Underplayed Gems

The Old Fox (1977)

The Old Fox poster
Original title
Der Alte
Genre
crime television series
Country
Germany
Length
52 seasons, 459 episodes
Rated
NR
Rating
6.3 of 10 from 20 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A veteran police detective in Munich uses his age and understanding of human nature to solve crimes. He often surprises his team by outsmarting suspects with psychological tricks rather than force.

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What happens

Der Alte ("The Old One" or "The Old Fox") is a German crime drama series created by Helmut Ringelmann. It premiered on 11 April 1977 on ZDF. Since 1978 the series is part of the Friday Crime Night of the network. It depicts the crime-solving activities of five police detectives: until 1985, Chief Inspector Erwin Köster, played by Siegfried Lowitz; from 1977 to 1986, Chief Inspector Leo Kress, played by Rolf Schimpf; from 1986 to 2007, Chief Inspector Rolf Herzog, played by Walter Kreye; from 2008 to 2012 and from 2012 to 2023, Chief Inspector Richard Voss, played by Jan-Gregor Kremp and from 2023, Chief Inspector Caspar Bergmann, played by Thomas Heinze. Humble and unassuming in appearance, chief detective Köster is the "Old Fox". By understanding the psychological make-up of his suspect, the "Old Fox" craftily leads the criminal into his own trap, to the great surprise of his often perplexed staff. The "Old Fox" has his own way of working. Wearied by the negative elements he has witnessed so often in society, the "Old Fox" provides a unique insight into human nature. Armed with the wisdom of age and experience, the "Old Fox" hunts down criminals in Munich, assisted by his colleagues, most notably Gerd Heymann, played by Michael Ande between 1977 and 2016 in 401 episodes. The actors or actresses of other assistant characters over the years include Jan Hendriks, Markus Böttcher, Marlene Morreis, Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss, Ludwig Blochberger and Stephanie Stumph. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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