The Black Forest Murders is a new German crime thriller heading to BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.
As someone who enjoys German series, especially Netflix hit Kleo, the four-part drama is an exciting prospect.
Interestingly, it combines two real-life criminal cases into a fictional police thriller.
Written by Robert Hummel and Martina Mouchot, and based on the non-fiction Walter Roth book “SOKO Erle”, The Black Forest Murders follows a 2016 police investigation into the mysterious murders of two young women in the south of Germany.
Nina Kunzendorf, who plays the lead character, Senior Detective Barbara Kramer, said in a German magazine interview: “She’s not a typical TV crime detective, Barbara doesn’t have an extensive backstory or have to deal with personal trauma; her investigation is the focus. Not everything is recounted in detail. I like that a lot, because it gave me and the audience room for interpretation.”
Here’s everything we know…
The Black Forest Murders
The Black Forest Murders is heading to BBC Four and BBC iPlayer in 2025, but the BBC has yet to confirm a release date. See our best BBC dramas guide for more series to enjoy.
In Australia, you can watch it via SBS on demand.
The Black Forest Murders plot
The makers tease: “A young woman is missing. After an intensive search, her body is found, bludgeoned to death by an unknown assailant. Senior Detective Barbara Kramer (Nina Kunzendorf) of the Lauburg police and her team, including Thomas Riedle (Tilman Strauß), begin the search for the perpetrator. They speak with witnesses and gather evidence but quick successes elude them.
“The team grows into a large special investigation unit, securing hundreds of clues and attempting to connect them. In addition, they must deal with a second murder, unclear whether it is connected to the first, and parallels to a similar case in Austria that occurred four years earlier are emerging. Under the watchful eye of the concerned public, the police officers face mounting pressure for months, until their persistence is finally rewarded.”
Cast
Nina Kunzendorf (Furia) plays Senior Detective Barbara Kramer with Tilman Strauß as Thomas Riedle, who’s one of her team. Other cast include; Aliki Hirsch, Božidar Kocevski, Atrin Haghdoust, David Richter, Liliane Amuat, Florian Hertweck, Markus Krojer, Katja Bürkle, Sophia Schober and Mira Huber.
Is there a trailer?
No, not yet.
Black Forest Murders behind the scenes and more
The Black Forest Murders is a Lailaps Film (a STUDIOCANAL Company) production with SWR and is supported by the FilmFernsehFonds Bayern.
Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “The Black Forest Murders is an authentic and compelling crime series focussing on the work of a meticulous investigative team. As well as being a gripping murder mystery, the series offers a detailed look at the challenges of solving complex crimes, and the psychological toll on those involved in such high-stakes investigations.”