As of January 2026, our compilation of SWR Fernsehen’s top-rated series boasts over 20 unique shows. Notable series such as Zur Person and Wortwechsel from SWR Fernsehen first graced the screens in 1963 and 1982. Showcasing over 20 shows from 1963 up until 2021, SWR Fernsehen stands as a beacon of television excellence.

This documentary series follows emergency services from various fire stations in the Ruhr area up close and portrays the people in their grueling everyday working life.

Railway-related documentary covering modern railway systems, museum railways and their facilities as well as items on model railway layouts. Politics and criticism is not left out; the series reports on closures, controversial model ideas, delays to reconstruction plans or smart commuter transport concepts.

With a woof-woof here and a baaa-baaa there and a quack-quack, oink-oink everywhere, there's always some furry or feathered creature demanding attention from the Hansens. It's partly because Dr. Philipp Hansen is a veterinarian who's just opened a practice in the big old villa he's moved into with his family. But it's mostly because of ten-year-old daughter Greta, who never saw an animal she didn't want to adopt.


Every night, the Mainz police teams go out into the unknown - to help, calm down, de-escalate, make arrests or take a close look at crimes and deaths. They often expect unusual missions. The SWR documentary series provides an exclusive and unadulterated insight into the demanding work of the Mainz police. It shows the police officers behind the uniform.



Summer 1944. Walter Proska is about to return to the Eastern Front when his train is blown up by partisans. Together with a scattered bunch of German soldiers, cut off from the front, he awaits certain death while the commands of his superior Willi Stehauf are becoming more and more senseless and inhuman.


Angelika Schnell is the head of homicide and living proof that chaos is just another form of order. Nevertheless, she is a brilliant investigator - even if her methods are sometimes quite unconventional: In addition to hard facts, she also allows her distinctive inner voice to apply, which often leads to incomprehensible but very important conclusions...









