Photo: © RTL, 2009 Now it was time: the end of November Wolfgang Weigel died of a heart attack. This left the second to last series character who was from the beginning, the series "Unter Uns".
The departure of actor Holger Franke was a surprise. In an interview in early summer 2009, it sounded like he would be up to his end of life want to be there. But he survived but his figure.
The finish was far from voluntary. The production company Grundy UFA extended the contract no longer , Franke has been set for 15 years before the door. Reason is probably the declining advertising revenues for RTL. In the era of YouTube and Internet TV decreases the need of young viewers to look at fixed broadcast times a certain program on TV.
"Among Us" has now reached even in the winter time when more viewers are sitting in front of the box than, say, during the silly season, only rarely more than two million viewers . Attained earlier the same season series with the half a million more viewers.
The result: Less advertising revenue. The result: new strategies to attract to return more viewers to the "Schillerallee" here, and above all have to save on costs.
Einspahrungen The show is very clear:
- there are virtually no outside shooting takes place. All shooting will take place in the open air in the production own outdoor scenes. Even the wedding of Eva and Till - who was on the day of Wolfang heart attack - was shot on the streets of the "Schiller Avenue.
reason: Outside shooting is very expensive, especially if the weather conditions are bad.
- since August 2009 rotated parallel : that is, that two teams to record the same time: for example, a team in the outdoor scenery, and a team in the studio in Schiller etc.
This saves RTL about a quarter of total working hours: what has been filmed in twelve months , now sits in the box after only eight months. in six working days (Monday-Saturday) to produce eight episodes.
- at the same time, the actor less time available for the turning of the individual scenes than before. After 2 to 3 times playing through the camera and the cut is made, which is least bad. This makes it particularly difficult for young beginners, from the start a sufficient to show performance in front of the camera.
wants with Franke's exit RTL a - quote - usher in "new era": In addition to the three different storylines, each told in parallel in a sequence, says Teen Tobias on his radio show gross, subtle and youth justice (with words like "shit" or "pissed off") the events in the Schiller Avenue. In order to get different stories to each other a softer transition. Whether this
Franke departure was necessary, may well be questioned. Especially in this day and age where there is a vast number of daily soaps and (pseudo) telenovelas in both the private and public broadcasters are, can the various Offers hardly be distinguished from each other. But even "among us" was she who had a family Weigel a red thread, knitting through all the episodes and stories. With
Petra Blossey , in the role of Wolfgang's wife, Irene, the last veteran remains in the series launched in 1994. It appears now the heavy legacy of Christiane Maybach (which the "Grande Dame" of Schiller Avenue, was held as the House Dragon Margot Weigel always the ropes in his hands) and Holger Franke. Whether
Blossey, which is now the oldest actress on the set, rather than continue to be marginal figure it will get, or indeed greater Dispos remains to be seen. Probably, but rather the former, because RTL wants to "Unter Uns" wants to achieve, especially the 14 to 29 years old and will therefore tell stories of young protagonists. Already
Jane Hempel who plays Margot's sister, and actually still live in the apartment Weigel would have been written out secretly sounded out of the series events. She appears only to funerals, where they can then say at most two sentences unimportant.
With Franke lost production a confident happy disposition and a right, classic Casanova:
- mid 90's he was with the 20 years his junior fellow actress Isabell Hertel ("Ute Weigel) dating, which now # 2 in the list of the most senior "Unter Uns" actors is (since episode 55).
- Franke also fished Katharina Kaali. She was the wife of Franke colleague Sholti Alexander (played Björn winter) and had divorced him in 2006. In July that year, they brought Victoria to the world - Franke is the father. Meanwhile, the two are separate.
- The series was added after seven years sealed Schillerallee Wolfgang's "prodigal son" Rolf. Franke supplied template to self: After 24 years, suddenly, his illegitimate daughter was at the door. When he was 19, he impregnated his then girlfriend felt, but too young to stand trial for and tried to run away. His girlfriend kept the child, but left it a year after the birth of her brother adopt.
Conclusion: Franke will miss the exciting stories in "Among Us", but his own life will certainly provide enough potential for major and minor scandals. allowed for the spectators must hope only that Blossey, would also stay to the end of their days like in the soap, "Among Us" remain.
