Tatort Trotzdem triggered more than 20,000 Google searches on August 24, 2026. This represented an increase of 1,000 percent, even though “Das Erste” had re-aired a film from the production year 2024 the night before.
4.47 million people watched Dagmar Manzel’s last episode as Paula Ringelhahn again. This episode is now becoming a current cultural indicator, just before the next personnel change in the “Frankenkrimi.”
Why “Tatort: Despite Everything” is trending again
iksHaus | KI-generiert nach redaktioneller Konzeption, 2026
The repeat broadcast aired on August 23, 2026, at 20:15. According to Quotenmeter, it reached 4.47 million viewers and a market share of 20.8 percent. Among viewers aged 14 to 49, there were 0.43 million people, representing 12.1 percent. The film was the most-watched program on Sunday evening for the overall audience.
The following morning, Google Trends recorded more than 20,000 searches for “criticism tatort today,” an increase of 1,000 percent. Google explicitly linked this trend to “tatort trotzdem.” The audience not only watched the program but also subsequently searched for criticism, plot details, and context.
During the original broadcast on October 6, 2024, according to AGF data analyzed by DWDL, 7.98 million people watched. The market share at that time was 29.0 percent. Based on calculations by IKS.HAUS, the repeat reached approximately 56 percent of the original linear audience. The difference from the premiere is 3.51 million people.
The film explores themes of grief, guilt, doubts about a previous verdict, and the escalation of conflict between two families. It also documents a personnel change. The film was shot in Nuremberg, Erlangen, and surrounding areas starting in August 2023, and it was the tenth “Frankenkrimi” installment.
Why Manzel’s departure resonates
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Paula Ringelhahn has been part of the “Frankenkrimi” team since its launch in 2015. Dagmar Manzel played the character for almost ten years and left the series at her own request. Bavarian Broadcasting explicitly announced “Trotzdem” as her final appearance.
The departure doesn’t end with the character’s death. According to Bavarian Broadcasting, Paula Ringelhahn remains in Franconia. This makes the episode feel less like a definitive break and more like a transition between two team phases.
“When something is at its best, it’s time to stop. Paula remains in Franconia, and I want to enjoy the land and people there even without Paula.” Manzel explained her departure to BR24 with these words.
The long history of the series also contributes to its impact. “Tatort” has been running since 1970, and the “Frankenkrimi” has continued since 2015. Therefore, reruns not only show a familiar crime case but also preserve earlier combinations of characters, locations, and shared Sunday evenings. ORF also included “Trotzdem” in its offerings, referring to Manzel’s final appearance.
The ratings don’t prove that every rerun automatically reaches a million viewers. In this case, a well-known departure, the Sunday evening slot, and the upcoming team change all contributed. This gave the episode a new context two years after its premiere.
How Rosalie Thomass is changing the team
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The next significant installment is titled “Gottesgarten.” Bavarian Broadcasting plans the twelfth “Frankenkrimi” for the fall of 2026. Rosalie Thomass will play the role of Chief Inspector Emilia “Emmy” Rathgeber for the first time, alongside Fabian Hinrichs as Felix Voss.
Manzel is not being directly replaced. Felix Voss remains as a link to the previous phase, while Emmy Rathgeber brings new dynamics to the team. Thomas describes the character as empathetic and emotional, with a strong sense of justice. According to the actress, these qualities can sometimes hinder her work.
“For me, it’s a great opportunity to portray a complex and interesting female character in such a prominent format.” This is what Thomas said in an interview with Bayerischer Rundfunk on August 21, 2026.
In the new case, the drag artist Elias Schaller is found stabbed to death in a Nuremberg short-stay hotel. The investigation leads from the red-light district to the Upper Franconian region of Gottesgarten, raising questions about justice, fairness, and family. Bayerischer Rundfunk explicitly describes the character as a drag artist. No conclusions about sexual orientation or gender identity can be drawn from this.
The press materials for “Gottesgarten” and the interview with Thomas were released in August 2026. Shortly thereafter, “Trotzdem” was re-aired. For the audience, this brings the farewell and the new beginning very close together in the media. Manzel represents the memory, Hinrichs represents the continuity, and Thomas represents the new phase.