Alfred Pfabigan - Sunday night murder

In October 2016, the 1000. episode of the German criminal series "Tatort" will air on German national television – time for a critical analysis with surprising results. Up to 14 million viewers follow the Sunday night crime series every week. The possibly longest running German TV format has become part of cultural memory, as it does not shy away from sensitive issues and topical debates. What goes on behind criticisms of capitalism, police operations dealing with controversial political subjects, and the not quite squeaky clean biographies of its investigators? For example, Pfabigan unearths parallels to the history of German police dramas influenced by National Socialism. Compared to US-American CSI series, however, Tatort victims appear to be suspiciously guilty, perpetrators are remarkably portrayed with lots of empathy, and right and wrong seems more a question of feeling than evidence.