📺 10 Best German Series for Learners — Binge Your Way to Better German

If you want to speak and understand real German, textbooks alone won’t get you there — but German TV shows can! Watching authentic German series trains your ear to understand everyday speech, slang, accents, and cultural jokes — all while keeping you entertained for hours.

But not every series is helpful for learners: some are too dialect-heavy or have super-fast slang. So I’ve curated 10 truly popular, award-winning German shows that offer clear pronunciation, realistic language, and captivating stories. With these, you’ll learn naturally — and love every minute.

🎓 Learn German Properly — And Understand Every Episode

At Olesen Tuition, we help you build the solid grammar and vocabulary you need to watch German TV and speak confidently in real life:

✅ Expert German Classes (A1–C2) — practise conversation, everyday phrases and TV slang with an Oxford-educated native tutor.

✅ Top-Rated Intensive German Courses for Adults & Children — learn fast before a trip or move abroad.

✅ GCSE & A-Level German Revision Courses — get top grades and understand authentic native speech.

💻 All our lessons are online and in London — learn today, watch tonight!

📺 10 Best German Series for Learners

🎬 1️⃣ Tatort

Level: Intermediate to Upper-intermediate

Why watch: Tatort is a German institution — a detective show that’s been on air since the 1970s, with new murder mysteries every week set in different cities. This means you’ll hear clear standard German and a range of regional accents. Perfect for picking up police vocabulary, small talk, and local slang. Germans watch it religiously every Sunday — join the tradition!

🎬 2️⃣ Babylon Berlin

Level: Upper-intermediate

Why watch: Europe’s biggest-budget historical drama and a global hit. Set in 1920s Berlin, it blends crime, politics, and romance during the Weimar Republic. Stunning visuals, gripping plot, and authentic period German — but mostly clear and understandable. You’ll pick up both everyday speech and rich historical expressions.

🎬 3️⃣ Ku'damm 56 / 59 / 63

Level: Intermediate to Upper-intermediate

Why watch: This award-winning series follows the rebellious Schöllack sisters navigating love, social norms, and change in conservative post-war Berlin. It’s a beautiful mix of family drama, romance, and cultural history. The German is clear, with lots of realistic dialogue about family conflict, love and dreams — all in a nostalgic 1950s-60s setting.

🎬 4️⃣ Stromberg

Level: Intermediate to Upper-intermediate

Why watch: Germany’s answer to The Office — a cringe-comedy about the world’s worst boss and his suffering team. The language is pure everyday office German: gossip, sarcasm, fake politeness, and complaints. Great for learners who want to pick up idioms and understand subtle workplace humour.

🎬 5️⃣ Ein Herz und eine Seele

Level: Intermediate

Why watch: Germany’s legendary sitcom from the 1970s — still re-broadcast today and a classic in German pop culture. Think All in the Family but with a very German twist: endless family arguments, political jokes, and everyday expressions that never go out of style. Fantastic for training your ear to hear casual speech and typical German family banter.

🎬 6️⃣ Deutschland 83 / 86 / 89

Level: Intermediate to Upper-intermediate

Why watch: A Cold War spy thriller that became an international success. Follow a young East German soldier sent undercover in West Germany in the 80s — packed with clear standard German, East-West cultural jokes, and authentic historical phrases. Entertaining and easy to follow for intermediate learners who love thrillers.

🎬 7️⃣ Mord mit Aussicht

Level: Intermediate

Why watch: A funny, laid-back crime-comedy about a big-city detective stuck in a sleepy village in the Eifel. Hilarious culture clashes, small-town gossip, and simple, repetitive phrases make this ideal for everyday listening practice. Light, charming, and great for picking up German countryside humour.

🎬 8️⃣ Der Tatortreiniger (Crime Scene Cleaner)

Level: Intermediate

Why watch: A cult hit and learner favourite: Schotty the crime scene cleaner chats with quirky clients at every job. Each short episode is a mini masterclass in realistic small talk, jokes, misunderstandings and regional expressions. Brilliant for building real conversational confidence.

🎬 9️⃣ Berlin Alexanderplatz (2020 Miniseries)

Level: Upper-intermediate to Advanced

Why watch: A bold, award-nominated modern adaptation of the classic German novel. Follows Francis, an undocumented immigrant caught up in Berlin’s gritty underworld. The dialogue is raw, poetic and full of modern slang — a challenge for advanced learners but rewarding for understanding Berlin’s multicultural street German today.

🎬 🔟 Bad Banks

Level: Upper-intermediate

Why watch: This award-winning financial thriller is addictive, stylish and brilliantly acted. Dive into the world of high-stakes banking, ambition, and betrayal in Frankfurt and Luxembourg. Modern, sharp business German, corporate small talk, and realistic office power plays — perfect for students who want to sound polished in professional German settings.

✅ How to Get the Most Out of German Series

✔️ Start with German audio + English subtitles to follow the plot easily.✔️ Re-watch with German subtitles to match sounds and words.✔️ Pause and repeat phrases aloud — mimic accents and intonation.✔️ Write down new idioms and slang — and practise them in lessons!✔️ Discuss episodes with your tutor — it’s fun and reinforces real speech.

🎓 Learn German Properly — And Understand Every Episode

Watching German shows is brilliant — but to speak naturally and get jokes and slang, you need solid foundations too. That’s exactly what we offer:

👉 Weekly German Classes (A1–C2)

👉 Intensive German Courses

👉 GCSE & A-Level German

💻 All lessons can be joined online — so you can learn comfortably, then unwind with your favourite German series.

📚 Want More?

Explore our German language blog ‘Auf Deutsch, bitte!’ — over 500 free posts packed with everyday vocabulary, grammar hacks, and cultural tips inspired by real German life, such as the best German songs to learn German and the 10 best German films for learners.

Viel Spaß beim Binge-Watching — und beim Deutschlernen!(Enjoy binge-watching — and learning German!)

✨ Ready to understand every line? Book your first lesson today! 🎬🇩🇪✨