Lerchenberg

For its 50th birthday in 2013, ZDF came up with a surprising dose of self-irony: In the mini-series “Lerchenberg”, filmed on the Mainz broadcasting site, a washed-up, self-absorbed, completely untalented Sascha Hehn is to be brought back to the screen by the young ZDF editor Billie Zarg (Eva Löbau). Of course, this is bound to fail spectacularly, but provides plenty of opportunity for jokes at the expense of the second German civil servant's paradise. “Despite all the prophecies of doom and some misconceptions: high-quality series are also produced in Germany. Even those that are not closely based on foreign models. One of the most unconventional and cheeky series was produced by a broadcaster that was not necessarily expected to produce something like this: ZDF. To be more precise, in the editorial department of Das Kleine Fernsehspiel. What is surprising about “Lerchenberg” is not so much its contemporary style as the biting way in which it tackles its own channel. [...] Viewers who are still familiar with older ZDF programs such as “Schwarzwaldklinik” will find the most enjoyment. But the young are also catered for - with parodic allusions to “The Walking Dead” or “Die Hard”, for example, when Sascha Hehn single-handedly takes on a group of masked men who hijack the “Aktuelle Sportstudio” and want to stop all soccer broadcasts until Jan Böhmermann - playing himself - has a big evening show. These are the more garish moments in the series, but its quality lies above all in the quiet, subliminal tones. The punchlines are rarely played for laughs; the often bileful humor is sometimes hidden in a subordinate clause, in the tone of voice, in a mimed comment. [...] The comedy comes into its own not least because it is interspersed with bitter, even touching scenes, because the authors and directors give real human feelings the space they deserve.” (Harald Keller, on: www.fr.de) Everything is actually going great for Billie: The ZDF young editor is about to realize her first ambitious film project. But then, shortly before filming begins, her supervisor Dr. Elisabeth Wolter interferes and demands that Billie include a former TV star in her project: Sascha Hehn! It quickly becomes clear that the washed-up ex-star is not as unassuming, slick and arrogant as his roles suggest - but in fact much worse. In any case, Hehn won't settle for a supporting role in Billie's project, but demands the lead role for himself. And more trouble is brewing for Billie. For her new volunteer Judith is apparently just as interested in Billie's job as she is in Billie's crush, sports editor Philipp. It's as if Hehn's appearance at the station has put a curse on her ...