Dogs of Berlin

A famous Turkish-German footballer is found dead ahead of an international match, bringing two very different detectives into a case with consequences far beyond the police station. Dogs of Berlin, created by Christian Alvart, follows the investigation through criminal business, family obligations and the detectives' own compromised lives.

Felix Kramer plays Kurt Grimmer, whose gambling and personal connections make him part of the uncertainty. Fahri Yardım's Erol Birkan gives the partnership another strong point of view. Their friction comes from the people they are, not just opposing ways of questioning a suspect.

I've watched the full ten-episode season in German with subtitles, which is how I recommend it. This is a standout foreign-language crime drama for me, and at its best it gets close to the top tier. The writing gives even unpleasant people recognisable wants and convincing reasons for their decisions.

It is gritty, violent and often darkly funny. There is only one released season, and I would gladly have watched more. What exists is still well worth moving up your list.

Read my full Dogs of Berlin review.