Audience Council Likes Crime Series "The Undertaker
The SRF crime series «Der Bestatter» has been well received by the Audience Council in terms of both content and themes. Some council members feel it relies too heavily on clichés. Others take issue with the crude and, at times, clunky language. The majority of the council would welcome a second season.
In January, SRF 1 showed the self-produced series "Der Bestatter" as a Tuesday crime show. The series, which is limited to four episodes (for now), has met with a lot of approval from the audience council, according to a statement. A majority of the council judges the crime series to be exciting entertainment. They appreciate that each episode tells an independent story and yet a common thread is discernible throughout all four shows. The plot is comprehensible and the investigations tricky. In terms of plot, dialogue and suspense, the viewers also felt an increase from episode to episode. Only a few in the council would like to see more suspense and action.
Even though the plot as a whole is judged to be comprehensible and authentic, some scenes and characters appear to the Council to be overdrawn and out of touch with reality. For example, the imprisoned youth in the coffin or the sexual liaison of several members of a family with each other seemed too exaggerated. The mortician motif offers an uninhibited approach to an interesting world that is unknown to most people. This would result in unexpected encounters and stories as well as bizarre and funny situations. At the same time, the dignity of the dead was never violated. Death, life, and dying are all addressed in an open and light-hearted way, the audience council notes.
Language in need of improvement
The council likes the fact that "The Undertaker" addresses current sociopolitical issues and thus portrays Swiss reality. However, some council members have problems with the rather gloomy, cliché-laden image of people (for example, violent speeders with Balkan accents, evil mothers-in-law, violent right-wing extremists). It is acknowledged, however, that these clichés are repeatedly broken through.
Most council members find the language contemporary, but the dialogs are sometimes a bit bumpy. Some are also bothered by the many expletives. For the council majority, dialect is a must. For committee members who are used to fiction in standard German, however, dialect takes some getting used to.
The Council appreciates that with Aarau as a venue, the Mittelland is brought into focus. Aarau is thus representative of many similar cities in Switzerland. In the eyes of a majority of the council, "The Undertaker" can hold its own against other crime series. The panel likes to see a thoroughly Swiss crime series for once, which depicts Switzerland in all its colors and cultures. The audience council would gladly watch another season.
Teaser image: Srf.ch
