Babylon Berlin

Babylon Berlin is a German neo-noir crime television series set in Berlin during the late Weimar Republic, beginning in 1929.

Babylon Berlin is a German neo-noir crime television series set in Berlin during the late Weimar Republic, beginning in 1929. It follows police inspector Gereon Rath and clerk-turned-investigator Charlotte Ritter as they become involved in murder, corruption, political extremism, and criminal conspiracies. The series is based on novels by Volker Kutscher and was created by Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries, and Henk Handloegten.

Premise

Babylon Berlin combines police procedural, political drama, and historical fiction. Its plot follows investigations into murder, vice, corruption, and organised crime amid the instability of late Weimar Berlin.

Production and release

The series premiered on Sky 1 in October 2017 and later aired on German public television. International distribution expanded through Netflix and other broadcasters, with the show reaching viewers in many countries.

Historical setting

The series is set in 1929 and later seasons move into the early 1930s, depicting the social, economic, and political tensions of the era. Reviewers and broadcasters describe it as evoking Berlin’s nightlife, poverty, and rising extremism.

Reception

The series drew strong international attention for its scale, visual style, and historical atmosphere. Coverage described it as one of the most ambitious and expensive non-English-language television productions.