Storyline
The show reflects the life of a petty bourgeois family in West German Wattenscheid, characterised by the social climate of the Willy Brandt era and its political upheavals initiated by the German student movement of 1968. Ein Herz und eine Seele makes intensive use of references to German politics and social issues of the early and mid-1970s, when Germany was still divided, not just between East and West, but also (in the case of West Germany) between liberals and conservatives. To feature these tensions in a TV series broke new ground at that time.
The undisputed star is Ekel ("creep") Alfred Tetzlaff (Heinz Schubert), commercial clerk, a born Sudeten German, Bild reader and reactionary patriarch, who is constantly arguing with his wife Else, his daughter Rita, and his son-in-law Michael. He is a declared foe of the SPD government ruining the country only to sell it to the Mongols, of foreigners, Gastarbeiter , Jews and the women's movement. During his term of service in the Wehrmacht he had spent time in Paris, which finds expression in his (dubious) language skills. Alfred's appearance, small in physique with a moustache and side-parted hair, along with his passionate politicking with a high-pitched voice and frequent hand movements, make his character somewhat reminiscent of Adolf Hitler. Raised in Berlin he is a dedicated fan of Hertha BSC, which makes life somewhat hard in the Ruhr area.
Alfred is married (afflicted) with Else, a housewife from Elmshorn, whose fatuity constantly drives him mad. She ceaselessly speaks up, confusing Pompidou with Pompadour and Kiesinger with Kissinger, honestly astonished that the Germans had elected a Jewish chancellor. (In this sense, although the German Else was named after the British version of the character, the quiet but sometimes snarky Else Garnett, the character more closely resembled Edith Bunker from the American version of the show, All in the Family .) Ironically, Alfred's use of "dusselige Kuh", literally "silly cow", as a nickname for Else was not allowed in the BBC original: the British character Alf Garnett had to refer to his wife as a "silly moo".
The young couple, Rita and her husband Michael, cannot afford an apartment and live in Rita's child's room. Michael is a supporter of Chancellor Willy Brandt and moreover was raised in East Germany, which arouses Alfred's suspicion of him being a Komsomol, a Bolshevik hyena and an anarchist. Michael's parents still live in East Germany; as retirees they are allowed to visit their son and his new family in the episode Besuch aus der Ostzone ("Visit from the Eastern Zone"), an episode which exists both in black-and-white and colour and is usually aired on German Unity Day.
Broadcast
The show was originally broadcast in black and white and shown on the regional channel of the North Rhine-Westphalia area, WDR. It moved to West Germany's first channel, ARD, on New Year's Eve 1973 with the above-mentioned episode and from that date was produced in colour. Some of the colour episodes are actually remakes or reprises of older black-and-white episodes. The first series is considered to consist of 21 episodes.
For the second series, Elisabeth Wiedemann, popular in her role as Else Tetzlaff, was replaced by Helga Feddersen and Michael, formerly played by Diether Krebs, was portrayed by Klaus Dahlen. Whereas the original actors portrayed stereotypical but believable characters, Feddersen and Dahlen turned their roles into purely comedic characters, introducing slapstick. The audience clearly did not approve of these changes: after only four episodes of the second series, Ein Herz und eine Seele was cancelled.
According to the BBC website, the series was not popular due to the reactionary politics of its lead character. Yet the series, despite its polarization and abusive language, was very popular with up to 15.7 million viewers. It declined in the ratings due to the cast changes in the second series. In 2002, a survey showed the program was Germany's most popular sitcom of all time.
In 2004 the complete series was released to DVD and was a best seller.
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- Trinity I, 30 May 1723: Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75
- Trinity II, 6 June 1723: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76
- Trinity III, 13 June 1723: Weimar cantata Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21 restaged
- Trinity IV, 20 June 1723: Ein ungefärbt Gemüte, BWV 24, and Weimar cantata Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185 restaged
- Nativity of St. John the Baptist, 24 June 1723: Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe, BWV 167
- Trinity V, 27 June 1723: no extant cantata
- Visitation, 2 July 1723: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 and possibly Magnificat in E-flat major, BWV 243a
- Trinity VI, 4 July 1723: no extant cantata
- Trinity VII, 11 July 1723: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186
- Trinity VIII, 18 July 1723: Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136
- Trinity IX, 25 July 1723: Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105
- Trinity X, 1 August 1723: Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei, BWV 46
- Trinity XI, 8 August 1723: Siehe zu, daß deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei, BWV 179 and Weimar cantata Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 restaged
- Trinity XII, 15 August 1723: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a
- Trinity XIII, 22 August 1723: Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben, BWV 77
- Trinity XIV, 29 August 1723: Es ist nichts Gesundes an meinem Leibe, BWV 25
- (30 August 1723, Ratswechsel: not part of the liturgical year, see below)
- Trinity XV, 5 September 1723: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, BWV 138
- Trinity XVI, 12 September 1723: Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV 95
- Trinity XVII, 19 September 1723: Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens, BWV 148
- Trinity XVIII, 26 September 1723: no extant cantata
- St. Michael's Day, 29 September 1723: no extant cantata
- Trinity XIX, 3 October 1723: Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV BWV 48
- Trinity XX, 10 October 1723: Weimar cantata Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe, BWV 162 restaged
- Trinity XXI, 17 October 1723: Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meinem Unglauben, BWV 109
- Trinity XXII, 24 October 1723: Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim, BWV 89
- Reformation Day, 31 October 1723 : possibly Weimar cantata Nur jedem das Seine, BWV 163 restaged; Alternatively an early version of BWV 80/80b?
- Trinity XXIV, 7 November 1723: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 60
- Trinity XXV, 14 November 1723: Es reißet euch ein schrecklich Ende, BWV 90
- Trinity XXVI, 21 November 1723: Wachet! betet! betet! wachet! BWV 70
- Advent I, 28 November 1723: Weimar cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61 restaged
- Christmas, 25 December 1723: Weimar cantata Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63 restaged; Also Magnificat, BWV 243a and Sanctus in D major, BWV 238
- Second Day of Christmas, 26 December 1723: Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40
- Third Day of Christmas, 27 December 1723: Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, BWV 64
- New Year, 1 January 1724: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190
- Sunday after New Year, 2 January 1724: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind, BWV 153
- Epiphany, 6 January 1724: Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65
- Epiphany I, 9 January 1724: Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154
- Epiphany II, 16 January 1724: Weimar cantata Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155 restaged
- Epiphany III, 23 January 1724: Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir, BWV 73
- Epiphany IV, 30 January 1724: Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen? BWV 81
- Purification, 2 February 1724: Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83
- Septuagesima, 6 February 1724: Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin, BWV 144
- Sexagesima, 13 February 1724: Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister, BWV 181 and Weimar cantata Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 restaged in its Leipzig version
- Estomihi, 7 February 1723 and 20 February 1724 : Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22 and Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23 restaged in its first Leipzig version
- Annunciation and Palm Sunday 25 March 1724: Siehe eine Jungfrau ist schwanger, BWV 1135 and Weimar cantata Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182 restaged.
- (Good Friday, 7 April 1724: St John Passion, BWV 245, 1st version — Passion, not considered as a cantata part of the cycle)
- Easter, 9 April 1724: early cantata Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4 restaged ; Weimar cantata Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31 restaged
- Easter Monday, 10 April 1724: Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66
- Easter Tuesday, 11 April 1724: Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß, BWV 134
- Quasimodogeniti, 16 April 1724: Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ, BWV 67
- Misericordias Domini, 23 April 1724: Du Hirte Israel, höre, BWV 104
- Jubilate, 30 April 1724: Weimar cantate Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12 restaged in a version with a slightly modified instrumentation
- Cantate, 7 May 1724: Wo gehest du hin? BWV 166
- Rogate, 14 May 1724: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch, BWV BWV 86
- Ascension, 18 May 1724: Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37
- Exaudi, 21 May 1724: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun, BWV 44
- Pentecost, 28 May 1724: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 and Weimar cantata Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172 restaged in its first Leipzig version (D major)
- Pentecost Monday, 29 May 1724: no extant cantata
- Pentecost Tuesday, 30 May 1724: Erwünschtes Freudenlicht, BWV 184
- Trinity, 4 June 1724: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, originally a consecration cantata, restaged in its first Leipzig version
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