The NDR “big city area” has been cult since 1986. The 500th episode is all about the late star Jan Fedder alias Inspector Matthies.
For Maria Ketikidou – alias civil investigator Harry Möller – the case is clear. “A 500th episode without mentioning Jan Fedder – that’s not possible,” says the actress to the German Press Agency in Hamburg. The cult early evening crime series “Großstadtrevier” has been broadcast since 1986. For almost three decades, Fedder (“The Harbor Pastor”), who died at the end of 2019 at the age of 64, was the defining figure of Inspector Dirk Matthies in the stories set in the Hanseatic city, which are usually more entertainingly human than serious criminal. It was last seen by 2.7 million viewers.
Unforgotten Hamburger Jung
Meanwhile, the quaint Hamburger Jung, whom Fedder embodied in life and often in his roles, has remained unforgotten by colleagues and viewers to this day. So it’s no big surprise that Fedder or his Matthies is almost omnipresent in the anniversary episode “Vendetta” (October 28th, 6:50 p.m. on the first) – part of the 37th season that started in mid-October. The entire story devised by Guntram Lasnig revolves around him. Matthies is there in words, pictures and even as a daydream vision. For Ketikidou, who has been part of the crew since 1993, filming was a very personal experience.
“We have so much in common – not just work, but also private matters. It’s difficult for me because I really miss him and think about him often,” the 58-year-old told dpa. “We have a photo of him in the Hamburg studio in the office, which is still his and sacred to us. I notice that it’s not just Harry who has a dialogue with him from time to time. But I, too, Maria. And always when I have a difficult one scene, I say, “Well Janni, we’re still standing here and then I’ll go out.”
In the current episode, it is primarily her Harry who gets to the heart of the investigative work. Because she receives a call that the “Repsold” is stranded in the harbor – the ship on which her police companion Matthies said goodbye to the wide world years ago.
Wistful moments
However, it’s not him traveling on board, but a beauty named Mercedés de Silantro (Silvana Veit) from Colombia. Almost 20 years ago, their father and the then neighborhood leader Karl “der Aal” Dostal (Conrad F. Geier) committed a robbery over which both families fell out. But Mercedé and Dostal’s son Roman (Paul Boche) promised each other loyalty.
To this day there is no trace of the loot – quantities of gold. It was the only case that Matthies couldn’t solve. And since the statute of limitations for robbery expires after 20 years, Möller goes on the hunt for information in the heart of St. Pauli’s red light district. She has one day, 14 hours and 52 minutes left to restore justice.
“We owe it to Dirk Matthies,” says her boss, Ms. Küppers (Saskia Fischer). And then it turns out that the person who disappeared even orchestrated the whole thing from afar. Wendla Nölle (“A Big Promise”) staged the story with a sense of mood and a wink. The criminality and the wistful moments surrounding Dirk Matthies are accompanied by humor: the bumbling pursuits by the two neighborhood killers Peter the deaf (Gerhard Polacek) and Leon the blind (Torsten Hamann). And there was also a memorable performance by the NDR vocal ensemble, which intoned the “Prisoner’s Choir” from Verdi’s opera “Nabucco”.
Second feature film in primetime in January
For “Großstadtrevier” fans, the anniversary episode is basically a must. And how does Ketikidou explain the long-term success of the series, for which a second feature film – “In the Moment of Fear” – will be broadcast in prime time on January 6, 2025? “It’s amazing that we are still successful after 500 episodes, even though the way we consume entertainment has changed so much. The fact that we have a permanent place in the ARD evening program is in itself a nice anniversary gift,” replies the actress.
And says one reason would be that the series addresses how society continues to change. “With topics such as the bullying of women. That’s why we’re sometimes even political – but always with a wink. There’s always new food.” Does the long-time civil investigator ever think about retirement? “I believe that the viewer will send me into retirement when he is no longer interested,” says Ketikidou – and laughs.
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.
