descendant of the Latin spoken in ...
countries and on the Polish Eurochannel (''KDD: Berlinski Oddzial Kryminalny'').


Narrative and visual style

The series differed from many German television series due to its rapid narrative pace, the complexity and thickness of the plot and the subject matters (which included
forced marriage Forced marriage is a marriage in which one or more of the parties is married without their consent or against their will. A marriage can also become a forced marriage even if both parties enter with full consent if one or both are later force ...
,
euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...
,
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
,
gambling addiction Problem gambling, ludopathy, or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to DSM-5 if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological ga ...
,
child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in Human sexual activity, sexual activit ...
and abuse of elderly in
nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
s). The series was shot with two cameras to enhance the dynamic and achieve a more fluent way of acting. Another characteristic was the coloring of the series, which was kept in livid shades of
green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...
and
beige Beige ( ) is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow. It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither ble ...
, which was likened to modern American
television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
such as ''
The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
''. The minimalistic and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
soundtrack also contributed to the exceptional style of ''KDD – Berlin Crime Squad''.


Reception


Critical response

''KDD – Kriminaldauerdienst'' was received almost unanimously well by critics. They were particularly impressed with the series' narrative pace ("The series has this high narrative pace known from American TV series", ''
Süddeutsche Zeitung The ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' (; ), published in Munich, Bavaria, is one of the largest and most influential daily newspapers in Germany. The tone of ''SZ'' is mainly described as centre-left, liberal, social-liberal, progressive-liberal, and ...
'') and the complex stories ("...The era of ironing in front of the television is over...").
The series' challenging of German crime series
tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...
s was also lauded: "Does one really want the world to be kept in order by people who cannot even get their own lives together? A question that is especially disturbing on Friday nights in the ZDF. Here, investigations are usually carried with a state-underpinning noblesse ..The integrity of the investigators was yet always guaranteed during the “fire place hour” of crime entertainment", contemplated Christian Buß in the '' Spiegel.'' ''KDD'' was called "by far the best of the current German crime genre" and was praised for its realism.


Audience response

Despite the acclaim and enthusiasm with which ''KDD'' was received by critics, the series proved unsuccessful with the television audience. Airing on Friday nights where the
ZDF ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...
traditionally shows crime series, the viewing figures corresponded to the average ZDF share, but were far inferior to that of the other crime series shown the same night. Series creator Orkun Ertener mused that the show was "...too complex, too fast, too dark, too immoral" for the German audience and voiced his fear that ambitious series such as ''KDD'' will never be successful in Germany: "...We will most likely never gain upon Great Britain and the US that are setting the standards". The magazine ''
Stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...
'' called ''KDD – Kriminaldauerdienst'' a series caught "in the quality trap".


Awards and nominations

*
Deutscher Fernsehpreis The Deutscher Fernsehpreis (''German Television Award'') is an annual German award for television programming, created in 1999, by German television channels Das Erste, ZDF, RTL (German TV channel), RTL and Sat.1. It was created to be an equivalen ...
** 2007: ''Best Series'' ** 2008: Nomination for ''Best Series'' ** 2008: Nomination for ''Best Music'' (Christoph M. Kaiser, Julian Maas) * Adolf-Grimme-Preis ** 2008: Distinguished in the category ''Fiction'' * Bayerischer Fernsehpreis (Bavarian TV Awards) ** 2007: ''Best Actress'' (Saskia Vester) ** 2008: ''Best Actor'' (Manfred Zapatka) *International TV Broadcasting & Film Awards (New York Festivals) ** 2008: Bronze World Award, Category ''Television Entertainment Programs , Drama'' (Pilot episode)


Episode list


References


External links

* * Article about ''KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst'' on the German Wikipedia
Official homepage
on the website of
arte Arte (, , ; ' ('), sometimes stylised in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European Union, European public service Television channel, channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based Europea ...

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

Series information and episode guide
on the TV information website ''fernsehserien.de'' {{DEFAULTSORT:KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst German crime television series 2000s German police procedural television series German drama television series ZDF original programming 2007 German television series debuts 2010 German television series endings Television shows set in Berlin German-language television shows Grimme-Preis for fiction winners