On December 26, 2024, the latest episode of the famed German crime series "Tatort" aired, featuring the Dortmund detectives Peter Faber and Rosa Herzog portrayed by Jörg Hartmann and Stefanie Reinsperger. This episode, titled "Made in China," coincided with the airing of ZDF's popular travel show "Traumschiff," starring Florian Silbereisen as he navigated his vessel to the Hudson Valley.
Anticipation quickly turned to criticism as viewers noted something rather unusual about the Dortmund episode. Within minutes, audiences on social media began discussing what they noticed – the use of the same filming location from the recent Münster "Tatort" episode titled "Man stirbt nur zweimal," which had aired just three weeks prior. The fact did not go unnoticed and was met with chagrin from the series' dedicated fans.
One viewer expressed frustration, stating, "Wie kann man 3 Wochen nach dem Münsteraner Krimi nur das gleiche Haus wieder benutzen... Das fällt doch auf!" (How can you use the same house just three weeks after the Münster crime drama? It really stands out!). Others joined the conversation, commenting on the perceived cost-cutting measures and lack of originality in set choices. A recurring theme among these criticisms was the clear recognition of the same villa soon after its recent use.
Despite the viewers' ire, which can be seen on the show's official Facebook page, the actual viewership for the episode reportedly came to 5.20 million viewers as conveyed by the industry expert site dwdl.de. This figure aligned with the competitive viewing environment, indicative of what many are calling the episode’s annual low point.
While "Tatort: Made in China" did manage to achieve a decent market share of 20.9 percent, it faced substantial competition from "Traumschiff." The travel series attracted 4.78 million viewers, hitting about 19.2 percent of total market share during the same primetime slot. Yet the younger demographic painted a different picture. Here, "Tatort" fell short with only 0.62 million viewers aged 14 to 49, compared to "Traumschiff" which gained 0.81 million, achieving around 15.7 percent among the young audience.
Many fans' frustration might also point to underlying trends where traditional formats like "Tatort" are struggling to engage younger viewers, especially when up against a revitalized offering from ZDF. With popular shows not just entertaining but also pulling on demographic shifts, such challenges for classics are likely exacerbated by budget constraints causing repetitive content.
This episode of "Tatort" marks not only the end of the year but raises questions for the series moving forward: Will it adapt to the changing taste of its audience? Or will it continue to face stiff competition from shows like "Traumschiff?" Whatever the answers may be, the concern among fans is palpable as they hope for more creativity and fresh narratives from their enduring favorite series.
