Balko
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Balko |
 | |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Year (s) | 1994-2003 |
| Production company |
RTL |
| length | 45 minutes |
| Episodes | 124 in 8 seasons ( list ) |
| genre | Thriller |
| Theme music | Los Lobotomys - Down On My Luck |
| idea |
Leo P. Ard , Michael Illner |
| First broadcast | March 19, 1995 on RTL Television |
| occupation | |
| |
Balko was a comedic crime series that was broadcast on the private broadcaster RTL until 2006. It is about two commissioners of the Dortmund police , the main character Balko ( played by Jochen Horst up to episode 48 , then by Bruno Eyron ) and his colleague, the often somewhat clumsy mother's son Klaus Krapp, called "Krappi" ( Ludger Pistor ). Balko is characterized by his coolness and his consistently "relaxed" demeanor.
chronology
The series was successful for many years, but due to various restructuring at the station from 2002 onwards, the broadcasting slots became scarce and the number of first broadcasts fell. As a result, the series lost a lot of regular viewers. After the end of the shooting in November 2003, Balko actor Bruno Eyron announced that he was leaving the series, Ludger Pistor wanted to continue.
It was not until September 2005 that the series was returned to its original slot . The ratings were no longer satisfactory, however, whereupon RTL announced the final termination of the series. Some episodes that had already been shot were broadcast unannounced on RTL's night program. The last two episodes of the series ran for the first time on RTL Crime .
After Adelheid and her murderers, Balko was one of the first German crime comedy series (the Austrian television series Kottan determined was also shown on ZDF from 1980 ). The cases were always very bizarre and known for snappy swipes at German society. A running gag is that Commissioner Krapp's mother is not featured in any episode, although she is mentioned in almost everyone. In one episode she appears to be seen, but in the end it turns out that it was only Krapp's aunt Elsbeth. Only one picture of his mother can be seen in the episode Pitt the bear on his bedside table.
Characters
Chief Detective Balko
Balko is the easy-going, nice policeman who sometimes doesn't stick to the regulations. He does not have a high school diploma and is a conscientious objector. He is mostly surrounded by incompetent colleagues whom he cannot rely on in an emergency. Balko originally comes from Wetter , a small town in the Ennepe-Ruhr district , near Dortmund , where his parents still live. His first name is not mentioned in any episode (similar to Quincy or Columbo ). Scriptwriters, producers and editors keep the secret of the first name mentioned in the first series concept. He is always addressed and introduced with “Balko”. Some written notes are in the name of Stefan Balkowski . In an interview with Oliver Bayan in January 2010, Jochen Horst stated that the first name Stefan was definitely wrong and would only be based on a rumor, although in the episode Balko saves the world the name "Stephan" is vaguely legible on a patient list. Balko's real first name would have been Harald or Harry from the start.
The change in appearance that accompanies the change of actor is explained by a plastic operation that became necessary due to a serious accident at the beginning of the fourth season, during which the old face could not be restored.
Chief Inspector Klaus Krapp
Krapp , also called "Krappi", is a thoroughly correct civil servant, always properly dressed, always up-to-date and educated. He has a high school diploma and is a reserve officer in the Bundeswehr. Despite his versatile qualities, even in the domestic area, it does not work with women, his attempts to end up with the opposite sex are legendary and mostly fail. Krapp is very attached to his mother, who is mentioned all the time and lives in Huckarde , but never appears in person. Her hand can only be seen once in a row in your eyes in the freezer when she hands Krapp a dress from a changing room.
Chief Detective Katharina Jäger
After a series of changes in the leadership of the homicide squad ( Dieter Pfaff and, for a short time, Horst A. Fechner and Arthur Brauss can be seen in the role of boss in the first few years ), Chief Detective Katharina Jäger is Balkos boss from 1998 to 2000 . After her murder in a sabotaged car - an attack that was actually aimed at Balko - Wittek becomes boss.
Chief Police Officer Hans Wittek
Police commissioner or police chief Wittek , called "Quittek", is a patrol officer until he is promoted to first chief detective and head of the Dortmund homicide squad by jumping five ranks. The reason is the wedding with the daughter of the police chief.
He is very simple-minded, often messes up surveillance, but always gives his investigators a free hand due to a lack of personal competence. His first name, Hans, was mentioned once during the first season by Chief Detective Vollmer in the episode A Cop from Moscow . A few episodes later he is called by Balko and Krapp Hansi, although at this point he is the police superintendent. When he joins the regular cast at the beginning of the third season, he is police chief and is only called Quittek. However, in the episode Carnival in Chains , the last episode with Jochen Horst as Balko, he has the rank of police chief.
Chief Police Officer Marek
Chief Police Officer Marek is an extremely simple-minded patrolman who is assigned to the Dortmund homicide squad. His first name is not mentioned in any episode. Marek joins the regular cast of the series with the episode Headhunters at the beginning of the second season, but already has a guest appearance as a patrol officer in the episode No Tired Mark when he tries to draft a duty roster with his boss.
Chief of Police Schafranek
Chief Police Officer Schafranek is a clumsy and not particularly bright, but very lovable patrol officer who is assigned to the homicide squad after Wittek's promotion. His first name is also unknown. Schafranek is Marek's best friend.
Kriminalrat Holtmann
For the last seven episodes, Kriminalrat Holtmann is appointed head of the homicide squad as the successor to Wittek, who won the lottery. He is much stricter than his predecessor, pulls the reins and looks very competent.
Chief Detective Vollmer
Kriminaloberrat Vollmer is the first boss of Balko and Krapp during the first season and most of the second season up to the episode The Baron . However, he is absent for several episodes, from Fatal Connection to The Wrong Man , and is first represented by Krapp, then by Chief Detective Wiese, who heads the homicide commission from the episode The Witness . He never leaves the house without his dog, a pug named Montag, and he's stout. He is mostly diligent and often clashes with Balko, whom he also describes as his best man and therefore always covers. As a result, The Baron is suspected of slipping information about police operations to the “King of Gambling”. He is suspended and Krapp becomes the temporary head of the homicide squad, which leads to a rift between him and Balko. Balko manages to prove Vollmer's innocence. Vollmer rejects the offer to take over his old position and resigns from the Dortmund police.
Kriminaloberrat Wiese
Kriminaloberrat Wiese represents Kriminaloberrat Vollmer in the episodes Pitt, the Bear to The Wrong Man as head of the homicide squad and finally takes over the position in the episode The Witness after Vollmer has previously terminated an episode. Wiese has separated from his wife, is even more corpulent than his predecessor and takes his pink toilet into the office on his first day at work. He himself looks a bit shabby in his free time and initially always confuses the names of Balko and Krapp. At the end of the second season he goes to the cure from which he does not return.
Chief Detective King
Kriminaloberrat König is the head of the homicide squad for the first seven episodes of the third season. He is the substitute for Wiese, who is currently on cure, but is replaced by Katharina Jäger as head of the homicide squad. He himself is very diligent and even arrests Balko for alleged murder.
Television broadcast
| Season | Production year (s) |
consequences | First broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994 | Pilot, 1-15 | March – July 1995 |
| 2 | 1995/96 | 16-31 | Oct 1996-March 1997 |
| 3 | 1997 | 32-47 | Feb-July 1998 |
| 4th | 1998 | 48-63 | Oct 1998-May 1999 |
| 5 | 1999 | 64-79 | Feb 2000-May 2000 |
| 6th | 2000/01 | 80-96 | Sep – Nov 2001 (8 episodes) March / April 2002 (4 episodes) Jan / Feb 2003 (5 episodes) |
| 7th | 2002 | 97-112 | Feb – April 2004 (6 episodes) Sep – Nov 2005 (10 episodes) |
| 8th | 2003 | 113–123 (+ episodes not broadcast) |
Feb-April 2006 |
Episode list
Awards
- 1996 Adolf Grimme Prize for the actors Jochen Horst, Ludger Pistor and Dieter Pfaff
- 1999 German Television Award for Best Actor Series for Ludger Pistor
nomination
- 1998 Golden Lion Best Actor Series Jochen Horst and Ludger Pistor
Publications
So far, the episodes have not been fully published, only the following best-of boxes are available:
- Best of Balko (2005, 2 DVDs, 8 episodes)
- Best of Balko - Vol. 2 (2006, 2 DVDs, 8 episodes)
- Best of Balko - with Jochen Horst (2010, 2 DVDs, 8 episodes)
- Best of Balko - with Bruno Eyron (2010, 2 DVDs, 7 episodes)
The first two DVD boxes from 2005 and 2006 each contain four episodes with Jochen Horst and four episodes with Bruno Eyron as Balko. The other two DVD boxes were published directly with reference to Horst / Eyron, although some of the episodes contained there were already published on the earlier DVD boxes. All DVDs are approved by the FSK for ages 12 and over. At RTLnow you can watch six episodes of the third season for 99 cents each as video-on-demand .
In 1996 a CD album with the songs from Balko was released, on which the title song was also released.
After Alarm für Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei had already had a successful computer game series for an RTL series, a Balko computer game was developed by Electronic Arts in 2007 and published under the RTL Playtainment / RTL Enterprises brand .
Web links
- Balko in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- Balko at Fernsehserien.de
- Balko on RTL Nitro