The six-part mystery thriller series “Die Düsteren” (ZDFneoriginal) is set to celebrate its TV premiere on ZDFneo on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 9:45 PM, with all six 43-minute episodes airing in a binge-watch format. Prior to its linear television broadcast, the series will celebrate its festival premiere at the Filmfest Hamburg on September 26, 2026, and will be available to stream in full on the ZDFmediathek starting Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM.

Starring Max Riemelt alongside Lisa-Marie Koroll, Melodie Simina, Ivo Kortlang, Ludger Bökelmann, Mona Pirzad, and Corinna Kirchhoff, the story unfolds on a secluded North Sea island where dark, mysterious doppelgängers suddenly appear. Looking exactly like the island’s inhabitants and knowing their deepest secrets, these entities aim to take over their lives. Max Riemelt portrays Ben Sandmann, a campsite owner and local politician fighting for his marriage and political ambitions while being confronted by his own dark alter ego.

Created and written by Arne Nolting and Jan Martin Scharf, and directed by Lea Becker with cinematography by Karl Kürten, “Die Düsteren” was produced by Network Movie and Studio Zentral (Producers: Andi Wecker, Tobias Ketelhut, Bernd von Fehrn, Lasse Scharpen) on behalf of ZDF in collaboration with New8, an alliance of public broadcasters from eight North and West European countries.