Babylon Berlin

Warning
This guide and all of my reviews contain occasional bits of rude language,
and opinions some people might find offensive but for which I won’t apologise.
                    Don’t read any further unless you are open-minded.
As hard as I try not to give away too much, I can't guarantee there are no spoilers.

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Babylon Berlin - Limited TV Series - 16 Episodes 2017 - Netflix

Delicious, visually rich drama set in the Weimar Republic

Take the visual appeal of Bauhaus and the joyful sounds of Weimar Kabaret, then stir them with some good old-fashioned grinding poverty at one extreme, relieved only by gross self-indulgence at another.
            then...
Throw in an occasional post-traumatic flashback to life on the front during World War I, some counter-counter espionage that would make anyone’s head spin, and be glad you are watching this from the relative comfort of the 21st Century.  But do be glad, because this is really great story-telling.

One need not be a history buff to enjoy this, though this show is so beautifully made it's a perfect opportunity for armchair travel to another time and place - a chance to get a feel for Berlin when it was at the epicentre of a Europe trying to work out what a rational system of government might look like.

 

Feel free to enjoy Babylon Berlin as it is. But if you want to know more about history or if you are an art buff, go to

http://art-for-a-change.com/blog/2018/04/the-truth-about-babylon-berlin.html

for a really, really, really top quality review with extensive notes - I can't write a review one-fifth as interesting or informative, but I do want to let you know this show is way better than average.

MA 15+ Rating Some Drug taking, and small amount of sexing associated with pornography, prostitution and blackmail. Nothing gratuitous for the era.

Bingeability This is very watchable, but it is solid drama with no comic relief. Not made for bingeing.