Mord mit Aussicht

It's funny to watch but there are better series than that. But it's okay. I like Schäffer.

The first twenty seven episodes of Mord mit Aussicht are truly sparkling comedy. Caroline Peters, Bjarne Mädel, Meike Droste and Petra Kleinert are a dream comedy team with perfect timing and chemistry. Each episode is expertly written to showcase a different aspect of the characters in a country village. The music is wonderful, from the opening theme through its many variations, the instrumental choices from banjo to hammer dulcimer are extremely inventive. The theme is an ear worm that delights every time one hears the unexpected rise of the melody in the second phrase. Bravo to all! I wish this team had made 50 more episodes together!

Only one question: why does Frau Haas not have any control over her sexual habits. This does not ad up with her confident demeanor. Its rather sad and not believable.

I came across this gem of a tv series a number of years ago on "ARD Mediathek". Because I'm bilingual I've been able to watch things in German on places like "Das Erste" which produces this. The setting is a rural town called "Hengasch". It's a play on words...in German it almost sounds like "Hänge-arsch" which is a real concept. (Flabby/saggy bottom, basically). It's deliberate because the main character, Sophie, says "Hengasch" sometimes in a way where it really sounds like 'Hängearsch". The characters are all caricatures, but once in a while there are more serious moments as well. It can be a bit corny, but I think that's its charm in a way. It's pretty light viewing as far as murder mysteries go... Might be interesting to see if an English-language based streaming service might pick it up some day. Compared with Brit series, I'd say it's something like a cross between a little more cynical Vicar of Dibley and a more rural Midsomer Murders. Each episode is under 1 hour.

What's the perfect translation for the show's title? "Murder with a view"? Anyway, this TV show is funny, uplifting, entertaining, captivating and very enjoyable. Hengasch is a strange village with strange people and I absolutely love it! Sophie Haas is a typical mid-thirty woman from a big city and Caroline Peters is just amazing in her role. The other main characters are great as well. Dietmar is such a lovely idiot and Bärbel with her wide-eyed temper is simply adorable. I really enjoy these completely different characters and how they solve the murder cases in awesome Hengasch.

The humour might be not everyone's taste - but I love it. It's not overstated, it's rather understated, snappy and kind of silly and foolish. I love the mixture! The three seasons really hooked me and the concluding TV movie "A Murder With A View" is a very nice conclusion.

Unfortunately, season 3 isn't as brilliant as the first two seasons. I couldn't get over the feeling that the producers (maybe new directors and writers) wanted to put more comedy into this show. It didn't really work for me. Some episodes are just dull and, well, filled with overstated situations. It's such a pity!

Nonetheless, I will visit Hengasch via my TV more than once. It's an enjoyable, fresh and unconventional crime series! Go watch it, folks!