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Kottan ermittelt - Hartlgasse 16a
episode 1
Austria 1976
produced by Wolfgang Ainberger for Satel/ORF
directed by Peter Patzak
starring Peter Vogel, Curt A. Tichy, Walter Davy, Louise Martini, Luise Prasser, Maria Engelstorfer, Heinz Ehrenfreund, Alfred Reiterer, Rainer Hauser, Heinrich Strobele, Elfriede Ramhapp, Gerhard Wahl, Irene Kargl, Radmilla Hantschel, Radiaka Rakits, Hannes Gleisle, Franz Cenek, Linda Koch, Madlaine Reiser, Chris Lohner, Peter Patzak, Michael von Wolkenstein, Sissi Boehler
written by Helmut Zenker, music by Georg Danzer
TV series Kottan ermittelt, Kottan (Peter Vogel)
review by Mike Haberfelner
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A retiree is found murdered in her apartment, and upon researching her
background, police major Kottan (Peter Vogel) and his assistants Schrammel
(Curt A. Tichy) and Schremser (Walter Davy) find out that despite her
humble home in a rundown Viennese apartment building, she was a woman of
means and owned two apartment buildings where she rented rooms out to
migrant workers - and should they fall behind in paying their rent, she
was happy to accept sexual favours instead. Kottan, following his
xenophobic instincts, and Schrammel follow almost exclusively the migrant
worker lead, without ever getting anywhere, only one-legged Schremser
takes more interest in the goings-on within the apartment building that's
brimming with intrigue. And then another tenant is found murdered, Doplik
(Rainer Hauser), a young student and busybody who had been touring the
house collecting signatures for a petition to protest a rent hike, and who
might have seen something he shouldn't have. Going through the deceased's
address book, Schremser finally finds the conclusive clue, linking her to
another tenant, investment consultant Lustig (Alfred Reiterer), who it
turns out has embezzled her money and lost it at the gambling table.
Lustig's arrest ultimately ruins Kottan's ill-constructed case, pinning
the murder on the deceased's Yugoslavian cleaning woman (Radiaka Rakits)
and her husband (Hannes Gleisle) ... First episode of what
would eventually become one of Austria's most successful cop comedy series
that's regarded as a cult show nowadays. And despite the same
writer-director team throughout and continuity in the supporting cast, the
show went through many changes over the years (1976 to 83), turning more
and more into (often surreal) farce, especially towards the end of its
run. Compared to later episodes, Hartlgasse 16a is rooted in
realism and was pretty much designed as the Austrian answer to German
crime shows with their omniscient investigators like Der
Kommissar. And the difference is really found in the lead
character already, Kottan (in this episode, the character went through
changes over the series' run) is a grumpy and xenophobic, not overly
ambitious cop, who's not immune to barking up the wrong tree or to
committing blunders. But he's also not immune to accepting credit for
someone else's work. And somehow, the honesty and grounded-ness of the
character, coupled with a rather realistic portrayal of the circumstances
in a typical Viennese apartment building (with all its ugliness) struck a
chord with audiences back when - and the episode rings true even today for
that, making it cool yet unusual krimi entertainment.
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