Anyone watched “Sperling"?

by Klaus N. Frick

April 9, 2003


Ordinarily, watching TV wouldn't be my preferred pastime on a Saturday evening. However, I made an exception on Saturday, April 5. "Sperling und der Mann im Abseits" »Sperling and the Offside Man« was on the schedule, and I wanted to catch it.

After all. it Marcus O. Rosenmüller was the director, i.e., the man whose production company Casascania is working on creating the Perry Rhodan movie. And after having had a chance to stop by during the shooting of "Bloch," I've also formed a personal impression of Dieter Pfaff, the friendly main actor. Hence, two good reasons at once to slouch in front of the TV set on a Saturday night instead of attending a concert at Gotec in Karlsruhe.

In a nutshell, I really enjoyed the portly police inspector's latest case. The rightfully praised show almost completely does without action sequences. No wonder, considering that here's an inspector whom one really wouldn't want to tax with frantic chase scenes. Instead, Sperling solves his cases with his heart and mind, by conversing with the suspects and witnesses. And that's not at all boring, but quite thrilling, underscored by the performance, the camera work, and the production overall.

I personally know too little about television to meaningfully assess this. The fact is, however, that I enjoyed the show very much and that it held me in its grip for the 85 minute duration. I also was delighted by the many minor developments that were filled with considerable human “moments."

Even then, I missed noticing the best thing, and only on Monday morning did my colleague Klaus Bollhöfener bring this to my attention: Perry Rhodan played a role in this show. Not the hero of our sf-series in person, but the series itself. In a very particular scene, which I didn't watch closely enough, the suspect's son is sitting on the couch and reading something. That “something" turns out to be an issue of the Perry Rhodan reissue editions, which he then places on the table.

In retrospect, so to speak, this alone elevates the show for Perry Rhodan fans. Too bad that it will be quite a while before this episode of “Sperling" can be admired in a rebroadcast…