Der Bulle von Tölz
Encyclopedia
Der Bulle von Tölz is an Austria
n-German
television series which has been produced and broadcast by SAT.1
and the ORF
since 1996. As of January 2009, 69 self-contained feature-length episodes have been made.
, Bavaria
, the series is about the activities of the local Kriminalpolizei
as personified by Benno Berghammer (Ottfried Fischer
), the eponymous Bulle (literally "bull
", a slang
word and the equivalent of "cop" but at the same time an allusion to his bulky appearance), and Sabrina Lorenz (Katerina Jacob), two Kommissare who invariably, at the beginning of each episode, are faced with murder
in the seemingly idyllic small town of Bad Tölz or its rural surroundings.
Generally, no violence
is shown, and although the plot is always well constructed and the murder cases are always plausible and realistic, the huge popularity of the show is due to the underlying comedy
which pervades each episode. Thus, most adult viewers derive more pleasure from the constellation of characters and the many running gag
s and one-liners
delivered throughout the show than from following the plot or guessing who the murderer is. The fact that much of the dialogue is performed in Bavarian
German equally lends familiarity to the characters.
, he still lives with his widowed mother, Resi Berghammer (Ruth Drexel
), who is running a small bed and breakfast
in Bad Tölz. Berghammer takes it for granted that his mother cooks for him (twice a day: he even returns home for lunch whenever possible) and that she washes his clothes and tidies up his room but there is hardly anything he gives her in return. While she is proud of her son and his achievements at his job, Resi Berghammer does not approve of his celibate lifestyle. Longing for a grandchild, she occasionally dabbles in matchmaking
when she becomes aware of an eligible female. But although her son has a penchant for attractive female suspects he never gets involved with any women. Generally, there is constant bickering between mother and son over all sorts of things big and small.
Sabrina Lorenz is a young Kommissarin hailing from Berlin
. Single and unattached, she at first has a hard time adapting to Bavarian customs and also to the language: Not always able to understand, let alone speak, Bavarian
dialect
, Lorenz is immediately recognized as a Zugereiste, which is hardly an advantage. However, she knows what she wants and is good at her job, and forms a perfect team with Berghammer (whom she occasionally teases for his set ways).
Nadine Richter, played by Katharina Abt, replaced Sabrina Lorenz in 2006.
Other recurring characters include Wachtmeister Anton Pfeiffer (Udo Thomer), a clumsy and slightly idiotic uniformed policeman; Toni Rambold (Gerd Anthoff
), an old schoolmate of Berghammer's who has become a (rather shady) entrepreneur in the construction business and who represents capitalism
in the series; and Prälat Hinter (Michael Lerchenberg), the local Roman Catholic priest.
Actor Udo Thomer died in the first week of January 2006.
Following the death of actress Ruth Drexel in February 2009 SAT1 announced, to probably not produce any more new episodes of "Der Bulle von Tölz".
is presented in a humorous way. For example, double standards of morality are frequently thematized (the Catholic Church doing business with shady land developers
and thus potentially harming the environment; members of the clergy associating with prostitutes; Bavaria's political élite
—invariably CSU
— hypocritically
claiming they only want what is best for the citizens; etc.). Also, current fads (the Internet
craze, valuable antiques
, Feng Shui
, cosmetic surgery, etc.) are often taken up. Finally, several murder cases revolve around traditional subjects (rivalry between farmers, poaching
, sports events, class reunion
s, etc.).
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
television series which has been produced and broadcast by SAT.1
Sat.1
Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
and the ORF
ORF (broadcaster)
Österreichischer Rundfunk, ORF, is the Austrian national public service broadcaster.Funded from a combination of a television licence fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media...
since 1996. As of January 2009, 69 self-contained feature-length episodes have been made.
Genre
Set in Bad TölzBad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, the series is about the activities of the local Kriminalpolizei
Kriminalpolizei
is the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the police forces of Germany, Austria and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. In Nazi Germany during 1936, the Kripo became the Criminal Police Department for the entire Reich...
as personified by Benno Berghammer (Ottfried Fischer
Ottfried Fischer
Ottfried Fischer is a German actor and Kabarett artist best known for his role as Benno Berghammer in the popular German TV series Der Bulle von Tölz...
), the eponymous Bulle (literally "bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
", a slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
word and the equivalent of "cop" but at the same time an allusion to his bulky appearance), and Sabrina Lorenz (Katerina Jacob), two Kommissare who invariably, at the beginning of each episode, are faced with murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
in the seemingly idyllic small town of Bad Tölz or its rural surroundings.
Generally, no violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
is shown, and although the plot is always well constructed and the murder cases are always plausible and realistic, the huge popularity of the show is due to the underlying comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
which pervades each episode. Thus, most adult viewers derive more pleasure from the constellation of characters and the many running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
s and one-liners
One-liner joke
A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy.Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g...
delivered throughout the show than from following the plot or guessing who the murderer is. The fact that much of the dialogue is performed in Bavarian
Austro-Bavarian
Bavarian , also Austro-Bavarian, is a major group of Upper German varieties spoken in the south east of the German language area.-History and origin:...
German equally lends familiarity to the characters.
Recurring characters
In episode #1, Benno Berghammer is in his early forties. An only child and heavily overweightOverweight
Overweight is generally defined as having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is a common condition, especially where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary...
, he still lives with his widowed mother, Resi Berghammer (Ruth Drexel
Ruth Drexel
Ruth Drexel was a German actress, director, and theatre director/manager. Her best-known role was as "Resi Berghammer" in the German television series,...
), who is running a small bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
in Bad Tölz. Berghammer takes it for granted that his mother cooks for him (twice a day: he even returns home for lunch whenever possible) and that she washes his clothes and tidies up his room but there is hardly anything he gives her in return. While she is proud of her son and his achievements at his job, Resi Berghammer does not approve of his celibate lifestyle. Longing for a grandchild, she occasionally dabbles in matchmaking
Matchmaking
Matchmaking is any process of matching two people for the purpose of marriage or a sporting contest.-Practice:In some cultures, the role of the matchmaker was and is quite professionalized...
when she becomes aware of an eligible female. But although her son has a penchant for attractive female suspects he never gets involved with any women. Generally, there is constant bickering between mother and son over all sorts of things big and small.
Sabrina Lorenz is a young Kommissarin hailing from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Single and unattached, she at first has a hard time adapting to Bavarian customs and also to the language: Not always able to understand, let alone speak, Bavarian
Central Austro-Bavarian
The Central Bavarian Germanic dialects forming a subgroup of the Bavarian dialects. The subgroup covers all dialects spoken along the rivers Isar and Danube, on the northern side of the Alps....
dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
, Lorenz is immediately recognized as a Zugereiste, which is hardly an advantage. However, she knows what she wants and is good at her job, and forms a perfect team with Berghammer (whom she occasionally teases for his set ways).
Nadine Richter, played by Katharina Abt, replaced Sabrina Lorenz in 2006.
Other recurring characters include Wachtmeister Anton Pfeiffer (Udo Thomer), a clumsy and slightly idiotic uniformed policeman; Toni Rambold (Gerd Anthoff
Gerd Anthoff
Gerd Anthoff is a German television actor.-External links:...
), an old schoolmate of Berghammer's who has become a (rather shady) entrepreneur in the construction business and who represents capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
in the series; and Prälat Hinter (Michael Lerchenberg), the local Roman Catholic priest.
Actor Udo Thomer died in the first week of January 2006.
Following the death of actress Ruth Drexel in February 2009 SAT1 announced, to probably not produce any more new episodes of "Der Bulle von Tölz".
Topics
In Der Bulle von Tölz, a fair amount of social criticismSocial criticism
The term social criticism locates the reasons for malicious conditions of the society in flawed social structures. People adhering to a social critics aim at practical solutions by specific measures, often consensual reform but sometimes also by powerful revolution.- European roots :Religious...
is presented in a humorous way. For example, double standards of morality are frequently thematized (the Catholic Church doing business with shady land developers
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
and thus potentially harming the environment; members of the clergy associating with prostitutes; Bavaria's political élite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
—invariably CSU
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
— hypocritically
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
claiming they only want what is best for the citizens; etc.). Also, current fads (the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
craze, valuable antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
, Feng Shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
, cosmetic surgery, etc.) are often taken up. Finally, several murder cases revolve around traditional subjects (rivalry between farmers, poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
, sports events, class reunion
Class reunion
A class reunion is a meeting of former classmates, typically organized at or near their former school by one of the class on or around an anniversary of their graduation. Former teachers may be invited as well...
s, etc.).