20 German Shows On Netflix

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Watching German shows on Netflix is an excellent way to gain cultural fluency while honing vocabulary and listening skills. Luckily for language learners, Netflix and Amazon Prime are adding German TV series to their streaming lineups. German shows on Netflix are a great place to start if you’re looking for something easy-to-watch that will improve your understanding of the country and its people.

Likewise, if you want to learn more about Germany or practice listening to native speakers, these shows can be a good starting point. German television programs focus on a range of subjects, including family life, love stories, relationships between friends and colleagues, and everyday topics. The most common themes in German television programming are love, family life, friendships and crime drama.

Millions have spoken German of people worldwide for over 1,000 years ago. Watching German movies or a German series on Netflix will help you learn a foreign language faster and get insights into German culture. Learning German can be useful and language learning is something everyone can do at any age. German shows on Netflix are available worldwide, so there’s no excuse not to try one out!

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German Shows On Netflix

Watch Any Show On Netflix From Anywhere In The World

Can’t find a show on Netflix? You can watch your favourite Netflix shows and series by using a VPN. We’re offering our readers some great deals on low-cost VPNs to try.

  • NordVPN allows you to connect to 2380+ servers in 56+ countries and offers military-grade encryption and top security.
  • AtlasVPN is a cheap VPN provider that allows you to stream Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and more on unlimited devices.
  • Streamlocator is a plug and play streaming hub that provides access to 40+ popular streaming services worldwide, including shows in eight Netflix countries.

Top German Netflix Shows

1- Dark

best german tv shows on netflix
Movies on Netflix in Germany are taking off. At the top of the list is Dark. 

Dark is a German TV show on Netflix that has nothing to do with the Cold War or Nazis. This supernatural thriller has become one of Netflix’s most successful non-English shows.

Dark is a binge-able Netflix series that opens with the disappearance of a child in a small town in Germany.

The story starts as a tale about searching for a missing child but evolves into a complex web of characters who interact across time.

The timeline jumps in 33-year cycles starting in 2019 and going back to the 1800s and 33 years into the future in 2052.

Keeping track of all the characters through their different stages of life is a mind-bender, but it’s a series that is one of the best German fantasy series on Netflix and a classic time travel series to tick off your to-watch list.

Dark is one of the best Netflix original shows to watch. 

First episode: 1 December 2017

Set in: Winden, a fictional town in Germany

Seasons: 3

Cast: Louis Hofmann, Oliver Masucci, Julika Jenkins, Andreas Pietschmann.

2- Babylon Berlin

shows on netflix in berlin
Berlin is the star of many German shows on Netflix. The city is home to many famous landmarks in Germany

Babylon Berlin is a lavish German neo-noir crime drama set in Berlin in 1929. Neo-noir is a contemporary revival of the film noir genre that was popular in the 1950s.

This German Netflix series is set during the Weimar Republic, officially the German Reich between 1918 to 1933, and focuses on police inspector Gereon Rath and clerk Charlotte Ritter.

Rath is from Cologne and on a mission to break up an underground extortion ring.

The story has an exceptional screenplay with lavish sets, excellent acting and well-developed characters.

It communicates the challenge of halting the gradual slide into fascism with beautiful cinematography of East Berlin.

It’s a mega-budget German series on Netflix that is in the league of Game of Thrones.

First episode: 13 October 2017

Set in: Berlin

Seasons: 3

Cast: Volker Bruch, Liv Lisa Fries, Peter Kurth, Matthias Brandt, Leonie Benesch.

Awards: 2020 German Camera Awards for Best Cinematography, Rose d’Or Best Drama, German Television Awards Best Drama, German Screen Actors Awards Best Supporting Actor and many other awards since 2017.

Read this post: 25 Facts About Germany

3- Biohackers

good german shows on netflix
If you’re looking for a good german show on Netflix, check out our list.

Biohackers is a Sci-Fi thriller about biohacking technology that revolves around University of Freiburg medical student Mia Akerlund, interested in revolutionary biohacking technology.

Mia meets biology student Jasper and his roommate Niklas and is plunged into a world of illegal genetic experimentation as she investigates the reason for her brother’s death.

It’s a fast-moving series with twists and turns that keep you guessing.,

To viewers, the opening episode seems to be about a pandemic outbreak and the launch of the series was pushed back so as not to alarm viewers at the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

The core theme of Biohackers is the consequences of gene modifications.

The series raises questions about the ethics of scientific experimentations, and the boundaries scientists should not cross.

Biohackers was shot on location at the University of Freiburg and in Munich.

First episode: 20 August 2020

Set in: Freiburg

Seasons: 2

Cast: Thomas Kretschmann, Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Thomas Prenn, Adrian Julius Tillmann.

4- Parfum

This German Netflix series based on the best-selling novel Das Parfum by Patrick Süskind is a contemporary remake about passion, smell and serial killing.

Six friends with a passion for scent bond at boarding school, and when one of the six is murdered years later, secrets begin to emerge.

When other bodies killed in the same way surface, investigators Nadja Simon, Matthias Köhler and prosecutor Grünberg find themselves knee-deep in an investigation.

Parfum is a gruesome murder mystery with shots of stark naked dead bodies.

First episode: 14 November 2018

Set in: Germany

Seasons: 1

Cast: Friederike Becht, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Juergen Maurer, August Diehl.

5- Charite

best german shows on netflix
Whether it’s a thriller or comedy, there are plenty of German shows on Netflix to watch.

Charité is a German drama series set in 1888 and is a period drama based around a prestigious hospital in Berlin.

The story focuses on scientists, doctors and nurses, their quest to cure disease and interpersonal relationships.

The plot weaves in good doses of romance and religion and explores more severe issues of the period, such as the gap between men and women.

It also takes a good look at society’s attitude toward healthcare.

First episode: 21 March 2017

Set in: Berlin

Seasons: 3

Cast: Alicia von Rittberg, Maximilian Meyer-Bretschneider, Justus von Dohnányi, Matthias Koeberlin.

6- Charite at War

The sequel to Charite, this series is set between 1943 to 1945.

The series features the doctors and nurses in the same hospital during World War II.

First episode: February 2019

Set in: Berlin

Seasons: 1

Cast: Sarah Bauerett, Susanne Böwe, Mala Emde

7- Dogs of Berlin

german tv shows on netflix
Several top TV shows on Netflix are set in Berlin.

This German Netflix series about two cops in Berlin who investigate the murder of a Turkish-German soccer player exposes the city’s darker side.

From the Berlin mafia clans to minority Turks, betting dens and Neo Nazi thugs, this series is gritty and rooted in a reality that doesn’t fit into a travel guide!

The second German-language original Netflix series explores the racial conflict between the Germans and the Turkish community.

First episode: 7 December 2018

Set in: Berlin

Seasons: 1

Cast: Fahri Yardim, Fliex Kramer, Urs Rechn, Katharina Schüttler.

8- Criminal Germany

Criminal: Germany is part of Netflix’s highly successful ‘Criminal’ anthology set across four countries and filmed in French, Spanish, German and English.

Episodes are all set in an interview room and based around detectives interrogating suspects to crack their stories.

It’s a riveting watch and a must-see if you love intelligent crime drama.

First episode: 20 September 2019

Set in: an interview room

Seasons: 1

Cast: Eva Meckbach, Sylvester Groth, Florence Kasumba.

9- Isi & Ossi

best german tv shows on netflix
Movies on Netflix in Germany are taking off.

Isi & Ossi is a romantic comedy German movie about a billionaire’s daughter who fakes a romance with a struggling boxer.

Isi’s motivation is to convince her parents to send her to culinary school while Ossi needs money.

The unlikely pair develop a relationship that blossoms into a full-blown romance.

It’s a light-hearted and happy story with plenty of feel-good moments and one of the top German movies to make you smile.

First episode: 11 February 2020

Set in: Heidelberg and Mannheim

Seasons: 1

Cast: Lisa Vicari, Dennis Mojen, Christina Hecke, Pegah Ferydoni.

10- Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood is a German historical series on Netflix set in Munich around the turn of the 20th century.

It tells the story of Curt Prank, who arrives in Munich with a dream to set up a large brewery 20 times the size of the town’s Oktoberfest gatherings.

When Prank’s daughter (Clara) falls head over heels in love with the son of a rival beer maker, and a feud follows.

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood has a historical drama’s ingredients, including lots of beer-drinking, murder, blackmail, and secret liaisons.

First episode: 2020

Set in: Munich

Seasons: 1

Cast: Mišel Matičević,Martina Gedeck,Klaus Steinbacher.

Watch Any Show On Netflix From Anywhere In The World

Can’t find a show on Netflix? You can watch your favourite Netflix shows and series by using a VPN. We’re offering our readers some great deals on low-cost VPNs to try.

  • NordVPN allows you to connect to 2380+ servers in 56+ countries and offers military-grade encryption and top security.
  • AtlasVPN is a cheap VPN provider that allows you to stream Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and more on unlimited devices.
  • Streamlocator is a plug and play streaming hub that provides access to 40+ popular streaming services worldwide, including shows in eight Netflix countries.

11- Holiday Secrets

A Christmas reunion turns into a walk down memory lane, exploring a family’s complex history.

Holiday Secrets is a German show on Netflix about going home and discovering that nothing ever stays the same.

This series explores some serious topics, including death, dementia, alcoholism, mental illness and suicide.

The mood is melancholy and exposes personal trauma experienced by the characters.

First episode: 20 November 2019

Set in: Germany’s north coast

Seasons: 1

Cast: Corinna Harfouch, Christiane Paul, Svenja Jung, Leonie Benesch.

12- Skylines

shows in german on netflix
There are a few excellent German shows on Netflix to choose from.

Skylines is about a hip-hop producer who gets tangled with an organized crime syndicate when the record label’s owner’s gangster brother appears to claim his share of profits.

The first episode is rather busy and introduces a confusing list of complex characters that makes it hard to keep up with the storylines.

First episode: 27 September 2019

Set in: Frankfurt

Seasons: 1

Cast: Edin Hasanovic, Murathan Muslu, Peri Baumeister, Anna Herrmann.

13- Rising High

Rising High is a German comedy thriller about a group of scammers who con people with a get-rich-quick scheme.

Viktor, Gerry and bank employee Nicole are running a property scam in Berlin by buying derelict flats and selling them within the 10-day grace period to bank customers Nicole can offer cheap mortgages to.

They get rich quickly and start living the high life, but the law catches up with them, and Viktor goes into debt, eventually establishing a private bank in Malta.

First episode: 17 April 2020

Set in: Berlin

Seasons: 1

Cast: David Kross, Frederick Lau, Janina Uhse

14- Who Am I (Kein System ist sicher)

Fans of Dark will love Who Am I as this German show on Netflix was also created by the Dark crew.

A German computer whiz joins a hacker group that is trying to be noticed by the world.

The storyline travels at a fast pace and keeps you guessing right up to the very end.

First episode: 6 September 2014

Set in: Berlin

Seasons: 1

Cast: Tom Schilling, Elyas M’Barek, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Antoine Monot Jr., Stephan Kampwirth, Leopold Hornung, Trine Dyrholm, Hannah Herzsprung, Leonard Carow.

Awards: The film won three German Movie Awards and the Bambi for Best German Film.

15- We Are The Wave

german language shows on netflix
Netflix originals in German are interesting to watch.

This Netflix series provides insights about a group of teenagers in the fictional German city of Meppersfeld who are fighting against injustice.

A student from a wealthy family doubts her way of life and feels compelled to create a better world.

This show addresses issues of racial discrimination, poverty, bullying and gender stereotypes.

First episode: 1 November 2019

Set in: Meppersfeld (a fictitious city) and filmed in North Rhine-Westphalia in a number of cities including Cologne, Bonn, Hürth, Leverkusen, Düren, Euskirchen, Neuss, Solingen, Wuppertal, Gelsenkirchen and Remagen.

Seasons: 1

Cast: Ludwig Simon, Luise Befort, Michelle Barthel, Daniel Friedl.

16- Unorthodox

Unorthodox is a story about a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage who runs away from a Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn to seek a new life in Berlin.

When her husband learns she is pregnant, he travels to Berlin to drag her home.

She finds her place in the world in Berlin and becomes friends with music students, auditioning to join their conservatory.

First episode: 26 March 2020

Set in: Brooklyn and Germany

Seasons: 1

Cast: Shira Haas, Amit Rahav, Jeff Wilbusch.

Awards: The series won eight primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, German Television Awards for Best Production and Costume Design.

17- Crime Scene Cleaner (Der Tatortreiniger)

This Netflix German show takes a look at the life of Schotty, a crime scene cleaner in Hamburg whose job it is to remove the last traces of the living.

It’s a humorous take on the work of the crime scene cleaner through the main character’s interaction with the people associated with the victims.

If you want to watch a show that is entertaining, this story will have you laughing your head off. 

First episode: 23 December 2011

Set in: Hamburg

Seasons: 7

Cast: Bjarne Mädel, Jörg Pose, Peer Martiny, Jule Böwe.

18- Tribes of Europa

german shows to watch on netflix
The best German shows on Netflix are worth watching.

Tribes of Europa is a German Sci-Fi series on Netflix set in 2074.

Three siblings from the Origines tribe go on a quest to alter the fate of Europe after a global catastrophe.

The continent is fractured into dystopian warring tribal microstates, and the setting is deliciously dystopian.

The Origines tribe is a puritan drive that rejects technology.

When an Atlantian aircraft crashes near their village, the youngest sibling finds a cube in the wreckage.

Inspiration for Tribes of Europa occurred in 2016 after the British population voted to leave the EU.

The writer was so disturbed by the referendum it inspired this post-apocalyptic future where all European countries had been destroyed.

First episode: 19 February 2021

Set in: Europe

Seasons: 1

Cast: Henriette Confurius, Emilio Sakraya, David Ali Rashed, Melika Foroutan, Oliver Masucci.

19- Barbarians

Barbarians is a German series on Netflix that revolves around the fate of three people in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

Set in 9 AD, during the Roman occupation of Magna Germania, the story takes place during the rule of emperor Augustus.

All attempts to form a unified Germanic resistance are thwarted because of petty in-fighting between the tribal chieftains.

First episode: 23 October 2020

Set in: Germany

Seasons: 1

Cast: Laurence Rupp, Jeanne Goursaud, David Schütter, Bernhard Schütz

20- Freud

This German-language Netflix thriller is an imaginative characterisation of neurologist Sigmund Freud, who pairs up with a police officer and psychic medium to solve crimes in Vienna.

Set in 1886, this German-language drama revolves around a young Freud when his revolutionary theories are strongly objected to.

First episode: 15 March 2020

Set in: Vienna and Prague

Seasons: 1

Cast:Robert Finster, Ella Rumpf, Christoph Krutzler, Brigitte Kren.

Watch Any Show On Netflix From Anywhere In The World

Can’t find a show on Netflix? You can watch your favourite Netflix shows and series by using a VPN. We’re offering our readers some great deals on low-cost VPNs to try.

  • NordVPN allows you to connect to 2380+ servers in 56+ countries and offers military-grade encryption and top security.
  • AtlasVPN is a cheap VPN provider that allows you to stream Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and more on unlimited devices.
  • Streamlocator is a plug and play streaming hub that provides access to 40+ popular streaming services worldwide, including shows in eight Netflix countries.

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Christina Pfeiffer
Christina Pfeiffer is a writer, photographer and video blogger based in Queensland, Australia. She has lived in three continents and her career as a travel journalist has taken her to all seven continents. Since 2003, she has contributed travel stories and photographs to mainstream media in Australia and around the world such as the Sydney Morning Herald, CNN Traveller, The Australian and the South China Morning Post. She has won many travel writing awards and is a full member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.