There’s an old stereotype that Germans aren’t funny (because they’re so orderly, strict and serious, supposedly). But with a new trailer for German-language dark comedy Where’s Wanda?, Apple TV+ seems to want to prove that stereotype wrong once and for all, American sitcom-style.
But is it funny? Sort of. It’s also just odd because the trailer is dubbed in English. The show is supposed to be in German. And that may feel more natural and less like an imitation of an American sitcom than the trailer does. But most American viewers will need subtitles for the show itself. So get ready for that when the eight-episode series debuts October 2 on Apple TV+. It might actually be funnier in its mother tongue, even with subtitles.
UPDATE: While the trailer was dubbed in English, you have language options when you watch the show, streaming on Apple TV+ as of Wednesday. We figured this would be the case. You can watch it in German, German with English subtitles (recommended) or dubbed in English (or in other languages, like Spanish). Jetzt ansehen!
German-language dark comedy Where’s Wanda? debuts on Apple TV+ October 2
Where’s Wanda? marks the first German-language original from Apple TV+, the streamer said Thursday. Another German show on Apple TV+, the German hospital drama KRANK Berlin, will also air soon.
Billed as a dark comedy but seeming more mad-cap in the trailer, Where’s Wanda? brings a technology angle to its humor. The plot plans loads of undoubtedly illegal video and audio surveillance across an entire town when desperate parents want to find their missing teenage daughter. Imagine what they spy behind closed doors. Hey, es ist lustig!
Here’s what Where’s Wanda? is about, according to Apple TV+:
Where’s Wanda? tells the story of Dedo and Carlotta Klatt (Axel Stein and Heike Makatsch), who are desperate to locate their missing 17-year-old daughter Wanda (Lea Drinda), who disappeared months ago without a trace. When the police fail to find her, the family takes matters into their own hands, obtaining surveillance devices with the help of their tech-savvy son Ole (Leo Simon). Disguising themselves as employees of an electrical company, they bug their neighborhood and then half their suburb, finding out that behind closed doors, none of their neighbors are who they pretend to be.
Watch the Apple TV+ trailer for German comedy Where’s Wanda?:
Accomplished cast and more
Where’s Wanda? stars International Emmy Award nominee Makatsch (Love Actually), German Comedy Award winner Stein (The Vault), multiple award-winning actress Drinda (The Gryphon), newcomer Simon, entrepreneur, actress and author Nikeata Thompson (How to Dad), presenter and actress Palina Rojinski (Welcome to Germany), Kostja Ullmann (My Blind Date With Life) and rising star Harriet Herbig-Matten (Maxton Hall).
The series also features Devid Striesow (All Quiet on the Western Front), Jasmin Shakeri (The Magic Flute) and Joachim Król (The Most Desired Man).
The series is co-created and based on a story by Zoltan Spirandelli (Vaya con Dios). Royal Television Society nominee Oliver Lansley (Flack) co-created, wrote and executive produced the show, alongside multiple award-winning executive producers Nataly Kudiabor (Arthur’s Law) and Sebastian Werninger (The Physician). Award-winning filmmakers Christian Ditter (How To Be Single), Tobi Baumann (Faking Hitler) and Facundo Scalerandi (How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)) direct.
Watch comedies on Apple TV+
Where’s Wanda?, Apple TV+’s first German original, premieres with the first two episodes on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. One episode follows weekly through November 13. In the meantime, check out plenty of other comedies on the streaming service. It’s available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
In addition to award-winning movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso), Apple TV+ offers a variety of documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
Source: Apple TV+
We originally published this post on September 12, 2024, and then republished it when the show started streaming on October 2, 2024.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
