• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Online places to watch German tv to learn language?

Usehername

On a mission
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,794
I don't want shows that "teach" me how to speak it, I just want to watch a German show. It has to be good enough that I can get into and not get annoyed as I watch it several times over to learn.

I'd like something that's similar to NBC's Friends show, perhaps? And maybe less than 30 minutes long?

Also, it has to be available free online.

I'll take any suggestions if people have recommendations outside of these parameters. I want it to be colloquial, though, so I can pick up the intonation, etc. I don't want to watch the news and accidentally learn to speak like an anchor.
 

entropie

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
16,767
MBTI Type
entp
Enneagram
783
Ya I know the feeling, I've watched 10 seasons of stargate 3 times and then was already offended to speak german to anyone, cause I was so in it :).
I am no expert on TV series but I've tried to compile a list:

Sitcoms:
- Marienhof
- Verbotene Liebe
- Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten
- Lindenstraße
- Anna und die Liebe
- Verliebt in Berlin

Lindenstraße ( lime-tree street ) and Verbotene Liebe ( Forbidden Love ) are slow-burner; they have around 1 k episodes each probably. The former one is about the inhabitants of a street and their daily lifes, while the latter one deals abouit different couples, who are in love with each other, but whose families or friends do not think their relationship would be good. Sometimes tho it's about cheaters tho aswell. Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten ( Good Times, Bad Times ) is similiar to Lindenstraße and about the inhabitants of a quarter and their daily lifes. Anna und die Liebe ( Anna and Love ) and Verliebt in Berlin ( In love in Berlin ) is about an inconspicious girl in the main role, who is in love with someone but to shy to tell. After 300 episodes then, they eventually get together. I cant tell you more about the series, I never watched a single episode of each of them. That's not because they are bad, for reference I dont like "Friends" also, just not my style of series. Maybe you like one, I once heard from a member from this forum that she's watching Verbotene Liebe, so I guess this show is good.

I think you can find most episodes on youtube, other than that I have no ressource. Maybe you can browse for the names a bit and find some online streames, so far as I know tho there are none.

What you should watch are some classic comedy series, like "Sketchup". A classic is this one Flutschie about Flutschie the boiled sweet in which the market department argues about how to enter the market with the new product, while one guy on the table always ends the sentence another said with "the bonbon has to taste good" :D. Or this one: The way to Aurich where someone in Northern Germany asks a local for the way to Aurich and the local says he doesnt know. Then when the guy drives on, they are waving at him and he sees it in the mirror and comes back. And then the local tells him that he called his neighbour and he doesnt know it aswell :D. That's a classic for northern attitutde.

Well I know a lot of comedy, which is prolly all availiable on youtube. What you should watch is "bang Boom Bang" and "Manta Manta" two classics, which show the culture in western Germany ( especially the ruhr-area ) in a funny way. It's often rough mannerisms and accident, with especially Bang Boom Bang being a classic. The guy from Sketchup and Bang Boom Bang, where he plays a role aswell is called Diether Krebs. He's from the nieghbourtown of my hometown and studied arts in my hometown and he's in my opinion one of the best comedians who ever lived. :)

Here two exerpts: Diether Krebs as Werner Kampmann in Bang Boom Bang

And Til Schweiger in his breakthrough role in Manta Manta

P.S.: Sketchup and Manta Manta are from the 80s, so the quality aint to good most probably :/
 

Usehername

On a mission
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,794
Thanks, Requeim and entropie! Your advice is much appreciated. As soon as the semester winds down I'll give these a go!
 
Top