Sergeant Berry (TV series)
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | Sergeant Berry |
| Country of production | Federal Republic of Germany |
| original language | German , ( Spanish ) |
| Year (s) | 1973-1974 |
| Production company |
Allianz Filmproduktion Berlin |
| length | 25 minutes |
| Episodes | 26 episodes in 2 seasons |
| Broadcasting cycle |
weekly |
| genre | Detective film |
| Theme music | Peter Thomas : Sergeant Berry |
| idea | Viola Liessem , Heinz Pauck , Gerd Nickstadt |
| music | Peter Thomas |
| German-language first broadcast |
February 20, 1974 on ZDF |
| occupation | |
| |
Sergeant Berry is a German television series that was produced by Allianz Filmproduktion for the evening program on ZDF . The scripts came from Gerd Nickstedt , Heinz Pauck and Viola Liessem ; they are based on the novel series of the same name by Robert Arden . As early as 1938 a film called " Sergeant Berry " was made with Hans Albers in the title role. After the Second World War , some of the novels were reprinted and the 1938 film was also shown on television. On this basis, the 26 episodes of the television series were created in two seasons between 1973 and 1974 .
The first broadcast took place from February 20, 1974 to May 22, 1974 (first season) and from June 18, 1975 to September 10, 1975 (second season) on Wednesdays on ZDF; the series has meanwhile been repeated on 3sat and ZDFkultur .
protagonist
Sergeant Albert "Al" Berry is a uniformed police officer who deals with traffic matters, but is also used successfully to solve special cases and for undercover investigations. He often gets into conflicts with the criminal investigation department or the FBI . He is presented in a friendly and modest way, but also as a womanizer . The character of Sergeant Berry was portrayed in the first season by Klausjürgen Wussow . This got out of the series after thirteen episodes because he feared he would be too committed to the police role. After Wussow's departure, Harald Juhnke took over the lead role in the second season .
concept
In the introduction to most of the episodes, his superior , Commissioner Deeds , recommends him for special operations or undercover investigations. Sergeant Berry solves the tasks assigned to him with wit and skill and also finds ways out of almost hopeless situations. Despite his success, he is never promoted because he is often accused of working outside of proper police practice and relying on luck, or that his methods incurred high costs for the police. That's why he continues to solve dangerous cases, but remains a simple sergeant at the same time .
Recurring minor characters
Commissioner Deeds , represented by Hannes Messemer, takes care of Berry's orders. The direct superior Captain Donovan is played by Gerhard Frickhöffer , his attractive secretary Betty MacMillan by Andrea Rau . The French actress Marie Versini appears in several episodes as FBI agent Marta Helms , sometimes fascinated by Berry, but often very distant. Sergeant Berry lives with his grandmother Agatha , played by Käthe Haack . He is supported by Sergeant Goofy ( Klaus Dahlen ) and Inspector Morissea , portrayed by director Harald Philipp, who was never mentioned as an actor in the credits.
Guest appearances
Well-known German actors such as Eva Pflug , Heidi Stroh , Andrea Rau, Andreas Fröhlich , Ivan Desny , Wolfgang Spier , Wolfgang Lukschy , Elisabeth Volkmann , Simone Rethel , Günther Stoll , Martin Hirthe and Dieter Borsche appeared in individual episodes .
production
Producer Heinz Willeg and director Harald Philipp had already worked together on the first Jerry Cotton films . The music comes from Peter Thomas . The series took place in California , but for financial reasons only a small part of the outdoor shots was actually shot in the USA and then used several times in different episodes. Most of the outdoor shots were made in Spain . Even in the interior shots, little emphasis was placed on American-looking equipment details. Local small actors were used for supporting roles. a. had already proven effective with Percy Stuart . The voices of Marie Versini and the Spanish cast have been dubbed, with some speakers taking on various dubbing roles in several episodes.
resonance
Despite the prominent cast, the success of this television series was only moderate in every respect. This was also expressed in the fact that it was only repeated for the first time in 1992.
Web links
- Sergeant Berry in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Sergeant Berry on www.Fernsehserien.de
- Sergeant Berry crime series web site