In the opening episode ALLMEN UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DER LIBELLEN, the title character (Heino Ferch) and his loyal butler (Samuel Finzi) come up with an unusual idea to get out of financial difficulties. What begins as a simple art heist is refined into a new business idea: a company for the recovery of beautiful things. In the style of the bestsellers, the film adaptation relies on polished language and pointed dialog. With measured deviations from the original, director Thomas Berger provides entertaining moments that will not only make fans of the books smile.

The refined private Johann Friedrich von Allmen knows how to enjoy life. Unfortunately, he lacks one profane talent: handling money. He spends it with both hands. This is why the elegant bon vivant, as his loyal servant Carlos likes to remind him, has considerable financial worries. Even these could be successfully brushed aside by Allmen’s witty comments, were it not for the rude usurer Dörig breathing down his neck. Unexpectedly, an affair with the millionaire’s daughter Jojo Hirt opens up the possibility of raising the money he needs: Allmen steals the “dragonflies”, precious bowls from Jojo’s father’s art collection.

Broadcast: ALLMEN UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DER LIBELLEN was first broadcast on April 29, 2017 on Ersten.

Johann Friedrich von Allmen now knows what form of income he wants to use to free himself from his financial woes: together with butler Carlos, the bon vivant devotes himself to recovering stolen works of art – with a lavish expense account and princely fees, of course. Word of his first success in the spectacular dragonfly case has already spread among solvent clients: The Englishman Montgomery commissions “Allmen International Inquiries” to track down the fugitive thief of a stolen pink diamond. The diamond allegedly belongs to a super-rich businessman and is the wedding gift for his daughter.

The millionaire high-flyer is in a previously unknown league, even for Allmen. His interest in beautiful things helps to push aside Carlos’ justified reservations, for whom the affair is too hot to handle. The 20,000 franc advance also speaks in favor of immediately setting off on the hunt for the pink object of desire. It was allegedly stolen by the Russian businessman Sokolov. Allmen and Carlos follow his trail – initially without suspecting that someone is also hot on their heels. They realize just how dangerous their shadows are after they have tracked down the man in hiding, but are unable to protect his life. For the occasional detectives come into possession of a treasure that soon makes them the hunted.

Broadcast: ALLMEN UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DES ROSA DIAMANTEN was first broadcast on May 6, 2017 on Ersten.

Johann Friedrich von Allmen’s company for the recovery of stolen works of art can now look back on a few notable successes and is known beyond Zurich and its borders. It is therefore inconceivable that Allmen would not also take care of the missing dahlia painting. Even in life’s tricky situations, Allmen is always characterized by elegance, subtlety, erudition and a tireless desire to quote.

One of Fantin-Latour’s famous dahlia paintings is stolen from a luxury hotel on Lake Zurich. The eccentric owner and hotel heiress Dahlia Gutbauer hires Johann Friedrich von Allmen, of all people, to recover the artwork. While Allmen accepts the assignment of his own free will, his servant Carlos suspects that the investigation is far too dangerous, as a security guard and a hotel guest have already been murdered in connection with the theft. Naturally, bon vivant Allmen ignores the well-intentioned warning, but the smart, self-proclaimed art detective soon finds himself up against ice-cold opponents who are not to be underestimated.

Directed by Thomas Berger and based on the screenplays by Martin Rauhaus, the third film in the ARD Degeto series based on the novel by bestselling author Martin Suter was filmed in the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland in 2018.

Broadcast: ALLMEN UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DER DAHLIEN was first broadcast on July 13, 2019 on Ersten.

Boredom is not an acceptable state for Johann Friedrich von Allmen (Heino Ferch). During an uninspiring reading, the art detective spontaneously steals a famous Fabergé egg from the host’s property. However, the host’s security officer Krähenbühler (Christoph Bach) does not expose the unusual robber, but tries to blackmail Allmen into an even more brazen theft. Allmen agrees to the theft and, together with his butler Carlos (Samuel Finzi), steals a unique porcelain collection – but with the intention of ripping Krähenbühler off.

Secretly, however, Allmen is not only interested in the lucrative scam, but above all in attracting the attention of the beautiful Jasmin (Devrim Lingnau). In order to get closer to the descendant of a famous porcelain dealer, the art detective enters the service of her strict guardian Cognatus Reimund (Stefan Kurt), whose foundation is the rightful owner of the stolen collection. The daring bon vivant soon realizes that his duplicitous game harbours greater dangers than his ingenious plan envisages.

Broadcast: ALLMEN UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DER EROTIK was first broadcast on March 27, 2021 on Ersten.

Johann Friedrich von Allmen (Heino Ferch) wants to take a carefree break on Tenerife – with his indispensable butler Carlos (Samuel Finzi), of course. What do empty bank accounts and horrendous tax demands matter when his solvent girlfriend Jojo Hirt (Andrea Osvárt) invites the idler? Unfortunately, an old friend puts him in the awkward position of not being able to turn down a job. The music producer Freddie (Falilou Seck) has paid off gambling debts to the film mogul Garrett (Uwe Kockisch) with promissory bills from Allmen. The witty detective is now tasked with recovering a stolen treasure for his new creditor: a Japanese koi that has disappeared from Garrett’s garden aquarium. Not only is Allmen’s notorious client attached to the ornamental fish, which is revered in Japan as a symbol of love and loyalty, but also his fascinating and mysterious girlfriend Dr. Akina de la Vega (Edita Malovčić). When a murder occurs, Allmen finds himself in the middle of a game of intrigue that becomes dangerous for him and his companions.

Broadcast: ALLMEN UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DES KOI will be broadcast for the first time on August 24, 2024 on ARD. The film will be available in the ARD Mediathek from August 22.

The ALLMEN series is a production of UFA Fiction on behalf of ARD Degeto for Das Erste. The producer is Sinah Swyter. Birgit Titze and Christoph Pellander(ARD Degeto) are responsible for editing.