The hospital series “In aller Friendship” has been running on ARD for a quarter of a century. There is no end in sight – not even for two actors who have been there since the first episode.
When Dr. When Roland Heilmann bends over his first patient on October 26, 1998 in the first episode of the hospital series “In aller Friendship”, no one has any idea how many more cases will follow. The long-running TV hit begins with a traffic accident. A quarter of a century later, Dr. Heilmann still at the operating table in the fictional Saxony Clinic in Leipzig. The series anniversary will be honored this Tuesday (October 24th) with a special episode on the first.
Dr. Heilmann is played by Thomas Rühmann (68). He has been there since day one, as has the clinic boss Sarah Marquardt, who is played by Alexa Maria Surholt (55). Both actors agree that the series’ long success is a surprise. “When we started, none of us thought it would be a quarter of a century,” says Surholt.
There is love and suffering
The recipe for “In aller Friendship” has remained the same over the years: The episodes are about more or less dramatic medical cases in the clinic. According to the production company Saxonia, 1,900 clinical pictures have now been identified. In addition, the doctors and nurses at the Sachsenklinik experience all sorts of private fates – people love and break up, argue and make up.
“I find it really interesting that the genre can endure that,” says Rühmann. In the anniversary episode, his chief physician Dr. Heilmann himself on the operating table and his life passes him by. “You can experience what we played and what our characters endured. That’s really enough for 50 lives.”
“A haven of continuity”
Rühmann is also a little surprised that the audience goes along with all these twists and turns. The fan base is loyal – and large. When the 1,000th episode of “In All Friendship” flickered across the screens this January, 5.88 million people tuned in, according to market research.
The two actors from the first hour both assure that they are still happy to be there even after 25 years. “I’m at great peace with the series at the moment. So much is changing around us, so many impressions and horrors are storming our way. And we have a haven of continuity. I wouldn’t say it makes me happy; “Happiness is a big word – other things make me happy. But it makes me content,” says Rühman.
Alexa Maria Surholt also speaks of a “very great satisfaction”. “It’s a great happiness to know that I can work here completely without fear and continuously. I can try things out here, again and again. It’s difficult to explain, because there are hardly any people who work on a project for so many years. We are “We’ve all been together longer than the average German marriage,” says the 55-year-old.
there is no end in sight
Every now and then you have to look for challenges after such a long time. “From time to time I ask the authors: “I think the Heilmann needs to be brought to life again.” Then they think about it again and then they usually come up with something interesting,” says Rümann. Surholt emphasizes that everyone always tried to get the best out of it. “I think you can only do a series like this if you don’t say, I’m just going to do it on my left ass cheek.”
There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for “In All Friendship”. The MDR Broadcasting Council, which is responsible for the series, gave the green light for seasons 27 and 28 this year. So 42 new episodes per season are in the works. If Rühman and Surholt have their way, things can go even further. When asked if they still wanted to continue, they both answered without hesitation: “Yes! Definitely!”
MDR on In all friendship
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
