Um Himmels Willen (English: For Heaven's Sake) is a German television sitcom created by Jana Brandt and Sven Döbler, which originally aired on Das Erste since 8 January 2002.Episode 1 (in German). Ardmediathek. Retrieved 8 September 2014. The 13th season was aired from 4 March 2014 to 3 June 2014 and is syndicated in many European countries.
The series follows the daily life of a group of nuns in a small monastery in the fictional town of Kaltenthal in lower Bavaria, and the careers of the town's troubled citizens, mostly the mayor and police officers."Um Himmels Willen" (in German). T-online. Retrieved 8 September 2014. The sitcom was produced by ARD."Um Himmels Willen" (in Danish). Tv2 Charlie. Retrieved 8 September 2014. It originally starred Jutta Speidel as the main character of the head nun, however she was replaced by Janina Hartwig in 2007. Fritz Wepper appears as her antagonist, the cunning and jovial town mayor.
The show aired at 20:15 on Tuesday nights on ARD in Germany. By June 2013, 156 episodes had been broadcast over eleven seasons. Besides being immensely popular in Germany (with some 7.2 million views per episode), the show is also broadcast daily in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, and Denmark.
Plot Wolfgang Wöller (Fritz Wepper), the popular politician and mayor of the fictitious Lower Bavarian town of Kaltenthal, is afraid of losing support and possible elections due an increase in unemployment. Along with the city council, he falls in love with the idea of bioenergy; determined to put his face and name upon a new, large bioenergy facility that will, hopefully, create economic growth for the town, he needs the support of opposition, who refuse to support the idea as there is no immediate place to put such a facility.
Eventually, his eyes fall upon the local cloisters, a large, old castle which houses only six nuns, but swallows up a huge areal portion of the city. As the nuns, especially Sister Hanna (Janina Hartwig), refuse to even discuss the idea of selling the property, Mr. Wöller takes his ideas to the order's Mother Superior. The Mother Superior is equally opposed to the idea, but agrees that six nuns are not enough for such a huge property. She ultimately reluctantly agrees to sell. Sister Hanna does everything in her power to prevent this, not only going against the mayor, but also the Mother Superior.
Cast
Current main cast
Janina Hartwig as Sister Hanna Jacobi. Nun and leader of cloister Kaltenthal. Fritz Wepper as Wolfgang Wöller. Mayor of the fictitious town of Kaltentahl and car dealer. Chairman of the Kaltenthal Football Club. Karin Gregorek as Sister Felicitas Meier. Nun, one of sister Hanna's predecessors. Until her retirement nurse at Kaltenthal hospital, then leader of a medical consulting center for socially weak people. Preference for alcohol, tobacco, computer games and chocolate. Emmanuela von Frankenberg as Sister Agnes Schwandt. Nun and cook of the cloister. Herb woman. Denise M'Baye as Sister Lela. Novation at cloister Kaltenthal. Sent by sister Lotte from Nigeria. Andrea Sihler as Sister Hildegard Hähnlein. Nun at the mother house in Munich and secretary of the mother superior. Secondarily novelist. Horst Sachtleben as Bishop Gottlieb Rossbauer. Friend and confessor of the mother superior. Likes cookies. Renounces creation as cardinal. Andrea Wildner as Marianne Laban. Secretary of mayor Wöller. In season 12 temporary opposition leader at local council Lars Weström as Anton Meier. Indulgent Polizeihauptmeister (policeman) of Kaltenthal. Wolfgang Müller as Hermann Huber. Master builder and best friend of Wolfgang Wöller.
Former main cast
Rosel Zech as Dr. Dr. Elisabeth Reuter. Ex mother superior. Gaby Dohm as Baroness Louise von Beilheim. Mother superior and successor of mother superior Elisabeth Reuter. Jutta Speidel as Sister Lotte Albers. Nun and direct predecessor of sister Hanna. Now leader of a mission station in Nigeria. Michael Wenninger as Doctor Martin Richter. Physician and fiancé of Barbara Silenius. Died after a car crash. Anna Luise Kiss as Barbara Silenius. Former novation at cloister Kaltenthal. Leaves the cloister and become engaged with Doctor Martin Richter, who dies after a car crash. Barbara later marries an architect but the marriage fails. Barbara Silenius dies after a car accident. Hellen Zellweger as Julia Seewald. Former novation at cloister Kaltenthal. Leaves the cloister. Anne Weinknecht as Sister Sophe Tiezte. Former novation at cloister Kaltenthal, later nun. Now missionary in South America. Donia Ben-Jemia as Sister Gina Gallo. Former novation at cloister Kaltenthal, later nun. Goes to Naples to nurse her ill father. Nathalie Schott as Sister Ingrid Knoop. Former novation at cloister Kaltenthal, now nun at a cloister in Cologne. Antje Mönning as Sister Jenny Marquard. Former novation at cloister Kaltenthal, now nun and nurse of the ill Cardinal. Julia Heinze as Maria Gasser. Former undercover journalist, later novation at cloister Kaltenthal. Leaves the cloister and marries. Bruni Löbel as Grandma Meier. Grandmother of police man Anton Meier.
Seasons
Series overview + Season 1 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 1 1 Urlaub mit Folgen (Vacation with consequences) 8 January 2002 2 2 Sand im Getriebe (Wrench in the works) 15 January 2002 3 3 Glück im Unglück (Blessing in disguise) 22 January 2002 4 4 Mädchen am Abgrund (Girl on the brink) 29 January 2002 5 5 Romeo und Julia (Romeo and Juliet) 5 February 2002 6 6 Schlag auf Schlag (Blow by blow) 19 February 2002 7 7 Wolf im Schafspelz (Wolf in sheep's clothing) 26 February 2002 8 8 Gelegenheit macht Diebe (Opportunity makes the thief) 5 March 2002 9 9 Sünden der Vergangenheit (Sins of the past) 12 March 2002 10 10 Qual der Wahl (Agony of choice) 19 March 2002 11 11 Verbotene Früchte (Forbidden fruits) 26 March 2002 12 12 Sieg der Liebe (Victory of love) 2 April 2002 13 13 Kleider machen Leute (Clothes make the man) 9 April 2002
+ Season 2 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 14 1 Heiliger Strohsack (Holy moley) 7 January 2003 15 2 Salto Mortale 14 January 2003 16 3 Zwickmühle (Quagmire) 21 January 2003 17 4 Plötzlich und unerwartet (Suddenly and surprisingly) 28 January 2003 18 5 Falsche Fünzigerin (Backstabber) 11 February 2003 19 6 Gefahrenzone (Danger area) 18 February 2003 20 7 Belagerungszustand (State of siege)) 25 February 2003 21 8 Hokuspokus (Hocus-pocus) 11 March 2003 22 9 Doktorspiele (Playing doctor) 18 March 2003 23 10 Alte Freunde (Old friends) 25 March 2003 24 11 Trauerspiel (Tragedy) 1 April 2003 25 12 Knastbruder (Jailbird) 8 April 2003 26 13 Singdrosseln (Song thrushes) 15 April 2003
+ Season 3 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 27 1 Hochzeitsglocken (Wedding bells) 6 January 2004 28 2 Lebendig begraben (Buried alive) 13 January 2004 29 3 Millionenerbin (Inheritress of millions) 20 January 2004 30 4 Die falsche Nonne (The bogus nun) 27 January 2004 31 5 Trojanisches Pferd (Trojan Horse) 10 February 2004 32 6 Blinder Passagier (Stowaway) 17 February 2004 33 7 Ratespiel (Guessing game) 24 February 2004 34 8 Notquartier (Emergency shelter) 2 March 2004 35 9 Seitensprung (Escapade) 9 March 2004 36 10 Eisprinzessin (Ice princess) 16 March 2004 37 11 Rabenmutter (Cruel mother) 23 March 2004 38 12 Schreckschuss (Warning shot) 30 March 2004 39 13 Gottesurteil (Judgement of god) 6 April 2004
+ Season 4 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 40 1 Zwei kleine Italiener (Two little Italians) 4 January 2005 41 2 Letzte Vorstellung (Last show) 11 January 2005 42 3 Traumfrau (Dreamgirl) 18 January 2005 43 4 Alte Wunden (Old sores) 25 January 2005 44 5 Zuckerbrot und Peitsche (Carrot and stick) 1 February 2005 45 6 Schuss in den Ofen (Lead ballon) 8 February 2005 46 7 Alles unter Kontrolle (All is under control) 15 February 2005 47 8 Bis aufs Mark (Marrow-deep) 22 February 2005 48 9 Geniestreich (Masterstroke) 1 March 2005 49 10 Klassentreffen (School reunion) 8 March 2005 50 11 Rache-Engel (Avenging angel) 15 March 2005 51 12 Stammhalter (Son and heir) 22 March 2005 52 13 Simsalabim (Hey presto!) 29 March 2005
+ Season 5 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 53 1 Hänsel und Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) 3 January 2006 54 2 Alarmstufe Eins (Red alert) 10 January 2006 55 3 Schwarzes Schaf (Black sheep) 17 January 2006 56 4 Wenn Gott will (If God wills) 24 January 2006 57 5 Vaterfreuden (Joys of fatherhood) 31 January 2006 58 6 Geldrausch (Money fever) 7 February 2006 59 7 Planspiele (Business Games) 14 February 2006 60 8 Ungebetener Gast (Uninvited guest) 28 February 2006 61 9 Verletzte Gefühle (Wounded feelings) 7 March 2006 62 10 Held des Tages (Hero of the hour) 14 March 2006 63 11 Rotkäppchen (Red Riding Hood) 21 March 2006 64 12 Elternlos (Parentless) 28 March 2006 65 13 Ende gut – alles gut (All's well that ends well) 4 April 2006
+ Season 6 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 66 1 Hanna von Orleans (Hanna of Arc) 23 January 2007 67 2 Der allerletzte Zeuge (The very last witness) 30 January 2007 68 3 Letzte Klappe (Last slate) 6 February 2007 69 4 Lottokönig (Lotto king) 13 February 2007 70 5 Neue Frau (New Woman) 20 February 2007 71 6 Unschuld vom Lande (Naive country girl) 27 February 2007 72 7 Madonnenfieber (Madonna fever) 6 March 2007 73 8 Zeichen und Wunder (Signs and wonders) 13 March 2007 74 9 Mordgelüste (Bloodlust) 20 March 2007 75 10 Wunder dauern länger (Wonders take longer) 27 March 2007 76 11 Turmbau zu Babel (Tower of Babel) 3 April 2007 77 12 Katzenjammer (Hangover) 10 April 2007 78 13 Nackte Tatsachen (Bare facts) 24 April 2007
+ Season 7 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 79 1 Am seidenen Faden (Hang by a thread) 8 January 2008 80 2 Schwere Geburt (Take some doing) 15 January 2008 81 3 Dicke Brummer (Thick bluebottle) 22 January 2008 82 4 Waisenkind (Orphan) 5 February 2008 83 5 Wehret den Anfängen (Nip it in the bud) 13 February 2008 84 6 Volltreffer (Bull's eye) 19 February 2008 85 7 Schatzsucher (Treasure Hunter) 26 March 2008 86 8 Dicke Luft (Trouble's brewing) 4 March 2008 87 9 Zug nach Nirgendwo (Train to nowhere) 11 March 2008 88 10 Alte Wunden (Old Sores) 18 March 2008 89 11 Teuflisches Spiel (Fiendish game) 25 March 2008 90 12 Auf Biegen und Brechen (By hook or crook) 1 April 2008 91 13 Stehaufmännchen (Roly-poly) 8 April 2008
+ Season 8 Number (whole) Number (Season) Original title First broadcast 92 1 Liebestöter (Passion killers) 17 February 2009 93 2 Ausgebrannt (Burnt-out) 24 February 2009 94 3 Bei Nacht und Nebel (In the dead of night) 3 March 2009 95 4 Mein ist die Rache (The revenge is mine) 10 March 2009 96 5 Der letzte Strohhalm (The last straw) 17 March 2009 97 6 Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe (Two birds with one stone) 24 March 2009 98 7 Glück im Unglück (Luck under circumstances) 31 March 2009 99 8 Künstlerpech (Hard luck) 7 April 2009 100 9 Die große Liebe (The great love) 14 April 2009 101 10 Abschied für immer (Fare-well forever) 28 April 2009 102 11 Zwergschule (One-room School) 5 May 2009 103 12 Wohltäter der Menschheit (Benefactor of mankind) 12 May 2009 104 13 Toter Mann (Dead man) 19 May 2009