Potsdam, October 9, 2025. UFA Fiction’s cult crime series *EIN STARKES TEAM* celebrated its major anniversary yesterday, Wednesday, with a successful evening: For an exclusive preview of the 100th episode, actors, creators, and longtime collaborators spanning three decades of TV history gathered at the Astor Film Lounge on Kurfürstendamm. In addition to the current cast—including Florian Martens, Stefanie Stappenbeck, Lucas Reiber, Jaecki Schwarz, Arnfried Lerche, and Manon Straché, numerous influential figures from across the 100 episodes were also part of the evening—including Günther van Endert, Leo P. Ard, Ulrich Zrenner, and Johannes Grieser.

Sebastian Werninger, Managing Director and Producer at UFA Fiction: “With the 100th episode of EIN STARKES TEAM, we’re celebrating a true piece of German television history that has been told from the capital for over 30 years. Over 8,800 minutes of suspense, plenty of Berlin sass, and an unbeatable investigative duo. The series stands for continuity, quality, and a close connection to the audience. It has managed to captivate generations of viewers and has long since achieved cult status. We are immensely proud to be able to celebrate this anniversary together with the team, the creative staff, and the network.”

The evening began with opening remarks by Sebastian Werninger and Matthias Pfeifer, ZDF’s editorial director, who, together with the audience, looked back on the impressive evolution of this strong team: What was originally planned as a single film has, over the years, developed into one of the most successful crime series on German television. Following the screening, the two directors of the 100th episode, paid tribute to the outstanding dedication of the entire team both in front of and behind the camera—and thanked the viewers, whose enthusiasm and loyalty have made the series one of the most popular German TV crime dramas: In 2025, *EIN STARKES TEAM* achieved the highest ratings in the series’ history, with an average market share of over 29 percent to date. The anniversary episode also drew enthusiastic reactions on the big screen, underscoring once again the series’ enduring success.

The 100th episode of *FÜR IMMER JUNG* will air on October 25, 2025, at 8:15 p.m. on ZDF and will be available a week earlier on the ZDF website and app.

EIN STARKES TEAM is a ZDF commissioned production by UFA Fiction, produced by Simon Müller-Elmau, executive producer is Vanessa Richter. Matthias Pfeifer is the ZDF editor.

Press contacts UFA Fiction:

Janine Friedrich
Senior Manager Communications

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

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

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The press release as pdf for download: