Potsdam, September 15, 2025. A great honor for one of the longest-running and most popular crime series on German television: On Saturday, October 25, 2025, the 100th episode of the UFA Fiction production EIN STARKES TEAM will air at 8:15 p.m. on ZDF and will be available a week in advance on the ZDF website and app.

In the anniversary episode *FOREVER YOUNG*, Chief Detectives Otto Garber (Florian Martens), Linett Wachow (Stefanie Stappenbeck), and Nils Makowski (Lucas Reiber) not only have to deal with a complicated case, but also run into some old acquaintances along the way.

Alexander Möwe (Vinzenz Wagner) is found murdered in Berlin’s Tiergarten. The investigative team discovers that Möwe worked at the BOGESTA research institute and apparently stole valuable research materials related to the development of a formula for eternal life. Meanwhile, Rainer Michaelsen (Oliver Stritzel) is mugged by two women who steal his wallet and briefcase. Michaelsen tasks his partner Bruno Wirth (Jochen Nickel) with tracking down the women. At the same time, the team learns that Möwe, deeply in debt, had been participating in illegal poker games at Otto’s regular bar. Among the players, Otto recognizes Bruno Wirth, whom he had sent to prison many years ago. Shortly thereafter, Linett must go undercover to investigate the poker game. When Wirth recognizes Otto and Linett, he informs his partner Michaelsen, who also turns out to be an old adversary and tracks down the thieves, Mira (Sinje Irslinger) and Paula (Meira Durand). The situation threatens to escalate…

In addition to Oliver Stritzel, Jochen Nickel, Sinje Irslinger, and Meira Durand, the cast also includes Vinzenz Wagner, Manon Straché, Neda Rahmanian, Martin Peñaloza Cecconi, Vinzenz Kiefer, Walter Kreye, Marie Schöneburg, and Nicolai Mohr. Markus Selikovsky served as director of photography. Johannes Grieser directed the film based on a screenplay by Leo P. Ard.

“A Strong Team” is a ZDF commission produced by UFA Fiction; Simon Müller-Elmau is the producer, and Vanessa Richter is the executive producer. The ZDF editorial team is led by Matthias

About UFA Fiction

UFA bundles its activities in the program genres of fiction and serial drama as well as show, factual and documentary under one roof. UFA Fiction stands for production activities in the areas of series, serials, TV movies, events and feature films and has a remarkable portfolio that has had a lasting impact on the German television landscape. For decades, UFA Fiction has delivered outstanding programs, lasting ratings successes and productions for all established partners, both nationally and internationally. Many productions have not only been great successes with audiences, but have also won numerous national and international TV and film awards, including two International Emmy Awards. These include, for example successful cinema films such as DER MEDICUS or DER JUNGE MUSS AN DIE FRISCHE LUFT, event and high-end drama formats such as UNSERE MÜTTER, UNSERE VÄTER, DEUTSCHLAND83/86/89, CHARITÉ, KU’DAMM 56/59/63 or FAKING HITLER, SAM – EIN SACHSE and ALL YOU NEED as well as the long-running crime series and series with high ratings such as EIN STARKES TEAM, DIE DIPLOMATIN and SOKO LEIPZIG. Current UFA Fiction productions include the cinema productions DAS FLIEGENDE KLASSENZIMMER and EIN FEST FÜRS LEBEN, the high-end series GUTE FREUNDE – DER AUFSTIEG DES FC BAYERN, HELGOLAND 513, MAXTON HALL – DIE WELT ZWISCHEN UNS and WHERE’S WANDA? The managing directors of UFA Fiction are Markus Brunnemann, Nataly Kudiabor, Ulrike Leibfried and Sebastian Werninger.

Press contacts UFA Fiction:

Janine Friedrich
Senior Manager Communications

janine.friedrich@ufa.de
Phone: +49 331 70 60 379

Natalie Göpfert
Communications Intern
natalie.goepfert@ufa.de
Tel.: +49 331 70 60 383

www.ufa.de | www.facebook.com/UFAProduction
www.instagram.com/ufa_production

The press release as pdf for download: