Deutschland 86 (German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏtʃlant ˌzɛksʔʊntˈʔaxtsɪç]) is a 2018 German spy thriller television series starring Jonas Nay as an agent of East Germany in 1986, in relation to the Angolan Civil War.[1]

Deutschland 86
GenreCold War espionage
Created byAnna Winger
Joerg Winger
Written byAnna Winger
Starring
Theme music composerPeter Schilling, David Harland Lodge
Opening theme"Major Tom (Coming Home)"
Country of origin
  • Germany
  • United States
Original languages
  • German
  • English
  • Portuguese
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
ProducerTim Greve
CinematographyMatthias Fleischer
Kristian Leschner
EditorsBoris Gromatzki
Jens Klüber
Robert Stuprich
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time45-47 minutes
Production companyUFA Fiction
Original release
Network
Release19 October (2018-10-19) –
19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)
Related

It is a sequel to the 2015 series Deutschland 83 and precedes the 2020 series Deutschland 89.

Cast

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Main

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Recurring

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  • Vladimir Burlakov as Thomas Posimski, Annett's former lover and Tina's brother.
  • Anke Engelke[2] as Barbara Dietrich, a new financial consultant to the StäV.
  • Uwe Preuss as Markus Fuchs, Walter's associate who was promoted to Walter's position at the StäV.
  • Carina Wiese as Ingrid Rauch, Martin's mother
  • Michaela Caspar as Mrs. Netz, the former secretary to Alex's father in the Bundeswehr, now working as an agent for the BND.
  • Jonathan Pienaar as Gary Banks, a South African mercenary, hired by Lenora and Martin.
  • Philipp Hochmair as Frank Winkelmann, the husband of Brigitte Winkelmann.[3]

Episodes

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There are 10 episodes. In addition, a documentary entitled "Comrades and Cash" was produced to accompany the series. Narrated by Nay, it describes various business activities undertaken by the East German state to earn hard currency, including: the sale of arms by the East German state to the apartheid government of South Africa, their notional enemies; smuggling arms to both sides in the Iran-Iraq war; forced labor in prisons; appropriating antiques and safe-deposit-box contents from its citizens and selling them abroad; selling blood abroad without testing it for HIV.

No.Title [4]Directed byWritten byGerman airdateUS airdate Viewers
(millions)
1"Tar Baby"Florian CossenAnna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)25 October 2018N/A
In 1986, Lenora retrieves Martin from protective exile in Angola to assist her with an operation selling a shipment of West German weapons to the South African Army. Martin sabotages the sale to General De Graaf when he learns the weapons will be used to attack an oil refinery held by the MPLA and harm people he knows, but Martin reassures a furious Lenora he can negotiate a sale to the Angolans.
2"Ommegang"Florian CossenJoy C. Mitchell & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)26 October 2018N/A
Lenora and Martin make arrangements to bring the weapons shipment into Angola. To pay the guide, Gary Banks, Martin sleeps with the West German Trade Commissioner's wife Brigitte Winkelmann and steals her diamond necklace. During the journey, Gary delivers Lenora and Martin into the hands of De Graaf.
3"Dragon Rouge"Florian CossenUlf Tschauder & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)1 November 2018N/A
Gary takes Martin, Lenora, and a hidden team of rebels into the oil refinery under the pretense of selling the weapons to Major Kalumba. Martin negotiates the sale, and once they have the payment, Gary holds Kalumba at gunpoint, planning to leave with the money, the weapons, and three tankers of diesel, after which the rebels will bomb the oil refinery. Martin escapes and finds the bomb; he is unable to defuse it in time, but it malfunctions. Gary drops the money, and the rebels all kill each other over it. Lenora and Martin flee, but Martin is shot in the chest by a sniper, and Lenora leaves him for dead.
4"Le Cafard"Florian CossenWill Bentley & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)2 November 2018N/A
Gary has taken Martin to recover in Libya, where he is selling the weapons to a terrorist, Khaled Al Badri. Gary also hopes to sell Martin's services as the infamous operative Kolibri. Brigitte is also interested in acquiring Martin and Lenora, and Gary delivers Martin to her. Walter works his way back into the inner circle with a plan to smuggle goods to South Africa. He is about to tell Ingrid that Martin is presumed dead, but changes his mind.
5"Green Book"Florian CossenSteve Bailie & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)8 November 2018N/A
Brigitte is a West German intelligence agent, and has Martin in a hideout in Paris. He declines her offer to be a double agent. Learning Martin may be alive, Walter sends Nina to find him. Martin recognizes Khaled's associate Samira in a photo Nina shows him, and warns Walter she is likely planning a terrorist attack. Walter gets a coded message to US intelligence, who warn their assets in the city. Samira is thwarted in her attempt to bomb the Grand Hotel Voltaire in West Berlin, and instead bombs a nightclub across the street, where Alex and Tim are dancing.
6"Tjello"Florian CossenWill Bentley & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)9 November 2018N/A
Martin returns to West Berlin, where international intelligence believes he is involved with the bombing. Tim has been seriously injured in the explosion. Walter passes along intel to US agent Hector Valdez proving the Libyans planned the attack without Martin. Lenora blackmails the West German Trade Commissioner Frank Winkelmann into helping her with an arms deal, and brings Rose Seithathi to stay with Ingrid. Martin visits Thomas, who confirms Martin is Max's father. After meeting Thomas, Marianne agrees to help Tina and her family escape from East Germany.
7"El Dorado Canyon"Florian CossenJoy C. Mitchell & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)15 November 2018N/A
Martin is reunited with Tobias, but Annett is not happy with his reappearance. Martin wants to be brought back into East Germany, insisting he is still loyal to the HV A and can be trusted. Barbara Dietrich assigns Lenora to Operation Dream Boat. Marianne tries to smuggle Tina and her family across the border, but, thanks to information Martin gives to Annett, they are caught and Marianne is killed.
8"Vula"Arne FeldhusenUlf Schauder & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)16 November 2018N/A
Martin tells Brigitte he is willing to work for the BND, and she takes him to Mrs Netz, who is now also a West German intelligence agent. Martin's first test of loyalty is to help the BND abduct Lenora. Tobias reveals to Alex he is HIV-positive. Tina is questioned in a Stasi prison. Tobias, representing West Germany, meets Annett to discuss exchanging Martin for several East German prisoners; Annett agrees to exchange Tina, but not her husband or daughters. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster stirs up the whole of Europe.
9"Chickenfeed"Arne FeldhusenSteve Bailie & Anna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)16 November 2018N/A
Tina is sent to West Germany, but is horrified to learn her family is still in the East. Martin is returned to East Germany carrying BND intel provided by Brigitte. He is reunited first with an icy Annett, and then with his mother. Frank tells Brigitte he is resigning, and that they can move back to Germany together. Martin follows Lenora, who is blackmailed by Frank as she supervises the loading of the weapons to be smuggled aboard the cruise ship. Gary reappears, intent on souring the arms sale, but Rose kills him.
10"Total Onslaught"Arne FeldhusenAnna Winger19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)17 November 2018N/A
Mrs. Netz arranges passage to West Germany for Martin, Lenora, and Max. The threat of the HVA's smuggling operation being exposed forces Markus to bring the cruise ship back to East Germany. Lenora is benched. Brigitte tells Frank their marriage is over. Martin abducts Max to coerce Annett to collect Tina's daughters from the orphanage. He sends Lenora and the girls across to West Germany, where they are reunited with Tina and Lenora is taken by the BND. Nina assassinates Frank. Annett lets Martin become a part of Max's life.

Broadcast

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Deutschland 86 first aired in Germany on Amazon Prime on 19 October 2018.[5] The series premiered in Australia on Stan on 22 October 2018,[6] and in the United States on 25 October 2018 on SundanceTV.[7] It aired in the UK on More4 starting on 8 March 2019 and the boxset was released on Walter Presents on All 4 directly after its transmission.[8]

Production

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In August 2017, filming began in Cape Town, South Africa, with the majority of the returning cast from Deutschland 83 and five new cast members being confirmed,[2][9] and concluded there in October[10] before returning to Berlin. On 18 December 2017, both star Jonas Nay and co-creator Anna Winger confirmed on Twitter that it was the final day of filming on the series [11] with filming wrapping four days later.[12] New cast member Chris Veres was promoted to series regular in November 2017.[13] On 26 July 2018, Nay revealed the German premiere date on Instagram.[14] Two days later, the US premiere date was revealed on the show's official Facebook and Instagram accounts.[15][16]

Reception

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The Guardian described the series as "geopolitically fascinating".[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b Fernandez, Matt (10 November 2017). "Chris Veres Lands Series Regular Role on Deutschland 86". Broadway World. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Filming Begins on Deutschland 86". Fremantle Media. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Deutschland86 | Serie für Amazon Prime Video – UFA FICTION". UFA (in German). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Shows A-Z - deutschland 83". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  5. ^ Damian Jones (27 July 2018). "'Deutschland 86' release date announced". NME. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  6. ^ Jessica Bosco (25 September 2018). "Here's Everything Coming To Stan This October". Marie Claire. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  7. ^ "SundanceTV and Sundance Now Unveil Fall 2018 Programming Slate, Featuring a Diverse Array of Thrilling Dramas and Compelling True Crime Docu-Series". Broadway World. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Walter Presents: Deutschland 86 on More4 on Friday". Entertainment Focus. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Anna Winger on Twitter". twitter.com.
  10. ^ "Jonas Nay on Twitter". twitter.com. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Jonas Nay on Twitter". twitter.com. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Jörg Winger". twitter.com. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Chris Veres Lands Series Regular Role on Deutschland 86". Variety. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Jonas Nay on Instagram". Instagram. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Deutschland86". Facebook.
  16. ^ deutschlandtheseriesde (28 July 2018). "On to new adventures: #Deutschland86 will launch exclusively on 19 October@PrimeVideoDE". Instagram (in German). Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  17. ^ "Deutschland 86 review – bazookas and shoulder pads at the ready!". the Guardian. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
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