Apple TV+ is streaming a brand new medical drama that grips you from the very first second and won’t let you go into its exhilarating finale. Imagine all the inter-personal stakes and fleshed-out characters of Grey’s Anatomy or ER but filmed with all the close-up grit and adrenaline of The Bear and Boiling Point.
The drama is completely relentless with some truly and viscerally upsetting moments, but the storyline is so rich and personal even the most squeamish of viewers will feel compelled to finish. We’re talking about the brand new German drama Berlin ER, which premiered today (Wednesday, 26th February) with its first two episodes on Apple TV+.
Haley Louise Jones leads the series as Dr Zanna Parker, a medical professional who abandons her life in Munich to manage a chaotic and under-funded hospital in the centre of the German capital. While her attempts at reform are initially met with resistance from her bristly staff, she eventually strikes up an alliance with Dr Ben Weber (played by Slavko Popadić), an excellent yet infamously unpredictable surgeon.
The series delves into all corners of the medical profession, including highlight moments with two paramedics, newcomer Olivia Kropf (Samirah Breuer) and her more experienced mentor Olaf Hendel (Bernhard Schütz). Showrunner Samuel Jefferson, an ex-A&E doctor himself, also tackles pertinent issues facing modern medicine, from hypochondriacs to immigration and the poor state of under-staffed and overcrowded emergency rooms.
Don’t just take our word for it; though the series has flown under the radar for some critics, Berlin ER is already picking up some rave reviews. The Wall Street Journal called the series “riveting” and even questioned, “is the German-language Berlin ER the best hospital series ever?”.
While they couldn’t answer for sure, the reviewer “virtually [inhaled] its eight episodes over only two days” and compared it to the likes of M*A*S*H and Lars Von Triers The Kingdom - a far cry from TV’s usual hospital fare. Filmhounds also gave the series a rave review, giving Berlin ER four stars and calling the first episode a “masterwork in direction”.
They concluded: “Berlin ER promises a visceral and captivating series about the demanding work of the medical sector. “It engages you from the offset with its claustrophobic and frantic filming and throws drama and thrills at you from every angle. “While its central narrative may be familiar to some, it doesn't suffer from fatigue thanks to its honest and characterful script.”.
LeisureByte was also impressed, penning: “I found myself absolutely hooked on the stories and the characters, especially because Slavko Popadić and Haley Louise Jones are fantastic as Ben and Zanna respectively. “Berlin ER is surprisingly fantastic and an emotional rollercoaster ride.
“It’s exhilarating and triggering in all the right ways and although it’s not a comedic take on the phenomenon that is the ER, it’s definitely one that will get to you.”. Fans of hard-hitting and emotional drama won’t want to miss out on this subversive and addictive take on the hospital drama, just brace yourself for plenty of blood, sweat and tears.
