Vienna Blood is a British-Austrian psychological thriller television series set in Vienna, Austria in the 1900s. Based on the Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis, the series follows Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard), a doctor and student of Sigmund Freud, as he assists Police Detective Oskar Rheinhardt (Jürgen Maurer). By providing psychological insights into the subjects’ motives, they investigate disturbing murders with success. A continuing sub-theme is the growing anti-Semitism against the Liebermann family.

Vienna Blood
Title card
Genre	Period drama Psychological thriller
Based on	The Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis
Written by	Stephen Thompson
Starring	Matthew Beard Jürgen Maurer
Composer	Roman Kariolou
Country of origin	United Kingdom Austria
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	6
Production
Producers	Stephen Thompson Oliver Auspitz Andreas Kamm
Cinematography	Andreas Thalhammer Xiaosu Han
Running time	90 minutes
Production companies	Endor Productions MR Film
Release
Original network	BBC Two
Original release	18 November 2019 (2019-11-18) – present

It began broadcasting on BBC Two on 18 November 2019. On 6 July 2020, it was recommissioned for a second series.[1] On 22 February 2022, a third series was commissioned.[2]

Cast

Main

• Matthew Beard as Max Liebermann
• Jürgen Maurer as Oskar Reinhardt
• Luise von Finckh as Clara Weiss
• Jessica De Gouw as Amelia Lydgate (Season 1)
• Lucy Griffiths as Amelia Lydgate (Season 2)
• Amelia Bullmore as Rachel Liebermann
• Conleth Hill as Mendel Liebermann

Recurring

• Charlene McKenna as Leah Liebermann
• Oliver Stokowski as Professor Gruner
• Raphael von Bargen as Inspector Heinrich / Dietrich von Bulow
• Simon Hatzl as Police Commissioner August Strasser
• Josef Ellers as Sergeant Haussmann
• Harald Windisch as Professor Matthias
• Luis Aue as Daniel Liebermann
• Ulrich Noethen as Graf von Triebenbach
• Michael Niavarani as Herr Bieber
• Ursula Strauss as Juno Holderlein
• Johannes Krisch as Major Julius Reisinger
• Kathrin Beck as Madame Borek

Episodes

Series 1 (2019)

Series 2 (2021)

Production

The series was filmed on location in Vienna and Lower Austria, beginning in October 2018.[5] Locations included the Vienna State Opera house,[6] as well as Schloss Grafenegg, the Vienna University Archive, the Natural History Museum, the Riesenrad, Palais Pallavicini, the Burggarten park, the Arsenal, Café Sperl, and Café Bräunerhof.[7]

The series was a co-production of Endor Productions and MR Film (Austria).[8]

Broadcast

The first series of three 90-minute episodes was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two between 18 November and 2 December 2019.[9] Austrian channel ORF 2 aired the show beginning 20 December 2019.[10][11]

In the United States, PBS showed the series in six 45-minute episodes; broadcast began on 19 January 2020.[12][13]

Reception

Vienna Blood received a 53% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, 'Though it rarely rises above 'watchable,' fans of period crime series may enjoy passing time with Vienna Blood's charismatic cast anyway.'[14] The Guardian's Emine Saner, giving three out of five stars to the first episode, remarked that the series was similar to Thompson's prior work on Sherlock, particularly in its leads' dynamic and the presentation. However, she did praise the two lead actors.[15] Sean O'Grady of The Independent gave it five out of five stars, praising the direction, recreation of the period and storytelling.[16]

See also

• Freud (TV series), a fictive Sigmund Freud himself solves murders

References

External links

• Vienna Blood at BBC Online
• Vienna Blood at IMDb