Monaco Franze - Der ewige Stenz

it's quite (!!!) difficult for a non-German to get the point of this mid-8ties TV-series of Helmut Dietl, but i have to admit as a right now thirty-something that this is one of my best childhood/teenage TV-experiences ever. full of ironic Bavarian laissez-Faire, post-Schwabing wanna-be state-of-the-art chic, with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor that only the people can relate to that actually have been there at that time.

nothing can beat "kir royal" just because it's so good. but right behind it's "monaco Franze".

also the acting of Helmut Fischer and Ruth-Maria Kubitschek is one of the performances displayed on German TV.

if you ever get hold of the DVD-version of this series you will laugh your ass off cos you get a grip of Bavarian thinking and lifestyle.

don't be mislead by other reviews and the plot summary. it seems like after reading them, one will expect it to be like a "sex and city" type TV series like I..

no, on the contrary, it's very complete non-sexual, there isn't sex or implied sex in it, not even a kiss(except friendly one). even China or India today don't make TVs like that anymore..the TV is about the little life of a bourgeois couple, husband is a cop ,wife is a businesswoman dealing in artworks. the husband is quite innocent and light hearted, though 50 years old, he seems like a big child(OK, today's kids are more than that!). he often falls in love with girls he randomly sees on street..yes!, fall in love! there is one episode, to win the heart of a girl he just meets, he decides to be a boxer.. however the main content is more about the guy and his relationship with his well mannered wife .his wife is wife,sister, mother to him at the same time..and various trivial things.

anyway if such kind a man exists in real life, he certainly deserves huge love around. so i suggest the plot keyword "womanizer" be deleted.because it's derogatory..well, I'm certainly aware that there are likable womanizers like Cary Grant type. but he is still not.

I voting 7 doesn't mean it's not good enough, i'm just more strict

I recently bought this title on DVD because I have always liked MONACO FRANZE, but it is such a luxury to watch all the episodes at once, without interruption. And it is so good, trust me. To all Americans, if you think Fonzie is cool, watch this, than you know Franz Muenchinger aka Monaco is cool. Although he is married, and although he loves his wive dearly, he always pursues younger girls, sometimes three at a time.

And it is so funny. For example, his wive Annette (Ruth-Maria Kubitschek)moves in high-society circles and loves to go to the opera with a group of doctors and lawyers. Monaco on the other hand, being a down to earth man, doesn't like it at all. He tries to find excuses to the last. And when he realises, he can not escape the opera, he almost collapses and breaks out in sweat. You just have to see it.

Or in one episode called "Machts nur so weiter!" (Just go on that way!) Annette realises, that a financial crisis is at hand and tries to save money where possible. There is a very funny scene with her and her assistant, inter cut with a scene with Franz and some of his girls sitting in the English Garden. Annette tells her assistant, that they never had so less money since the war, Monaco in the park tells the girls, that he never was so well to do, feeding them with salmon, wine and wild strawberries. And every time he is buying something and should it only be ice-cream, he pays with a 1000 DM bill.

Monaco Franze is a jewel of German or Bavarian TV along with "Irgenwie und sowieso". You will seldom find a better mini- series, with better actors, a better script and a better direction. Everything in those categories is top notch. Not to forget the nostalgic aspects of this show. Bavaria in the 80s, especially Munich, you just have to like the setting.

All in all, there is nothing negative to say about this show, except that there are only ten episodes.