Ein Herz und eine Seele
Ein Herz und eine Seele | |
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Till Death Us Do Part All in the Family |
Ein Herz und eine Seele (literally "One Heart and One Soul" i.e. "hand in glove") is a German television
The show was extremely successful during its initial run and it still proves very popular in reruns. Two episodes in particular, Sylvesterpunsch (about the family's New Year's Eve party) and Rosenmontagszug (set during the winter carnival season) have gained such popularity that they are now shown traditionally on German TV on New Year's Eve and Rosenmontag, respectively.
Storyline
The show reflects the life of a
The undisputed star is Ekel ("creep") Alfred Tetzlaff (Heinz Schubert), commercial clerk, a born Sudeten German, Bild reader and reactionary patriarch, who is constantly arguing with his wife Else, his daughter Rita, and his son-in-law Michael. He is a declared foe of the SPD government ruining the country only to sell it to the Mongols, of foreigners, Gastarbeiter, Jews and the women's movement. During his term of service in the Wehrmacht he had spent time in Paris, which finds expression in his (dubious) language skills. Alfred's appearance, small in physique with a moustache and side-parted hair, along with his passionate politicking with a high-pitched voice and frequent hand movements, make his character somewhat reminiscent of Adolf Hitler. Raised in Berlin he is a dedicated fan of Hertha BSC, which makes life somewhat hard in the Ruhr area.
Alfred is married (afflicted) with Else, a housewife from Elmshorn, whose fatuity constantly drives him mad. She ceaselessly speaks up, confusing Pompidou with Pompadour and Kiesinger with Kissinger, honestly astonished that the Germans had elected a Jewish chancellor. (In this sense, although the German Else was named after the British version of the character, the quiet but sometimes snarky Else Garnett, the character more closely resembled Edith Bunker from the American version of the show, All in the Family.) Ironically, Alfred's use of "dusselige Kuh", literally "silly cow", as a nickname for Else was not allowed in the BBC original: the British character Alf Garnett had to refer to his wife as a "silly moo".
The young couple, Rita and her husband Michael, cannot afford an apartment and live in Rita's child's room. Michael is a supporter of Chancellor Willy Brandt and moreover was raised in
Broadcast
The show was originally broadcast in black and white and shown on the regional channel of the
For the second series, Elisabeth Wiedemann, popular in her role as Else Tetzlaff, was replaced by Helga Feddersen and Michael, formerly played by Diether Krebs, was portrayed by Klaus Dahlen. Whereas the original actors portrayed stereotypical but believable characters, Feddersen and Dahlen turned their roles into purely comedic characters, introducing slapstick. The audience clearly did not approve of these changes: after only four episodes of the second series, Ein Herz und eine Seele was cancelled.
Despite its polarization and abusive language, the series was initially very popular with up to 15.7 million viewers. It declined in the ratings due to the cast changes in the second series. In 2002, a survey showed the program was Germany's most popular sitcom of all time.
In 2004 the complete series was released to DVD and was a best seller.
Episodes
Episodes 1 to 11 were broadcast in
Season 1 (1973/1974)
Number | Title (original) | Title (English) | Date |
---|---|---|---|
01 | Das Hähnchen | The chicken | 15 January 1973 |
02 | Der Fernseher | The television set | 29 January 1973 |
03 | Besuch aus der Ostzone | Visit from the east zone | 12 February 1973 |
04 | Die Beerdigung | The funeral | 26 February 1973 |
05 | Die Bombe | The bomb | 12 March 1973 |
06 | Hausverkauf | Real estate sale | 26 March 1973 |
07 | Silberne Hochzeit | Silver wedding anniversary | 9 April 1973 |
08 | Urlaubsvorbereitung | Holiday preparations | 30 April 1973 |
09 | Erntedankfest | Thanksgiving | 1 October 1973 |
10 | Eine schwere Erkrankung | A serious illness | 28 October 1973 |
11 | Der Sittenstrolch | The pervert | 26 November 1973 |
12 | Sylvesterpunsch | New Year's Eve grog | 31 December 1973 |
13 | Der Ofen ist aus | The oven is out | 28 January 1974 |
14 | Rosenmontagszug | Mardi gras procession | 25 February 1974 |
15 | Frühjahrsputz | The spring-cleaning | 18 March 1974 |
16 | Selbstbedienung | Self-service | 13 April 1974 |
17 | Besuch aus der Ostzone | Visit from the east zone (colour version) |
17 June 1974 |
18 | Urlaubsvorbereitung | Holiday Preparations (colour version) |
15 July 1974 |
19 | Tapetenwechsel | Change of scenery, literally: "wallpaper" | 12 August 1974 |
20 | Der Staatsfeind | Public enemy | 9 September 1974 |
21 | Der Sittenstrolch | The pervert (colour version) | 4 November 1974 |
Season 2 (1976)
Number | Title (original) | Title (English) | Date |
---|---|---|---|
22 | Telefon! | Telephone! | 31 May 1976 |
23 | Massage | Massage | 5 July 1976 |
24 | Modell Tetzlaff | Model Tetzlaff | 27 September 1976 |
25 | Schlußwort | Closing words | 22 November 1976 |
See also
External links
- A survey of the first 20 episodes (in German)