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The actors Udo Wachtveitl (Inspector Franz Leitmayr, l) and Miroslav Nemec (Inspector Ivo Batic)

Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa

Munich's »Tatort« detectives are leaving the successful ARD television series. After more than three decades, actors Miroslav Nemec (69) and Udo Wachtveitl (65) are saying goodbye to the Sunday evening thriller. Their 100th case is to be the last for commissioners Ivo Batic and Franz Leitmayr, as the Bayerischer Rundfunk announced on Tuesday. 93 cases have been ongoing so far.

According to BR, further films are scheduled for 2024 and 2025 - "before the commissioners say goodbye to the service after 35 years and 100 cases".

"Over the past few years, Udo and I have said goodbye to some real police colleagues and a Munich police chief as chief inspectors at Tatort. They were all a little younger than us. For us, this is a good reason to say goodbye at some point," Nemec said, according to BR. Wachtveitl called his "Tatort" engagement "the longest sloppy relationship I've ever had."

The Munich team is one of the longest-serving "Tatort" detectives ever. In 1991, her first case was broadcast. Only Ulrike Folkerts as Ludwigshafen investigator Lena Odenthal has been in service for two years longer – but has had significantly fewer cases in that time. So far, the Munich-based company has brought it to 93 cases, more cases than any team of investigators has yet.

Two more episodes have already been filmed, five more are to follow according to BR, then the 100 will be full. Seven new episodes with Leitmayr and Batic are to be broadcast in the next two years – the next one at the beginning of February.

There had been speculation about an end for the Munich duo, who regularly (albeit behind the Münster team) end up at the top of the popularity rankings of television investigators, at the latest since they had been openly addressed in the Christmas "Tatort" in 2022.

Actor Ferdinand Hofer (31) had already said that he could imagine continuing to play his "Tatort" role as assistant Kalli even if the bosses were to retire. However, BR initially left open how things will continue after the long era of Nemec and Wachtveitl: "Who will join the team of Tatort Munich after the end of this era from 2026 will be decided calmly and announced in due course."

lpz/dpa