ARDR-Mystery - Four months without a new 'Crime Scene': This summer break has a record length
For a long time he had been away: The "Tatort" is in its longest summer break ever this year. According to the current planning from the ARD program direction in Munich, the break will last 17 weeks - a record. Previously, the years 2020 and 2012 with their 13-week summer breaks were considered record years for the popular ARD Sunday crime series "Tatort". The previous year had a break of eleven weeks, two years ago ten weeks.
There will only be 32 new "Tatort" crimes given by the end of the year - the fewest in a long time. Last year there were 35, the year before 36, 2021 had 33, and there were always around 36 to 37, in 2015 there was even once 40.
New "Tatort" only in mid-September
Since Pentecost Monday (20. May), there has been no new "Tatort" first broadcast. The first fresh "Tatort" crime is currently scheduled for the 15th of September. Until then, there are still reruns on Sundays during prime time or a sports broadcast, such as on August 4, when athletics from the Olympic Summer Games in Paris are being shown live on First.
Among the reruns on Sundays in the coming weeks are the NDR "Tatort: Borowski and the Sky over Kiel" from 2014 (28. July), the MDR "Tatort: Level X" from Dresden from 2017 (11. August), the WDR "Tatort: A Friend, a Good Friend" from Munster from 2022 (18.8.), and the Stuttgart SWR "Tatort: Video Evidence" from 2022 (25.8.).
The "Tatort" summer break, during which in the summer reruns instead of new crimes run on Sundays at 8:15 p.m. on First, has gradually established itself. Re-runs in the summer have been a regular occurrence since 1996. Since the year 2003, the number of reruns in the summer has increased but was often interrupted by new broadcasts (also from "Police Call 110"). The first continuous "Tatort" summer break on First began in 2007 and then again from 2010 onwards.
Long summer break due to two major sports events
As a reason for the long summer break this year, the ARD cites the two major sporting events in 2024. The European Football Championship in Germany ran from June 14 to July 14, and the Olympic Games in Paris are from July 26 to August 11. After that, there are still the Paralympics (August 28 to September 8).
Since the last "Tatort" before the summer break (May 20), there had been a new Munich "Police Call 110" on May 26. However, there has been no new Sunday crime in the ARD television since then.
The ARD series "Tatort" has existed since almost 54 years (in the Federal Republic) and the crime series "Police Call 110" since around 53 years (initially as a production of the DDR television).
The "Tatort" with around 20 different teams of the various ARD broadcasting corporations and from Swiss and Austrian television is by far Germany's most popular TV series. A total of 1271 films with the label have been produced and broadcast since 1970.
- Despite the longest "Tatort" summer break in Munich this year, with 17 weeks, viewers can still watch reruns on Sundays during prime time, such as on August 4 when athletics from the Olympic Summer Games in Paris are being shown live on First.
- The upcoming "Tatort" crime in September will serve as a break from the Whit Monday reruns, as the series has established a tradition of showing repeats during the summer instead of new crimes.
- Unfortunately for fans of "Police Call 110," there haven't been any new Sunday crimes on ARD television since the last "Tatort" before the summer break in May, leaving only reruns to fill the gap until mid-September.
- This extended summer break is mostly due to the upcoming major sports events in 2024, including the European Football Championship in Germany and the Olympic Games in Paris, which will require extensive live coverage on ARD.
