Watch Braunschlag - Greed, Corruption, Misanthropy

Name: Braunschlag - Greed, Corruption, Misanthropy
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2012-09-18

2012
1 Season

Braunschlag - Greed, Corruption, Misanthropy is a critically acclaimed Austrian television series that was first aired on ORF Universum in 2012. Set in a small, fictitious Austrian town named Braunschlag near the Czech border, the dark comedy dramatically underscores issues of greed, corruption, and misanthropy with precision and unprecedented wit. Created by David Schalko, the eight-episode series is known for its ability to weave compelling and vivid narratives that go beyond the boundaries of traditional television satire, balancing its biting commentary with elements of drama, suspense, and lots of humor.

In Braunschlag, you meet the town's eccentric mayor, Tschach, portrayed by Robert Palfrader, who embodies the essence of flawed leadership, deeply entrenched in bankrupt morals, dubious decision-making, and near-criminal inclinations. The series opens as Tschach finds himself caught in the net of insurmountable debt, desperate and unable to see a way out of the financial hole that threatens to swallow his town and his career.

The narrative turns when Tschach devises a master plan: he decides to turn Braunschlag into a pilgrimage site by staging a faux apparition of the Virgin Mary. His hope is to attract worshippers, tourists, and their money to his dying town. In his journey, he ropes in his best friend, psychiatrist Richard Pfeisinger, played by Nicholas Ofczarek. Pfeisinger, while skeptical, eventually agrees to help Tschach carry out the plan, with the caveat that it may unravel into situations that none of them are prepared for.

The show pulls no punches in highlighting how determination could devolve into manipulation and deceit under the weight of desperation, reflecting the dark undercurrents of human nature. The series captures the struggles and moral quandaries of its characters with sensitivity, often painting their complexities with strokes of empathy and humor. The inhabitants of Braunschlag are everyday people navigating through their own versions of dysfunctional realities. The viewers get a peek into their lives, their personal battles, and their interactions with the administrative setup that is more often an obstacle than a supporting mechanism.

Braunschlag's narrative presents a satirical and stark commentary on corruption in society, seen through the lens of a desperate man's harebrained antics to save his town from ruin. With its sharp-witted dialogues, mesmerizing cinematography, and unique storytelling style, the series delivers a gritty yet humorous take on the state of today's world.

Woven within the narrative of greed and corruption are also themes of friendship, loyalty, and the human instinct for survival. The desolate backdrop of the small town serves as a potent symbol for the isolation of individuals grappling with personal and professional crises. The series often explores the intricate and dichotomous relationship between personal ambition and public responsibility, showing how sometimes, these can collide at a crossroads leading to chaos and comedy.

The series also highlights the inherent misanthropy in society. It unfurls the layers of bitterness, disappointment, and cynicism that swallow the characters, revealing the harsh realities that form the bases of their worldviews. Yet against this somber backdrop, the narrative finds its comedic footing and manages to inject humor and levity into the darkest of situations.

Aesthetically, Braunschlag stands out for its unique visual storytelling that portrays the stark, near other-worldly beauty of the Austrian landscape. The series also benefits from its outstanding ensemble cast, who bring to life characters that are deeply flawed yet inherently human. Their performances, in alignment with the skillful direction and writing, make the series a truly riveting watch.

In conclusion, Braunschlag - Greed, Corruption, Misanthropy is an unapologetic mini-series that plunges its audience into a powerful narrative full of dark humor, tragicomic situations, and complex characters. Its clever dissection of societal flaws within the microcosm of a failing small town makes this show riveting viewing for those who appreciate television that makes them think, laugh, and grimace, often all at the same time. The series is an unconventional but utterly human story of desperation, corruption, and redemption. It's a stark mirror to our world and its inherent complications, making it a must-watch for fans of thought-provoking comedy-dramas.

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Seasons

8. Friends for Life

November 6, 2012

When word of the basement dungeon gets out, Mrs. Berner flees. An autopsy is performed on Bauxi, who has been hunted down and shot, but there is no trace of Old Matussek's corpse. Mother Tschach is being driven crazy by a possessed woman, who Banyardi sent to her out of vengeance. During a fight in the basement the electronics store salesman tears the sink from the wall and -as if by miracle -exposes an air duct that leads out of their dungeon. It turns out their basement is wall on wall with Tschach's, who along with his daughter Babs is in the process of building a subterranean Mediterranean room for Herta. Ronnie hastily leaves Braunschlag for good. And suddenly Katzlbrunner remembers everything again: the miracle, the Russians, and that Gerri is having an affair with Elfi, the wife of his best friend Richard. He goes strangely postal in the public swimming pool of Braunschlag ...

7. In the Basement

October 30, 2012

There's quite a commotion at Matussek's funeral when people discover that the coffin is empty. But where is the corpse? While the entire village speculates over this baffling incident, the village cops pick up the trail. They suspect Reinhard of feeding his father's corpse to the dog. Ronnie is being held prisoner in Mrs. Berner's basement -but he is not alone. Locked up with him are her husband, who tried to run away ten years ago, and an electronic store salesman who pissed her off two years ago. Banyardi starts working for Gerri"Ÿs mother, hoping to get the license plate number of Silke's car. But Gerri's mother isn't the slightest bit interested in helping Banyardi. Babs tries to persuade her mother Herta to come home, while the tantra therapist Gitti turns on all her charm to try to seduce Gerri. And Mrs. Berner woos Dr. Feist in spite of his amputated leg ...

6. The New Mayor

October 23, 2012

In Braunschlag the chaos continues. Dr. Feist, who was shot in the leg during the bank robbery, has to have his leg amputated. And after Old Matussek is attacked by Bauxi, the tension in Braunschlag is ready to blow. Reinhard goes out to hunt down Bauxi, the satanic dog that has triggered all kinds of religious speculation. Gerri resigns and hands his office over to Banyardi, who has meanwhile settled permanently in Braunschlag. But his beloved Silke suddenly quits her job as farmhand for Gerri's mother and leaves Braunschlag and Banyardi without saying good-bye. Banyardi is left behind forlorn and lovesick. And when Katzlbrunner provokes Gerri, Richard beats him unconscious in his disco ...

5. Bauxi

October 9, 2012

Mrs. Berner suspects Ronnie of robbing the bank because all of a sudden he miraculously seems to have lots of money again. Herta leaves Gerri, who is being pressured from all sides on account of the miracle forest. Tension among the villagers comes to a head, and a town meeting is called. Following an argument, Ronnie disappears without a trace. Banyardi gives up priesthood for Silke, who promptly rejects him. After the town meeting, Gerri Tschach learns that St. PÃ¶lten and the Russians are in cahoots with each other. Old Matussek's dog Bauxi that ran away three years earlier mysteriously returns. Babs sets out in search of Ronnie. And Herta goes to stay with her mother. Because Gerri is being blackmailed, he and Elfi decide to tell Richard about their affair. And Bauxi, the German shepherd, causes a nocturnal catastrophe ...

4. The Robbery

October 2, 2012

Someone burned down the Madonna -and tension in Braunschlag is building. Not only are the villagers getting tired of the miracle, but more and more religious fanatics are congregating on the main square. Gerri Tschach, who is slowly but surely becoming convinced that God is out to get him, is suddenly paranoid that he has contracted HIV through Elfi. And he takes an AIDS test. Meanwhile, Herta has a date with the rabbit, who has bought a little beach bar on Zakynthos and wants her to go there with him. Elfi confesses to Richard that she has been to a sperm bank, where she picked out a donor who looks like Richard so everyone would think the baby was his. Richard still disapproves and pushes her to get an abortion. Banyardi and Silke come very close... to getting physical. One morning the bank in Braunschlag is robbed by a mysterious motorcyclist in black ...

3. The Curse

September 25, 2012

Whatever can go wrong does go wrong with Gerri Tschach. It must be a curse. Meanwhile the infertile Richard is looking for the guy who knocked up his wife Elfi. And he wants Gerri to help him. Since they won't let Reinhard have a cut of their business, he starts his own racket at the local inn, charging admission for people to listen to him spread the word. Herta can't stop thinking about the rabbit. She goes to the cuddle club, but this time she has a not so nice experience there. Silke fails to get Banyardi to forget his vow. And Babs tries to prod useful information out of bank teller Kevin. After a stroke of bad luck in a tennis match with Richard, Gerri is stuck wearing a plaster cast. And his bad luck continues: He is being blackmailed by Russians who want a cut of the miracle, and on top of that he's concerned that the pregnant Elfi might be having his child!

2. The Economic Miracle

September 18, 2012

The miracle of Braunschlag runs its course, while Richard and Gerri milk the miracle cow for all it's worth, Elfi dreams of making a fortune through knitting. But to her dismay her own father foils her plans. In the meantime Elfi's wish for a baby grow stronger every day -but what she doesn't know is that her husband Richard is infertile. Ronnie is busy making plans -against the will of his girlfriend Babs -to rob the bank in Braunschlag. He convinces her that her former classmate, now a teller at the local bank, could be very useful to them. Meanwhile, the Vatican inspector Banyardi is trying to get to the bottom of the hoax, but when he falls in love, he decides to draw out the inquiry indefinitely so that he can stay on and keep making eyes at the object of his desire, the German farmhand Silke (Adina Vetter) who works for Gerri Tschach's mother.

1. A Holy Miracle

September 18, 2012

Life is not easy for Mayor Gerri Tschach. Not only is his village Braunschlag bankrupt, but his daughter Babs and her low-life boyfriend Ronnie are just after his money, and his marriage with Herta is already on its last legs. Which is why Tschach spends most of his nights at the run-down disco owned by his infertile friend Richard Pfeisinger. One night while drinking, the two of them concoct the half-baked idea of faking a Marian appearance to breathe new life into Braunschlag. They pick an unsuspecting victim, Reinhard Matussek, the brother of Richard's wife Elfi and proprietor of a UFO landing field, as the perfect fool to witness the apparition. Now all it needs to do is stand up to the Vatican inquiry ...

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