Spuren des Bösen

First, there's the lead, Heino Ferch: tremendous presence and excellent actor. (If you happened to see Downfall, he played Albert Speer.) Plenty of great supporting actors. Secondly, thoughtful and intense stories, in my opinion; he is a tortured but arrogant psychologist, not a detective. It is deadly serious so if you prefer wise-cracking, quirky detectives and happy endings, seek elsewhere. Set in Austria with gorgeous backdrops despite its admittedly downbeat tone.