2024-07-10 23:49:02
Angela Merkel in Italy? Since the end of her term in office, people have primarily thought of paparazzi photos from the former chancellor’s vacation. This time, things are different.
The woman in the red blazer looks familiar. But the “Angela Merkel” with which she introduces herself has an unusual sound. The “r” rolls through the ear canals more than usual and the “l” at the end also resonates with its special tongue twist. The reason is as simple as it is surprising: the former chancellor is dubbed by an Italian – for the series “Miss Merkel”, which will be broadcast on Italian television in a few days.
The broadcaster Rai2 has released a trailer for the prime-time TV launch next Friday, which is now being shared widely on social media. Among those seen in it are Katharina Thalbach as Angela Merkel and Thorsten Merten as her husband Joachim Sauer.
The series has been produced for RTL since 2023 and was last broadcast in Germany in March of this year with the latest episode “Murder in the Cemetery”. The TV series portrays a fictional scenario and it goes like this: Since leaving politics after 16 years as Chancellor, Angela Merkel has lived in the Uckermark with her husband and personal bodyguard Mike (Tim Kalkhof). Since Merkel is bored with retirement, she starts investigating criminal cases – and from this various, mostly comedic stories emerge.
So far, so unspectacular. But in Italy the concept is still largely unknown – and Angela Merkel is apparently not a common narrative motif in the Italian TV landscape. The reactions to the trailer show how anticipation and skepticism are mixed about the series’ launch. “Oh my God, that looks fantastic, I have to watch it,” exclaims one user on X, and another joins in the enthusiasm, writing: “I really hope I get to see it in Great Britain too.”
Others, however, still doubt whether Rai2 is serious. “It’s not true, come on… it’s a hallucination, it’s all in my head, this thing can’t really exist,” one user tries to express his astonishment in disbelief. And another explains: “It could be complete nonsense or it could be a masterpiece. We’ll see.”
One thing is certain: the German series based on the book series of the same name by David Safier will actually be broadcast on Italian television. The episode “Miss Merkel: Murder in the Castle” is officially listed in the channel’s schedule. It starts at 9:20 p.m. and after that it will become clear how seriously the Italian audience can still take the former Chancellor.