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Christoph Maria Herbst in "Tilo Neumann and the Universe": Who is speaking there?
Photo: Martin Valentin Menke / TVNOW
Few German actors are as hard-working as Christoph Maria Herbst.
He makes films and series in a row, and by no means just comedies.
Played the role of Lukas Cranach in the Luther film "Between Heaven and Hell".
Was Mr. Sleeve in two film adaptations of "Jim Button".
And can currently be seen as Wirecard CEO Markus Braun.
Nevertheless, Herbst is still primarily associated with this one role that he has left behind for seven years: that of the boss disgust Stromberg.
You often have to think of him when you see Herbst's new series “Tilo Neumann und das Universum”, which he shot for the RTL streaming service TVNow.
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Habit drinker with new roommate: Tilo suddenly hears voices
Photo: Martin Valentin Menke / TVNOW
The parallels are obvious: at first glance, both figures embody colorless German medium-sized companies, Tilo is just as incompetent in his job as a teacher as Stromberg is as an insurance department head, and both are characterized by an astonishing conflict aversion, which leads to socially incompatible behavior.
The big difference is: Stromberg had to remain a mean coward forever.
Tilo is allowed to develop.
However, involuntarily.
The universe itself must intervene so that the habit drunker, who is drowning in self-pity, can be purified.
And it works like this: The holidays have started, and the newly separated from his wife and daughter is pouring himself another real treat at home in the evening.
It doesn't stop at red wine, sambuca and water bong - Tilo throws in two cardboard boxes of LSD to accelerate the repressing of unpleasant thoughts.
Right into self-discovery and improvement commendation
The next morning he hears voices.
Or more precisely: a voice.
Of course, you don't have to take that seriously after taking hallucinogenic drugs.
However, this female voice does not want to disappear, but instead insists on an alleged deal that Tilo is said to have made with her: The universe helps him when he helps other people.
After extensive discussion of his own mental health, Tilo reluctantly embarks on the experiment and henceforth patiently explains the way to stray people and holds various doors open for the elderly and the infirm.
The matter of philanthropy becomes significantly more difficult if it is to be applied to one's own family.
Especially when wounds that have been successfully repressed from childhood come to the surface.
So that's the way it is in the modern world of series: Even light entertainment material digs deep inside your characters, and the universe steps in as a psychotherapist.
Today, Tilo Neumann is no longer allowed to simply be a solid post like Stromberg and drive the same concept over five seasons and one movie with his idiocy.
In the first few episodes he has to go into self-discovery and praise for improvement.
The audience's call for high-quality series material also drives the former trash and slapstick broadcaster RTL to stretch for a ceiling for its streaming service that has so far not interested it.
In the case of “Tilo Neumann and the Universe”, however, the author Sonja Schönemann, who was already involved with “Stromberg”, and the director Julian Pörksen want a little too much.
Chris de Burgh moans on the soundtrack
Pörksen recently showed with the competition Joyn with the small, fine series "From the diary of an Uber driver" how big television can be made from simple means and a good portion of lacony.
»Tilo Neumann«, on the other hand, appears aseptically clean in the imagery and much too dramaturgically forced.
Chris de Burgh has to moan on the soundtrack when Tilo realizes his true feelings.
The fact that one still likes to watch the eight episodes is entirely due to Christoph Maria Herbst, who gives a German normal person a profile between idleness and tragedy.
And engages in duels with the universe that nourish the hope that it could mean life well with us after all.
Eight episodes of 25 minutes each on TVNow.