Deutschland 83

9 December 2015

 

Introducing Deutschland 83

It’s 1983. The Cold War is heating up. Russian SS20 Missiles in East Germany are pointed West, American Pershing II Missiles will soon be placed in West Germany, to point East. The very real threat of nuclear conflict looms. Against this perilous political backdrop and set amid real events, DEUTSCHLAND 83, a gripping coming-of-age story and a suspenseful, fast-paced thriller, follows Martin Rauch (Jonas Nay), a 24 year old East Germany native, who is thrust from the world as he knows and sent over the wall to the West as an undercover spy for the Stasi. Hiding in plain sight in the West German army, he must gather the secrets of NATO military strategy while trying to resist the pleasures that the West has to offer. Everything is new to him, nothing is quite what it seems and everyone he encounters is harbouring secrets.

Stylish, fast-paced and utterly gripping, the series, created by German-American husband and wife team Anna Winger and Joerg Winger, reveals the experiences of Germans from both sides of the Berlin wall during a pivotal period of Cold War tensions where the world’s nuclear arsenals rested on a hair trigger.

The series was the first German-language drama ever to air in the US, proving a hit on SundanceTV channel this summer where it has was hailed as “engrossing” (Time Magazine), “slick” (The Hollywood Reporter) and “fresh and enjoyable” (The New York Times).

DEUTSCHLAND 83 will premiere on Channel 4 on Sunday 3rd January at 9pm to celebrate the launch on the same day of Walter Presents, the new on-demand foreign language drama service available exclusively on All 4. 

Synopses for the first three episodes of Deutschland 83

EPISODE ONE: QUANTUM JUMP

Martin Rauch is handpicked out of the army for a special undercover mission by his aunt, Leonora, a high ranking East German Intelligence officer. He is taken against his will to the West, where he undergoes intensive training to become a spy.  He assumes a new identity as Officer Moritz Stamm, working for a top West German General. His main mission is to gather military intelligence and befriend the General’s two rebellious children, the angry Alex and the beautiful Yvonne.

EPISODE TWO: BRAVE GUY

Moritz is given a dangerous mission to steal a top secret security report from the hotel room of a visiting General. At first he refuses, but finally agrees when his superiors promise to get his mother much needed medical support. The theft doesn’t go exactly to plan - Moritz is attacked by a rival spy but he manages to keep hold of the report. However, his superiors are left flummoxed when presented with the top secret file. It’s been saved onto a floppy disk and unfortunately, East German computers can’t cope with the new technology.

EPISODE THREE: ATLANTIC LION

Moritz is getting on well with General Edel and they bond on a trip to Brussels. He learns that his mother is now on a short list for a kidney transplant and his aunt takes his blood to see if he could be a match. Back in East Germany, his girlfriend moves in to care for his mother, but Moritz has no idea Annett is pregnant. His new mission is to seduce Linda, secretary to a top security analyst and install a microphone in her desk at NATO HQ. It’s the first time he pulls off such a complex spy manoeuvre. Moritz is beginning to enjoy some of the perks of his life in the West. Back in East Germany, Annett discovers Moritz’s mum is hiding a secret of her own in the basement.

Synopses for the remaining episodes are available on request.