Berlin ER
Berlin ER is a German medical drama television series written by Samuel Jefferson for Apple TV+ and ZDF. Produced by Alexis von Wittgenstein and Henning Kamm, the themes of Berlin ER were inspired by Jefferson's past experience working as a doctor in a London emergency room. The series follows emergency department staff at a fictional Neukölln hospital in Berlin as they face medical, interpersonal, and systematic issues. The first series began airing on February 26, 2025, and went on to win "Best Drama Series" at the 2025 German Television Awards. A second series is expected in 2026.
Overview
Dr. Suzanna "Zanna" Parker begins her new job as head of the ER at a Berlin hospital after a personal issue drives her geriatrics job in Munich. She must lead an underfunded ER team, balancing the needs of her resistant staff and the management's drive for revenue, along with her own morals. Among the other doctors are Ben Weber, a kind albeit rule-bending doctor who is privately struggling with opiod addiction and leans on his clubbing partner and fellow doctor Kian Amini ; Emina Ertan, a wry yet exceedingly competent Turkish-German doctor, and Dominik Kohn, an undertrained internal medicine resident who hides his mistakes. Patients are brought into the hospital by cynical EMT Olaf Hendel and his trainee Olivia Kropf.Cast
- Haley Louise Jones as Dr. Suzanna "Zanna" Parker, the hospital's new ER boss in an overwhelmed and underfunded department
- Slavko Popadić as Dr. Ben Weber, a charitable doctor who makes an effort to help those who have fallen through the cracks despite his own personal struggles
- Şafak Şengül as Dr. Emina Ertan, a talented and dry doctor with a soft spot for Olivia
- Aram Tafreshian as Dr. Dominik "Dom" Kohn, a charming but incompetent doctor who struggles to cover his errors
- Samirah Breuer as Olivia Kropf, a young EMT trainee with fresh enthusiasm to help others
- Bernhard Schütz as Olaf Hendel, a seasoned EMT who harbors disdain for the young drug-takers that comprise a large portion of the Neukölln EMT's callers
- Peter Lohmeyer as Dr. Steffen Beck, the head of the hospital who wishes that the emergency department would be eliminated due to its unprofitability
- Benjamin Radjaipour as Dr. Kian Amini, Ben's clubbing partner who looks out for his health
Production
Writing
Berlin ER draws upon the medical experience of its writer, Samuel Jefferson, who worked as an emergency physician in a London hospital. Jefferson had attended the London Film School in his twenties while working part-time in the hospital, and wrote several plays and short films in the following years, later attending the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. It was around this time that he began working on what would become Berlin ER about 7-8 years later.While creating Berlin ER, Jefferson found that despite different systems, doctors in both the UK and Germany faced similar difficulties including long hours, arduous stress, and low wages. Jefferson also sought to portray the capitalization of the health system in England, which rewards doctors for pressuring patients into unnecessary procedures so the hospital can profit, and was surprised to learn that Germany faced the same issue despite the country's good healthcare reputation.
Jefferson has cited British black comedy drama Trainspotting and iconic American medical drama ER as major references while creating KRANK Berlin.
Development
In February 2023, Sky Germany Vice President Tobias Rosen announced at the Berlin Film Festival that two original German-language drama series had been commissioned, among them was KraNK Berlin, a dark comedy eight-part series set at the fictional Neukölln Hospital. The title, an abbreviation of Krankenhaus Neukölln-Kreuzberg, was a pun on the German word krank, meaning sick or weird. However, in June of the same year, Sky Germany announced that it would be ceasing production on all new scripted original Sky series in 2024, citing the rising costs of producing dramas and difficulties cutting through the many international streaming giants.Since the show was not officially cancelled, co-producers Real Film and Violet Pictures were able to keep the rights for the series and explore alternative buyers. Two months later, they found the show's new home at ZDF. Beta Film also boarded the production in January 2024, prior to the Berlinale Series Market showcase, an initiative which showcases new serials to international professionals. At this showcase, Apple TV+ expressed interest, and in June 2024, it was announced that Apple TV+ had boarded the show alongside ZDF and would have exclusive global rights.
In September 2025, it was announced that the show had been renewed for a second series, with a release date estimate not yet announced.
Filming
The cast took ER internships or training in order to learn the various attitudes and skills displayed by emergency room workers. The extras included real nurses and hospital staff, and a medical advisor was on set to ensure accuracy.Filming for Berlin ER began in the fall of 2024, on location at the SEZ in Berlin, a former East German sports and recreation center. The filming for the first series wrapped in December 2024.