A metropolis in turmoil. From economy to culture, politics to the underworld – everything is in the grip of radical change.

Speculation and inflation are already tearing away at the foundations of the still young Weimar Republic. Growing poverty and unemployment stand in stark contrast to the excesses and indulgence of the city’s night life and its overflowing creative energy.

Gereon Rath, a young police inspector from Cologne, is transferred to Berlin in order to solve a criminal case – a porno ring run by the Berlin Mafia. What at first glance appears to be simply a matter of extortion soon reveals itself to be a scandal that will forever change the lives of both Gereon and his closest associates.

Together with stenotypist Charlotte Ritter and his partner Bruno Wolter, Rath is confronted with a tangled web of corruption, drug dealing, and weapons trafficking, forcing him into an existential conflict as he is torn between loyalty and uncovering the truth. And we are left wondering: in this story, who is friend and who is foe?

With the political unrest spurred by May Day demonstrations and rising National Socialism, even an institution like the “Rote Burg,” Berlin’s police headquarters and the centre of democracy and the constitutional state, is increasingly becoming the melting pot of a democracy whose days are numbered.

Based on the best-selling novels by Volker Kutscher, BABYLON BERLIN is the first German TV series where viewers can emotionally experience the story of the political developments leading from the Weimar Republic to the spread of National Socialism.

Through the eyes of Gereon Rath, the young police inspector from Cologne, we get a glimpse behind the scenes of the “Roaring Twenties,” which not only brought the Great Depression, but where “dancing on the volcano” became the stuff of legend.

Since May 2016 and continuing on until the end of this year, X Filme Creative Pool, ARD, SKY, and Beta Film are bringing the 1920´s back to life on original sites in Berlin, namely the back lot set “Neuen Berliner Straße” at the Studio Babelsberg and in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Sky will broadcast the series in 2017 and ARD in 2018. As co-producer, Beta Film will be responsible for the worldwide distribution of the series.

As expected, well-received German crime-drama series Babylon Berlin is coming back for a third season.

Producing partners X Filme Creative Pool, ARD Degeto, Sky and Beta Film have confirmed that shooting will begin this fall in Berlin and at other new locations.

Director-writer trio Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten and Achim von Borries are currently working on the scripts for ten new episodes, based on Volker Kutscher’s second Gereon Rath novel The Silent Death. As previously reported, the show’s writing team received German Government development funding last December and the team confirmed plans for a third season when I met them on the festival circuit late last year.

The new season will pick up in the early 1930’s when the talkies start conquering the big screen, leaving many by the wayside: producers, cinema owners – and silent film stars. Inspector Gereon Rath encounters the dark side of the industry when one of the big stars is found dead. Emerging talents Volker Bruch (Generation War) and Liv Lisa Fries (The Wave) will renew their roles.

The upcoming season will be shot in new Berlin locations, at the Babelsberg Studio set Neue Berliner Strasse (one of the largest backlots in Europe) and in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The gripping and lavish German-language series about 1920s and 30s Berlin scored record ratings in Germany and was sold into more than 90 markets by Beta Film. The show’s $47M budget makes it one of the biggest series this side of the pond and it picked up five German Television Awards earlier this year, among them Best Drama Series.

The series drew more than one million viewers on linear and catch up after six days in its home market, making it the most successful series start in the territory behind Game Of Thrones. Netflix picked up the first two seasons in the U.S. but we haven’t had word yet whether they are on board again.

Carsten Schmidt, CEO Sky Germany, said, “This series has been a great success for Sky – critics and our viewers were equally excited. With the renewed season we are following the desire of our customers to experience further episodes of the story around Gereon Rath and Charlotte Ritter.”

Jan Mojto, CEO Beta Film, added, “Babylon Berlin has become a trademark abroad for the high quality of German television. It is an example for more and more productions from Europe reaching international standards.”