Germany is probably not the first country that comes to mind when we talk about must-see television, however, the recent wave of German-language shows becoming international hits has maybe changed that notion and has put the European nation's television on the map.
Previously known mostly for war-related cinema epics like "The Boat" and "Downfall," shows from the country have regularly been ranking among Netflix's top foreign-language series for some time now.
The historical drama "The Empress," a mini-series by Katharina Eyssen portraying the life of Elisabeth of Austria is currently even ranked number one and has been streamed for a total of 106.6 million hours already, according to Netflix.
The rise of German TV on the international market likely began some five years ago, with the release of "Babylon Berlin," a series set in the Weimar Republic, and "Dark," a mysterious sci-fi thriller series that begins with the disappearance of a child.
Both productions were soon pored over by viewers around the world.
A more recent German series, "Kleo," even got praise from none other than Stephen King. "What a breath of fresh air! Suspenseful and also very funny," the cult horror author wrote on Twitter in August.
In the Tarantino-style Netflix production, a contract killer formerly employed by the East Germany's Stasi state security service played by Jella Haase seeks her revenge after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
And Netflix already has another project in the pipeline, the mystery series "1899" which is set to be released on Nov. 17. Created by the makers of "Dark," it wouldn't be surprising if the production soon also led the rankings.
But what is the reason behind the new international popularity of German television? Interesting historical settings? While series like "Babylon Berlin" and "Kleo" gain much by exploring complex and unique eras of the country's history, "Dark" revolves entirely around fictional characters in a fictional setting.
To understand the dynamics behind this new trend, we need to take a closer look at the success story of Netflix itself.
Founded in California in 1997 as a DVD rental company, Netflix began producing its own content some 11 years ago while transitioning to a streaming service.
Debuting its first-ever original series "House of Cards" with the release of an entire season at once on Feb. 1, 2013, it soon became clear that the company was banking on the flexibility given to consumers compared to conventional TV.
In July, Netflix followed up with its second in-house production, "Orange is the new black." Both series would become global favorites and win endless awards, radically reshaping the entertainment industry.
Both productions were characterized by a new complexity, thanks to unpredictable characters and cross-episode, horizontal storytelling.
While forerunners like "Breaking Bad" had already employed similar techniques, Netflix's own shows certainly heralded in the beginning of a new television age.
In Germany, the subscription-based streaming service launched in 2014, increasing the pressure on the German-language market to produce more high-quality shows.
Anticipating the competition it would soon be facing from across the Atlantic, public broadcaster ARD joined forces with Sky to produce "Babylon Berlin," and successfully so. The fourth season is currently available to stream on Sky, and will be released in the broadcaster's media library next year.
The hunt for promising new plots to create binge-worthy shows, cooperation among different TV providers and the expansion of online streaming platforms has by now became an integral part of broadcasters, hoping to attract more younger viewers again.
In-house shows play a key role here, as they have been shown to improve a broadcaster's image.
Like elsewhere around the world, the advent of Netflix has radically altered the German television landscape and the revolution is ongoing.
Currently, all eyes are on Sisi and her tragic life. During the first week after its release, "The Empress" ranked among Netflix's Top Ten in 79 countries. One week later, it was 88.
