The wicherts from next door

Television series
Original title	The wicherts from next door
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Year (s)	1986 - 1991
length	45-51 minutes
Episodes	50 in 4 seasons
genre	Family series
idea	Justus Peacock
production	Josef Göhlen
music	Christian Bruhn
German-language first broadcast	October 21, 1986 on ZDF
occupation
Main actor: Stephan Orlac : Eberhard Wichert Maria Sebaldt : Hannelore Wichert Jochen Schroeder : Rüdiger Wichert Hendrik Martz : Andreas Wichert Edith Schollwer : Käthe Wichert Ekkehard Fritsch : Walter Pinnow Anja Schuete : Uschi (Ulrike) von Strelenau Supporting cast: Claudio Maniscalco : Stefan (friend of Andreas Wichert) Sophie Birkner : Katharina Wichert Oliver Lausberg : Sebastian Wichert Gisela Peltzer : Countess von Strelenau, b. Schmidt Friedrich Schütter : Hasso Graf von Strelenau Roswitha Schreiner : Gaby Wegener Juliane Rautenberg : Elke Dreher Siegfried Grönig : Neighbor Georg Meisel (first name can only be read in the book) Gerhard Friedrich : Bernhard Tenstaag Mady Rahl : Sophie Tenstaag Gudrun Genest : Miss Ilse Glaubrecht Brigitte Mira : Conny Hartleb Andreas Mannkopff : Heinz Heinz Andreas Fröhlich : Martin Manfred Lehmann : Kuttlick Christel Harthaus : Helga Kuttlick Inge Wolffberg : Gerda Kusnewski Karl Schönböck : Dr. Dr. Belters Horst Pinnow : Alwin Barthold Peter Matić : Monsieur Pierre Wolfgang Bathke : Lothar Kneisel, authorized signatory Friedrich Schoenfelder : Dr. Helmer, CEO of Möbel Union Gerhard Wollner : porter of Möbel Union and singing brother of Harmonie Ursula Buchfellner : Rüdiger Wichert's secretary

The Wicherts from next door is the name of a television series that was created between 1986 and 1991 and was broadcast for the first time on the ZDF evening program. The focus of the stories is the everyday life of a Berlin family with all their worries and joys. In addition to a large number of German folk actors and former screen sizes, the series impressed above all with its realistic depiction of petty-bourgeois conditions. A total of 49 episodes and a pilot film were shot. The latter is now broadcast as two episodes. The first three seasons were directed by Rob Herzet from the Netherlands and Wolfgang Luderer in the fourth and final season . The idea and the script come from Justus Pfaue . Numerous roles are cast with actors from the devil's grandmother . B. Ekkehard Fritsch , Wilfried Herbst , Manfred Lehmann , Andreas Mannkopff , Horst Pinnow , Roswitha Schreiner and Gerhard Wollner in both Pfaue series.

action

Eberhard and Hannelore Wichert live with their two sons Andi and Rüdiger in a large semi-detached house (basement, ground floor, 1st floor, attic) on the outskirts of Berlin (Herzogstraße 36). Eberhard is a master carpenter in the fictional Möbel Union, a large furniture manufacturer based in Gütersloh . Hannelore runs a small beverage shop in his own cellar and is regularly supplied with supplies by the nagging but good-natured "beer coach" Kuttlick. Son Andi is about to graduate from high school and has a great weakness for the art of cooking, which he would like to make his profession. Rüdiger studies mechanical engineering and falls in love with Uschi (Ulrike) von Strelenau, a girl from a noble family , who soon after the wedding makes him a father of two.

Grandma Käthe, Eberhard's rather sedate and quirky mother, moves into the upper floor. She has a penchant for antiques and Biedermeier and attaches great importance to etiquette . Hannelore's father, the former head of the Walter Pinnow police driving school, has retained his disciplined and brisk demeanor even in retirement. He too wants to move into Wichert's own home, which at first doesn't make Grandma Käthe very happy; Gradually, however, the two get closer and spend a lot of time together. Neighbor Meisel, a shy early retiree, has a lot for Hannelore and helps with the Wicherts wherever he can and, above all, is allowed. Eberhard has the neighbor under general suspicion, although Meisel only has platonic intentions.

Eberhard is the first man at the front as operations manager in the Berlin furniture factory. His colleague Heinz, a loyal and reliable family man (his son Oliver is never seen, but he is always present in conversations between Eberhard and Heinz from birth), enjoys his full confidence. The manager's secretary, Miss Glaubrecht, a lady of advanced age, is very fond of Eberhard. The managing director of the Berlin branch, Bernhard Tenstaag, is a charming bachelor who thinks very highly of Eberhard. He likes to play golf in order to "thread" one or the other deal with the bank attorney Kneisel on the course . He forgets his wallet in the open convertible with great regularity, only to get it a little later from Eberhard. The easy-going Tenstaag often has to let Eberhard read the riot act for him, but the two are friendly.

During Uschi's first pregnancy, the Wicherts get to know Uschi's parents, Count and Countess von Strelenau, who run the “Drei Eichen” estate in Schleswig-Holstein. The fairly uncomplicated aristocrats are well received by the Wicherts, while Grandma Käthe tries rather unsuccessfully to ensure the “befitting” behavior of her clan.

Hannelore and Eberhard spend regular practice evenings in the "Harmonie". The choir community meets every Wednesday in Conny's pub of the same name. The upcoming silver wedding of Eberhard and Hannelore ends as a surprise celebration with the friends of “Harmonie” at the “Drei Eichen” estate. In the course of the series, Hannelore takes over the pub “Harmonie” from landlady Conny, who was well into the seventies and former beauty dancer “La Belle Gioconda” in the “20s”. She hires the former "beer driver" Kuttlick as a waiter. Alwin, a singing brother of Eberhard, loses his job as a result of his alcohol addiction and, through Eberhard's mediation, gets a job as an accountant at the Möbel-Union.

During the holidays, Andi works in Monsieur Pierre's top restaurant, who really appreciates his talent. At Monsieur Pierre's instigation, Andy attends the hotel management school in The Hague . Grandma Kathe's wish that he should study medicine is at first a long way off. There is a thick air between grandma and grandpa: Walter falls in love with Gerda Kusnewski, a friend of Hannelore's Harmony, in the hospital where he is staying because of a heart attack. After both of their serious illnesses, they are finally back on track and Walter moves into Gerda's apartment. Finally, Grandma Käthe meets Dr. Dr. Gürtler know, a highly cultivated old gentleman who owns an art gallery in town and who has taken her heart by storm. After completing his studies and gaining initial professional experience at Gut "Drei Eichen", Rüdiger finds a job as technical director in a Berlin brewery. After the great success of a kitchen program he initiated called “Käthes Küche”, Eberhard got a job as managing director of the “School Furniture” plant at the headquarters in Gütersloh and is therefore only in Berlin on weekends. Grandpa Walter founds the security service "Augen auf" together with Gerda in Hannelores Keller, in which Alwin and neighbor Meisel are also involved.

Hannelore and Eberhard are investing in a holiday apartment on Mallorca, financially "floated" through Eberhard's job in Gütersloh . There they get to know the pushy Ms. Lallinger, who also comes from Germany. After an initially "bad" experience on Mallorca, Eberhard and Hannelore quickly get to know very nice residents. First and foremost, the carpenter Pedro, with whom Eberhard became close friends within a short time.

Möbel Union is facing difficult times. Tenstaag and the CEO leave the company. The Berlin plant is about to end. Tenstaag surprisingly introduces Eberhard to his beloved mother Sophie and opens up new financial opportunities for him. The plant can be saved in an action supported by all employees through partnership. Eberhard is now managing director with all worries and needs in this position. He always likes to get advice from Tenstaag until one day he is "on board" again.

The expansion of the federal government's guest house on the Petersberg in Bonn is a very special assignment for the “new” Möbel-Union. During the same handover work, Eberhard received news of Rüdiger's death when he passed away due to a tragic accident at work in the brewery. His widow Uschi, with whom he now has two children (Katrinchen and Sebastian), lives temporarily with the Wicherts in the house.

Some time later Hannelore celebrates her 50th birthday and suffers a nervous breakdown in the midst of all the celebrations. Frictions with bank manager Kneisel, Andy's newly inflamed love for medicine, Eberhard's leap into self-employment and Meisel's permanent presence at Wichert determine the further course of the series.

Filming locations (alphabetical)

• Bad Pyrmont
• Berlin ; According to the book, the Wichert's house is located on the nonexistent Herzogstraße, as a filming location on Falterweg in Eichkamp near the AVUS .
• Bielefeld
• Bonn
• Bremen
• The hague
• Gutersloh
• Mallorca
• Munich
• Scheveningen
• Schleswig-Holstein (Gut "Drei Eichen")
• Schneverdingen
• Weissensee (Fuessen)
• Werdenfelser Land

Episode list

literature

• Justus Pfaue : The Wicherts from next door .
  • Volume 1. Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1988, 266 pages, ISBN 3-404-11183-4
  • Volume 2. Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1988, 383 pages, ISBN 3-404-11263-6
  • Volume 3. Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1989, 316 pages, ISBN 3-404-11421-3

Web links

• The Wicherts next door in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Episode guide at bamby.de
• Episode guide at tvsi.de ( Memento from May 14, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
• www.fernsehserien.de
• www.odeonfilm.de ( Memento from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive )