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British-Austrian police procedural television series based on novels by Frank Tallis From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vienna Blood is a British-Austrian procedural drama television series set in Vienna, Austria, in the early 1900s. Based on the Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis, the series follows Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard), a doctor and student of Sigmund Freud, as he assists Police Detective Oskar Rheinhardt (Jürgen Maurer). By providing psychological insights into the subjects’ motives, they investigate disturbing murders with success. A continuing sub-theme is the growing antisemitism against the Liebermann family. Max is a member of a liberal British Jewish family in Leopoldstadt, a traditional Jewish district, while Oskar, a lapsed Catholic, is based at that district's police precinct.[1]
| Vienna Blood | |
|---|---|
Title card | |
| Genre | Period drama Detective fiction |
| Based on | The Liebermann series by Frank Tallis |
| Written by | Steve Thompson |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Roman Kariolou |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom Austria |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 11 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 18 November 2019 – present |
The first series began broadcasting on BBC Two on 18 November 2019.[2] On 6 July 2020, it was recommissioned for a second series, which premiered in 2021.[3][2] The programme was renewed for a third series, which began broadcasting on BBC Two on 14 December 2022,[4][5][6] and a fourth,[7] which began airing on 4 August 2024.[8]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.K. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Last Seance" | Robert Dornhelm | Steve Thompson | 18 November 2019 | 1.8[9] | |
| 2 | "Queen of the Night" | Umut Dag | Steve Thompson | 25 November 2019 | N/A | |
|
A grisly series of murders in Vienna's slums leads to a speedy arrest, but Oskar and Max disagree over a suspect.[10] | ||||||
| 3 | "The Lost Child" | Umut Dag | Steve Thompson | 2 December 2019 | N/A | |
|
Max's nephew suffers a breakdown after the drowning of a fellow cadet at a military academy. Max suspects foul play.[10] | ||||||
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [11] | U.K. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Melancholy Countess" | Robert Dornhelm | Steve Thompson | 10 December 2021 | N/A | |
|
A widowed countess dies in an apparent suicide but later it is found she was murdered. She had consulted Max. Why was she so unhappy?[10] | ||||||
| 2 | "The Devil's Kiss" | Robert Dornhelm | Steve Thompson | 17 December 2021[lower-alpha 1] | N/A | |
|
A young pickpocket discovers a badly mutilated body which leads Oskar on the trail of an anarchist determined to disrupt the signing of a treaty.[10] | ||||||
| 3 | "Darkness Rising" | Robert Dornhelm | Steve Thompson | 24 December 2021[lower-alpha 2] | N/A | |
|
Following an altercation at a lecture, a monk is killed. A suspect is arrested, the brother of Clara's fiancé. Max doesn’t think he killed the monk and goes undercover to find out what happened.[10] | ||||||
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [11] | U.K. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Deadly Communion" | Robert Dornhelm | Steve Thompson | 14 December 2022 | N/A | |
|
A young seamstress is murdered in a luxury fashion house. Oscar and Max are initially perplexed, but further clues are revealed when Max receives a letter at his new practice.[10] | ||||||
| 2 | "The God of Shadows" | Robert Dornhelm | Steve Thompson | 21 December 2022 | N/A | |
|
Max applies his neurological expertise to the case of a retired soldier, Captain Steiner, who is convinced that he is cursed and tortured by vengeful spirits.[10] | ||||||
| 3 | "Death Is Now a Welcome Guest" | Robert Dornhelm | Steve Thompson | 28 December 2022 | N/A | |
|
When a famous film star dies during the premiere of her new film, Max and Oskar's investigation gets them embroiled in the dark underbelly of stardom and far-right politics.[10] | ||||||
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [11] | U.K. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Mephisto Waltz - Part One" | Umut Dag | Steve Thompson | 4 August 2024 | N/A | |
|
A traitor is leaking state secrets, whom threatens to destabilise the Austro-Hungarian empire. Oscar and Max are compelled to seek the identity of this high-powered individual.[10] | ||||||
| 2 | "Mephisto Waltz - Part Two" | Umut Dag | Steve Thompson | 11 August 2024 | N/A | |
|
Oscar is determined to track down the gunman who attempted to kill Max. He soon discovers how powerful his adversary is, when he is framed for murder.[10] | ||||||
The series was a coproduction of Endor Productions and MR Film (Austria).[12]
Each episode consists of two parts[10] but numbering of episodes varies by country. In Austria, episodes are numbered by case (3 episodes per series) but in the USA by part (6 episodes per series).
The first series was filmed on location in Vienna and Lower Austria, beginning in October 2018.[13] Locations included the Vienna State Opera house and Volkstheater, as well as Landstrasse, Hauptstrasse, Herz Jesu church, Votivkirche, St Charles Borromeo Church, Griechengasse, Molker Steig, Schreyvogelgasse, Dreimaderlhaus, Schonlaterngasse, Alte Schmiede, the Vienna University Archive, the Billrothhaus (Vienna 9), the Natural History Museum, Palais Pallavicini, the Burggarten park, the Stadpark, the Arsenal, Otto Wagner Hospital, Villa Mauthner von Markhof, Kirche am Steinhof, the Riesenrad (big wheel), Stephansdom, Sankt-Ulrichs-Platz, Palais Pallavicini, National Library, Zentralfriedhof, Friedhof der Namenlosen, Museum of Military History, Cafe Morgenstern, Café Sperl and Café Bräunerhof and features the Beethovenfries. In Lower Austria the Schloss Grafenegg appears.[14][15]
Series 2 was also filmed in Vienna and Lower Austria, featuring such locations as Hotel Imperial, the Stadtpark, Kursalon Hübner, Schönbrunn Palace, the Museum of Military History, Traungasse, Lagergasse, Buchfeldgasse, Florianigasse, Schulhof, Kirche am Hof, Franziskanerkirche, Michaelerkirche, Palais Collalto, Kartäuse Mauerbach (monastery) and the Franzensburg in Lower Austria.[14]
Filming of Series 3 was split between Budapest (including the Párisi Udvar Hotel and the Vígszínház Theatre, Bedo House, Postal Museum, the National Museum of Hungary and the Hazai Bank) and Vienna (including the Loos House, Belvedere, Dr Ignaz Seipel Platz, Jesuitengasse, Michaelerplatz and the Hofburg).[14][16][17]
The first series of three 90-minute episodes was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two between 18 November and 2 December 2019.[18] Austrian channel ORF 2 aired the show beginning 20 December 2019 with dubbing.[19][20]
In the United States, PBS showed the series in six 45-minute episodes; broadcast began on 19 January 2020.[21][22]
Vienna Blood received a 53% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the ‘Critics Consensus’ reading, 'Though it rarely rises above 'watchable', fans of period crime series may enjoy passing time with Vienna Blood's charismatic cast anyway.'[23] The Guardian's Emine Saner, giving three out of five stars to the first episode, remarked that the series was similar to Thompson's prior work on Sherlock, particularly in its leads' dynamic and the presentation. However she did praise the two lead actors.[24] Sean O'Grady of The Independent gave it five out of five stars, praising the direction, recreation of the period and storytelling.[25]
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