Deutsches Fernsehen – online
You can watch German television channels online and for free. All you need to do is to register at deutsches-fernsehen.net. Register now and watch ZDF, SAT1, WDR, ARD, RBB and many more channels via Internet. It’s free!
ARD Mediathek
If you don’t need any suggestions from third parties and would like to explore the ARD Mediathek yourself, then click here. You can find there many different shows, so choose what you prefer the most.
MediathekView
If you don’t want to limit yourself to just one online archive (ARD Mediathek) and wish to browse through other German television transmitters’ online archives and choose shows (TV-Series, Films, Reportages or News) that you would like to watch, you can do that by using a program called MediathekView. It enables you to search by categories and keywords. The chosen show starts per one mouse click and you can even download it and watch later. Each show is usually available only 7 days after the broadcasting.
FAIRY TAILS (TV FILMS)
If you wish to spend a cozy weekend or evening watching films in German language, then fairy tails are the best solution for you. I enjoy watching film versions of fairy tails which were written by Grimm brothers. Their language might be little demanding demanding, however, it is worth trying. Any word that you manage to understand will be like a gift for you. Give it a try and keep watching as many TV-shows and films as you can because it is a good practice. Click here to watch various fairy tails.
ROTE ROSEN (German soup opera)
Click here in order to watch 4 latest episodes (~50 Min. each). For more episodes (20 latest episodes) visit this YouTube channel.
If you thought that Germans do not have soup operas, you were wrong! Yes, they have, and they are good! This one is my favourite.
MANN/FRAU (singles’ life in a big city)
Click here to watch the first season. After each episode is over, just click on ‘zur nächsten Folge’ on the video in order to watch the next episode.
This is a modern comedian TV-series. It consists of very short episodes (~ 5 Minutes) and is available online – it has its own home page and a fun page on Facebook where you can find the newest episodes. If you are an advanced learner who wishes to practice their listening then this is the right choice for you.
DIE SENDUNG MIT DER MAUS (TV-series for children)
When I work with small children, I read them stories in German (preferably picture books) or we watch cartoons. So I have discovered “Die Sendung mit der Maus” which contains short and very funny cartoons. The main protagonists are a mouse, an elephant and a duck. They do not speak, however, those cartoons still offer a good possibility to learn a foreign language, especially by describing what we see. You can watch these cartoons by clicking here. “Die Sendung mit der Maus” contains also episodes with short documentaries which can be interesting both for children and adults. You can practice your listening by clicking here. If you wish, you may explore the web page which is dedicated to the cheerful trio by clicking here.
SESAMSTRASSE (TV-series for children)
This series is being broadcasted by the NRD TV-station. It has its own web page which is very convenient. When you navigate to this web page (click here) you will find interesting online games for children and you can watch the newest episodes. This is a very good learning opportunity.
