The Best TV Shows on Das Erste

Every Das Erste Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Das Erste has delivered an expansive roster of over 20 shows, dating from 1948 all the way to 2017. Leading the pack on Das Erste are Bambi and German Film Award, with their initial broadcasts in 1948 and 1951. Dive into our updated selection of Das Erste’s finest, featuring more than 20 series as of May 2026.

  • Bambi
    Bambi (1948)9.0

    The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both domestic and foreign. First held in 1948, it is the oldest media award in Germany. The trophy is named after Felix Salten's book Bambi, A Life in the Woods and its statuettes are in the shape of the novel's titular fawn character. They were originally made of porcelain until 1958, when the organizers switched to using gold, with the casting done by the art casting workshop of Ernst Strassacker in Süßen.

  • Der Fahnder
    Der Fahnder (1984)7.3

    Der Fahnder is a German television krimi series which was aired between 1984 and 2005. In the Netherlands the series was broadcast by the VARA from 3 October 1985.

  • Charité
    Charité (2017)7.3

    Berlin, 1888. After penniless Ida’s life is saved at the Charité Hospital she must work off the treatment costs. While she becomes acquainted with the most brilliant physicians of this era at the world-famous hospital, the self-determined young woman discovers her passion for medicine.

  • Eurovision Song Contest
    Eurovision Song Contest (1956)7.2

    The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition, organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine the winner.

  • In aller Freundschaft - Die jungen Ärzte
    In aller Freundschaft - Die jungen Ärzte (2015)7.1

    The spin-off to the original series 'In aller Freundschaft' focuses on the young doctors in a fictional clinic in Erfurt. In this emotional drama series, hospital staffers and patients navigate life's challenges.

  • Marienhof
    Marienhof (1992)7.0

    Marienhof is a German soap opera, first shown on October 1, 1992 on German TV channel, Das Erste. It started as a weekly series, before becoming a daily program on January 2, 1995. The show was canceled in February 2011 and aired its last episode on June 15, 2011. In the 90s, the Marienhof became a huge success in Finland and remained a fan favorite until it was canceled to license problems. Over the years, the show became known for tackling several social issues, such as homosexuality, homelessness, private bankruptcy, rape, drug abuse, AIDS, child abuse, suicide, cancer, adultery and murder. The show focuses on the everyday life of the residents of the Marienhof, a fictional suburb in Cologne.

  • The Peppercorns
    The Peppercorns (1999)6.9

    Die Pfefferkörner is a German television series produced by Der Kinderkanal. The peppercorns are five friends from Hamburg: Jana Holstein Coutre, Natasha "Tascha" Jaonzäns, Philip "Fiete" Overbeck, Cem Gülec and Vivien "Vivi" Overbeck, Fiete's eight year old sister. After school, the young detectives meet at a high level of a spice warehouse of the company Overbeck & Associates, which belongs to Fiete and Vivi's parents in the first part, but is later given to Fiete and Vivi to look after. Here, in the historic warehouse district, the five friends have their headquarters. With smarts, combined delivery and support of the Internet, they find their cases here. The detectives convict polluters, animal dealers and drug smugglers. They also help each other with personal problems they encounter. Cem has lost his parents in a car accident and sometimes feels sad and lonely. Jana lives with her divorcee mother, a lawyer who is rarely at home. Natasha comes from Latvia. Her parents initially have very strict rules in terms of her education, that make Natasha unhappy. Fiete has problems showing his feelings and hides them behind grumpiness and hostility towards girls, until he falls in love with Natasha. Vivi is suffering from her role of the youngest member of the group. She believes that she must constantly struggle for recognition.

  • Tagesschau
    Tagesschau (1952)6.8

    German daily news program, the oldest still existing program on German television.

  • In aller Freundschaft
    In aller Freundschaft (1998)6.3

    German soap opera about the staff of the fictional hospital "Sachsenklinik" in the city of Leipzig.

  • Hubert ohne Staller
    Hubert ohne Staller (2011)6.3

    A show about two Bavarian police officers, Franz Hubert and Johannes Staller, who sometimes work a bit differently. Where Franz wants to follow regulations, Johannes likes to do things his own way.

  • Scene of the Crime
    Scene of the Crime (1970)6.2

    Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss, crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland.

  • Polizeiruf 110
    Polizeiruf 110 (1971)6.2

    Polizeiruf 110 is a long-running German language detective television series. The first episode was broadcast 27 June 1971 in the German Democratic Republic, and after the dissolution of Fernsehen der DDR the series was picked up by ARD. It was originally created as a counterpart to the West German series Tatort, and quickly became a public favorite.

  • German Film Award
    German Film Award (1951)6.0

  • Großstadtrevier
    Großstadtrevier (1986)6.0

    Follow the everyday work of a fictional police station on the Kiez of Hamburg.

  • Sturm der Liebe
    Sturm der Liebe (2005)6.0

    These are the stories of relationships taking place in the fictional five-star hotel Fürstenhof, located in Feldkirchen-Westerham near Rosenheim with the plot revolving around members of the family room area, the hotel owners, and employees.

  • Goldene Kamera
    Goldene Kamera (1984)5.7

  • Morgenmagazin
    Morgenmagazin (1992)5.3

  • Verbotene Liebe
    Verbotene Liebe (1995)5.2

    Verbotene Liebe is a German television soap opera Verbotene Liebe was initially based on original story and character outlines from the Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters, before evolving into a show of its own as the series progressed. The show originally focused on two core families: the wealthy Anstetten family and the middle-class Brandner family. More specifically, it dealt with the story of Jan Brandner and Julia von Anstetten, two strangers whose fascination for each other leads them to fall in love, neither of them cognizant of the fact that they are twins separated by their parents. It is this story of forbidden love that gave the series its title.

  • Beckmann
    Beckmann (1999)4.3

    Reinhold Beckmann hosts a weekly talk show.

  • ANNE WILL
    ANNE WILL (2007)N/A

    Anne Will discusses political processes, economic relationships, and social trends with her guests. Her motto: to think politically and ask directly.