On ORF 1, “Soko Donau” is currently ensuring law and order in new episodes of the 18th season on Tuesdays at 8:15 p.m. and 24 hours in advance on ORF ON. The top cops are also on duty behind the scenes when they are hunting criminals during filming for the 20th season of the ORF/ZDF hit series, which ends in mid-October 2024. There is a big change on the roster for the “Soko Donau” team – Andreas Kiendl, Martin Gruber, Maria Happel, Lilian Klebow and Max Fischnelller – because Colonel Henriette Wolf (Brigitte Kren) is saying goodbye during the 20th season your own wish in the well-deserved series pension. Her successor is no stranger to both his colleagues and the audience: Gregor Seberg alias Helmuth Nowak is celebrating his comeback and will become the new head of the special unit. Holger Barthel, Katharina Heigl and Sophie Allet-Coche are directing in the 20th season based on scripts by Michael Grießler, Natalia Geb, Sönke Lars Neuwöhner, Andreas Quetsch, Frank Weller, Markus Staender, Peter Dommaschk, Ralf Leuther, Martin Muser, Jens Schäfer, Dominik Enzi, Andreas F. Schiessler, Sophia Sixta, Sigrid Neudecker, Eva Testor and Eva Spreitzhofer are responsible. The total of 13 new episodes will be shown in 2025 on ORF 1 and on ORF ON.
An insight into the filming of the 20th season of “Soko Donau” was given today, Monday, October 14th, as part of a set visit to the “Wache” on Vienna’s Handelskai, where Brigitte Kren was in the “Soko Donau” retirement, in the presence of, among others, ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, Gregor Seberg, Lilian Klebow, Maria Happel, Andreas Kiendl, Martin Gruber, director Sophie Allet-Coche and producer Heinrich Ambrosch.
ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz: “Found a worthy successor for the executive chair in Gregor Seberg”
“Brigitte Kren has enriched the ‘Soko Donau’ over the past seven seasons with her unmistakable Viennese charm and her humor. The fact that she is now retiring as Colonel Henriette Wolf – even if she remains with the audience in other roles – is of course painful. But I am pleased that we have found a worthy successor for your executive chair in Gregor Seberg and I wish them both all the best.”
Gregor Seberg: “like coming home to a new environment”
“Returning to ‘Soko’ means a lot to me, a lot. I spent eleven years of my life there, eleven good years in which I learned a lot about the job. But what struck me most when I returned was the loving, euphoric, even exuberant love that was shown to me. It’s like coming home to a new environment. Familiar and strange at the same time. But love hovers above everything.” And further: “All I can say about my style is: I will try to carry on my ideals as Helmuth Nowak. That means: fair, but not only. Patient with stopwatch. The insult is important. My role model is of course Dietrich Siegl as Colonel Dirnberger.”
Brigitte Kren: “many wonderful years of life in all fun”
“I was able to spend many wonderful years of life with you in all fun and look forward to my remaining years with grateful serenity. I hope to stay healthy and have the strength for as long as possible to be able to play one role or another and – very important – to be able to watch my grandchildren grow. What will I miss? This very familiar working situation, a pleasant working atmosphere, dear colleagues and this wonderfully dry insult behind the camera! Thank you all!”
Producer Heinrich Ambrosch: “Television legend follows another, so to speak”
“We are overjoyed that Gregor has found his way back to the ‘Soko Donau’ family after seven long years and is taking over Brigitte’s legacy as chief investigator. One television legend follows another, so to speak. Gregor has already left his mark on the ‘Soko Danube’ in the past and will certainly continue to leave his mark on it in the future. At the same time, I would like to thank Brigitte Kren on behalf of the entire team. She made the series what it is today.”
“Soko Donau” is a production by SATEL Film, in collaboration with ORF and ZDF, made with the support of FISA+, Fernsehenfonds Austria, the state of Lower Austria, the Cinestyria Filmcommission and Fonds and the Film Commission Graz.
“Soko Donau” for streaming
The new episodes of the 18th season of “Soko Donau” are available for streaming 24 hours before their TV broadcast and afterwards on ORF ON.