Schillerstraße

Schillerstraße ("Schiller Street") was a German improvisational comedy show that aired weekly on Sat.1. It was recorded without a script and broadcast unedited to a large extent. The American broadcaster Fox has earned the licence for Schillerstraße and is to produce its own series.

Idea and show structure
The setting of the show is the living room of the main actor (until 2008 Cordula Stratmann, in 2009 Jürgen Vogel - all the actors keep their real names) who lives on the fictional street "Schillerstraße" in Cologne, Germany. The main character is regularly visited by friends and relatives. The participants only know the topic of the episode in advance. The whole plot has to be improvised comically. The cast receive directions from the Spielleiter (game master) on their headphones, and have to follow the cues, e.g. "Cordula: Tell the others you're pregnant!". The show mostly airs unedited and things that go wrong are not removed, either.

The main cast have included Cordula Stratmann, Annette Frier, Martin "Maddin" Schneider, Michael Kessler and Ralf Schmitz. They interchange with dozens of other guests.

The show was created by Maike Tatzig who is also the show's executive producer. In September 2005 she took over the task of the game master, after Georg Uecker left or had to leave the show for unknown reasons.

The show is produced by Hurricane Fernsehproduktion GmbH.

Development
Schillerstraße first aired on 3 September 2004 on the German TV channel Sat.1. The episodes originally only lasted 30 minutes were aired in the later evening programme and were a big success. For this reason, the run time was extended in January 2005 and moved into a prime time slot on Thursdays. On 26 January 2007 Schillerstraße got a new slot during Friday evening prime time and started with a special 90-minute 100th episode broadcast in which the actors and the game master Maike Tatzig looked back at the previous 99 episodes. The former game master Georg Uecker was not mentioned once; instead they decided to make it look like Maike Tatzig had been the game master since the beginning of the show.

After Uecker left the show, producer Maike Tatzig became the game master in autumn 2005, officially due to schedule problems of Uecker.

On 20 April 2006 the stage was extended. So that the show could reasonably be continued without Cordula Stratmann, who was on maternity leave and was therefore not available for some episodes, they created a pub next door, the Schillereck (Schiller corner). Stratmann's pregnancy was never part of the show. Her character on the show became fat and had to go to a diet camp. The pub is "owned" by Bernhard Hoëcker, a friend of Cordula's. The stages are set in a right angle. To be able to use both stages in one show, a rotatable audience stand was constructed.

Season 1
1. Die neue Wohnung (Willkommen in der Schillerstraße) – The New Flat (Welcome to Schillerstraße)

2. Babysitter wider Willen – Involuntary Babysitter

3. Gute Geister, schlechte Geister – Good Ghosts, Bad Ghosts

4. Maddins neue Flamme – Maddin's New Acquaintance

5. Das Regal – The Shelf

6. Das Fitness Fieber – Fitness Fever

7. Die Tupperparty – Tupperware Party

8. Der Hausputz – House Cleaning

9. Halloween – Halloween

10. Die Herbstgrippe – Autumn Flu

11. Der Führerschein – Driving License

12. Der Mutterbesuch – Mother's Visit

13. Der Malkurs – Painting Course

14. Die defekte Heizung – The Damaged Radiator

15. Der Charity Ball – Charity Ball

16. Der Advent – Advent

Season 2
1. Frohes Neues – Happy New Year

2. Der Ex-Freund – Ex Boyfriend

3. Die Hypnose-Kassette – Hypnosis Cassette

4. Die Schwangerschaft – Pregnancy

5. Kölle Alaaf – Carnival

6. Die Observierung – Observation

7. Das Gipsbein – Casted Bone

8. Die Findelfische – Foundling Fish

9. Das Theaterstück – The Play

10. Die Nachtschwester – Night Nurse

11. Der Lottoschein – Lottery Ticket

12. Der Spieleabend – Game Evening

13. Guck mal, was da krabbelt – Look At What's Crawling There

14. Die Untermieterin – Subtenant

15. Die Kontaktanzeige – Lonely Hearts Ad

16. Schlüsselalarm – Key Alert

17. Das Blind Date – Blind Date

18. Himmelfahrtkommando – Ascension Squad

19. Die Streithennen – Brawlerettes

20. Der kulinarische Nachbar – Culinary Neighbour

21. Die Renovierung – Renovation

22. Der Liebeskummer – Lovesick

23. Die Heimarbeit – Homework

24. Bella Italia – Bella Italia

Season 3
1. Die Rückkehr – The Return

2. Die Parteifreunde (Spezial) – Party Friends (Special)

3. Die verlorenen Jungs – The Lost Boys

4. Der Zahn – Tooth

5. Das Oktoberfest – Oktoberfest

6. Die Quizshow – Quiz Show

7. Der Stromausfall – Blackout

8. Die Bewerbung – Job Application

9. Vaterbesuch – Father's visit

10. Die Urlaubsbekanntschaft – Holiday Acquaintance

11. Die Rivalen – Rivals

12. Der Geburtstag – Birthday

13. Der Esoteriktrip – Esotericism Trip

14. Der Töpferkurs – Potter's Workshop

15. Der Fremdverliebte – Foreign Lover

16. Das Liebeshoroskop – Love Horoscope

17. Die Schlägerei – Fight

18. Das Weihnachtswichteln – Secret Santa

19. Der Ski-Urlaub – Ski Holiday

20. Der Pechvogel – Jinx

21. Der Schwiegerelternschreck – Son-In-Law

22. Der Tanzwettbewerb – Dancing Contest

23. Der Lebensmitteltest – Food Control

24. Der Fahnenflüchtling – Deserter

25. Die Geschiedenen – The Divorced

26. Die Jecken sind los – The Crazy Are Coming

27. Der neue Ralf – The New Ralf

28. Der Einbruch – Break-In

29. Der Personaltrainer – Personnel Trainer

30. Der Frühjahrsputz – Spring-Cleaning

31. Der Ausrutscher – The Slip Up

32. Deutschlands neues Topmodel – Germany's New Top Model

33. Frohe Ostern – Happy Easter

34. Die Erbschaft – Legacy

35. Die unfreiwillige WG – Flat Share By Accident

36. Der Psychologe – Psychologist

37. Der Abschied – Good Bye

38. Die Anstreicher – Painters

39. Die Nervenkrise – Nervous Crisis

40. Die Eröffnungsparty – The Opening Party

41. Warten auf Gast Nr.1 – Waiting For Guest No. 1

42. Profikellner gesucht! – Master Waiter Wanted

43. Die Marketingkampagne – Marketing Campaign

44. Die Karaokeparty – Karaoke Party

Season 4
1. Willkommen zurück! – Welcome Back!

2. Die veränderte Cordula – Changed Cordula

3. Die Geschäftsidee – Business Idea

4. Der Wasserschaden – Water Damage

5. Der Gutachter – The Assessor

6. Der Astronaut – The Astronaut

7. Der Kurschatten – Diet Camp Acquaintance

8. Die Wette – The Bet

9. Der Liebesbote – Messenger of Love

10. Der Martinszug – St. Martin's Procession

11. Die Wetterfee – Weather Host

12. Der Hochzeitsplaner – Wedding Planner

13. Das Tai-Chi-Video – Tai Chi Tape

14. Die Mehrwertsteuererhöhung – Increase of VAT

15. Der Weihnachtsbasar – Christmas Bazaar

16. Der Director's Cut – Director's Cut

17. Der Steckbrief – Profile

18. Tetjes Schwester – Tetje's Sister

19. Die Karnevalsparty – Carnival Party

20. Der zweite Frühling – Indian Summer

21. Die Thekenbauer – Bar Builders

22. Die Safari – Safari

23. Die Kegelbahn – Bowling Alley

24. Der Wasserhahn – Water Tap

25. Bernhards Rückkehr – Bernhard's Return

26. Der Mönch – The Monk

27. Der Talentwettbewerb – Talent Competition

Season 5
1. Nachmieter gesucht! – Searching For The Next Tenant!

2. Die Einrichtungsprofis – Furnishing Professionals

3. Das Rollenangebot – Role Offer

4. D'r Kölsche Jung – The Boy From Cologne

5. Der Pokerabend - Poker evening

6. Der Alleskönner - The allrounder

7. Das erste Date – The First Date

8. Der Check-up – The Check-up

9. Die Homestory – The Homestory

10. Der Koffertausch – The Suitcase Exchange

11. Kopflos in Köln – Headless in Cologne

12. Pochers heiße Pyjamaparty - Pocher's hot slumber party

International versions
The format was sold internationally and the rights were sold to the American media company Fox which is going to produce the show in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The rights have been sold as well to France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Czech Republic, Israel and Bulgaria.

In South Africa the show is produced and aired by Afrikaans channel kykNet under the title Proesstraat.

In 2011 the show was canceled in Germany.