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I was in that business around that same time, in West Germany. The details in this production are amazing, right down to two Trabis on the same street in the East, and no Mercedes in the Stasi parking garage. I love the fact that Americans speak with a slight American accent, and use English words -- though not necessarily the ones a German would use. This takes me back, to the uniforms, buildings, concerns of a different time. One I sincerely hope will disappear forever.

The problems of sending an East German to the West reflect the problems we had sending a Westerner east. The 1,001 ways to be tripped up brings back memories of complex plans that felt good, but you knew had huge holes in them no one had noticed. The risk to the actual agent cannot be downplayed, and this series (after only seeing #1) seem to lock in tight on that vital element of spy games.

I was in the US Army in '83 and intimately involved with the PII deployment and Able Archer. This perspective, from the East and West German point of view, is both reminiscent of my own experience and an enhancement of it. Well acted, produced, and an accurate account of the times. I had many German friends at the time, but due to my position I avoided talking politics as much as possible, but I hear their views echoed here.

Still, I was very aware of my friends reluctance to allow the PIIs and Cruise Missiles into their country. It wasn't until some years later that I discovered how Able Archer was perceived in the East, and this series recounts much of what I learned. It's been said that '83 was on par with the Cuban Missile Crisis in terms of edging toward nuclear war.

So to find a series that takes a piece of my past and twists and supplements it is very interesting. That is very well done makes it a must see for me! There are elements of the plot that get a bit overblown at times, but add to the intrigue and suspense (it is a fictional account, so that's OK). I'm very glad to have found this and would recommend it!!

This show is just awesome! They capture the feel of the 80's in a great way. I was not in East or West Germany but the older guys I worked with were and this show is as described. A people on the edge....

I really like the German actors and actresses, but especially the younger ones. The star, Jonas Nay, is awesome. A sense of innocence, youth, determination, and bravery even though he is the EG spy. It is great! Nikola Kastner is really great too. She conveys my memory of an 80's woman, from wherever so well.

The intrigue is great. Reminiscent for me of The Americans...kind of places a stress on you to watch as you get involved with the characters.

I think the only drawback for some viewers would be the subtitles. I don't mind at all.

You know, I want to know the model of that EG car that the mother drives!

I may be biased as reading, movies, and artifacts from the cold war era are a hobby of mine.

They really place you in it.....a good feel for what happened I think.

Like most fiction, there are several logical, factual and dramatic flaws but that does not detract in any significant way from this series.

If you like history, are interested in Germany or specifically Germany in the 80s and most of all, if you need your TV drama to be smart and complex, you will love this series.

Yes it is extremely unlikely that a border guard with a fake identity would be accepted as an assistant to a West German general, but the characters and dramatic themes are extremely compelling. The attention to detail in terms of East v West Germany and early 80s vibe are outstanding.

I only wish that a "season" was more than a mere 8 episodes!

I was skeptic when I seen the trailer it doesn't portray the series in the right way I feel. Started watching it and was captivated very fast by the story. At first I was mostly interested in the time line as it is a time in history that we don't talk much about anymore in school and my generation didn't live it (I was born two years after). From what I can see and read of the internet it is quite accurate and is played very well keeps me waiting to see what is going to happen next.

This series is new and refreshing and I really enjoy it. So far from what I watched it is looking to be the best series that I have enjoyed this year.

IF you already like the series "The Americans", remember the 80's and don't mind subtitles.

It is a nice German spy adventure involving the youth in the German states that had been divided since the end of WW2.

I was 28 years old at the time this story takes place so... there were more than a few sentimental moments for me. It can be a lot of fun if, like me you are old enough to remember songs like "99 Luftballons". Or maybe you remember that sensation first time you ever used that "new" Sony Walkman? WOW!

Obviously this is a TV series so it isn't Shakespeare but... I found the writing more than adequate. Actors were good too. I found it easy to follow even while reading subtitles. (I only understand a tiny bit of German).

Watching as a U.S. citizen is a real bonus too. I do remember most of the historical events depicted but... from a much different perspective. It was eye opening to finally consider what it must have been like for the people living in Europe during this period.

Refreshing to watch the beginning of this series on Sundance Channel, a foreign language entry that catches a moment in recent German history without the usual quintessential archetypes and funny accents of any random American production involving Germans. The tables are turned in fact because it is the American characters speaking German who seem a bit less than convincing. English subtitles are no major distraction, because the script is terse and direct.

As in most German cinema, nothing is left to the imagination. If a character is destined to be a hero or a saint (or something in between) that element is telegraphed in advance by the director's emphasis on a frown, an arched eyebrow, a look of confusion, or a surreptitious stage movement. We know where the series is going by the end of the first episode, yet we identify with the young man at the center of the story irrespective of his opening attitude. There is none of the ambivalence or inchoate suspense found in one of John Le Carré's filmed spy novels.

I am looking forward immensely to viewing the remainder of the series in spite of not believing, really, that many of the easy coincidences, arch villains, clandestine meetings in the woods, and other stereotypical story devices could have actually happened.

My Brother was is W. Berlin from 1980 to 1983. I was in Kitzingen, Germany from 1984 to 1987. This show is true to the look, feel and emotions of the Cold War at that time. The emotional and psychological tug of Cold War was palpable during the 80's with every step one took, and this show, somehow, surprisingly brings those feelings and emotions down to the minutest detail alive again. The U.S. and the Soviet Union were preparing for war, and the Fulda Gap was where we practiced our maneuvers for a ground assault (this is common knowledge, so don't get your panties in a wad over this information). Everything in this series, especially the use of music, cars, and women is spot on. Bravo! This series deserves to continue.

1980ies was a really critical decade in the post-WWII period, tensions were the highest since the 1960ies, as the economical gaps between the East and West started to enhance faster. The split Germany encountered apparently the biggest tensions as the nation/language was the same, NATO bases were close, and GDR intelligence was considered among the best in the world...

Although I was quite young at that time, Deutschland 83 seems very realistic to me, brings forth some memories and attitudes East Germans were known in the Warsav Pact block... True, some topics were apparently "bedighted" and intensified for the sake of feature series and providing meatiness and additional warmth and humour, this mini-series is no US-type of action mockery, with constant chases and blasts. For younger generations accustomed to search engines etc., some events may seems odd and questionable, but back then all checking was much more complicated and slower.

The cast is evenly strong, I found Jonas Nay as Martin Rauch / Moritz Stamm, Maria Schrader as Lenora Rauch, and Ludwig Trepte as Alex Edel most elaborated characters/performances. But still, it is good that all speak their native language (or broken German), and being made on German soil and cities, you can feel the real European/German life and background throughout the whole series.

The ending could have been more twisty, but still, a good series. Special mention to those who selected songs and soundtrack - one can hardly find more suitable melodies and texts for specific events and general atmosphere.

It is exaggerated, it is pretty dramatic. But thats what we usually expect today. On the other hand it were pretty dramatic times, the cold war was no fun at all even if we might think so today. This is what happens if you do not communicate.

For me personally it's one of the best German TV shows of the last decades - speaking as a German. Our movies and TV shows are usually totally crap (especially today I would say). American readers might think that's a sad fact that is also true for American productions, but believe me, it's not the same. But that's a different topic.

The series has its weaknesses, sometimes its pretty much a cliché but don't forget it's a comprehension of these times, it's not a documentary, it's a drama series. And there were in fact a lot of stubborn and blind people in high-rank positions, who even thought they were „smarter" than anyone else.

I've been born in West Germany. 1983 I was just 7/8 years old and I do remember that my father (a teacher) was somehow upset at this time. I didn't understand the whole stuff, the TV was sometimes full of it, but this made me grow up with the idea that the whole world is pretty close to destroy itself in an instant. Strange times - I hadn't really a clue what was happening and was watching and doing a lot of different stuff. Geez, I was a kid, kids are always optimistic although I did have one or another nightmare of „some big war". The American culture had a deep and massive influence on Western Germany at this time, I do remember this quite well and it's not so obvious in this show but it's still noticeable. Like the GDR was under massive influence of the soviet union. Till today it's burned into my brain, indelibly. (Keep this is mind if you're an American and talk to Germans today - this whole cold war thing has pretty much messed up everything in the aftermath - till today.)

But I'm loosing my point. For me the series captures the feeling in Germany at this time pretty well, the characters are spot on, the actors do an awesome job, they really feel „80s style", only the budget limit obviously stopped it from being better overall. But for this it's pretty impressive and for German standards pretty brave. It could have a bit more teeth but not to much since it's fairly trying to find a balance without punching into faces, it gives both sides a fair share of the story. We are smarter today - aren't we?

Kudos to the producers, the writer, the director and the actors. Great job, it's a remarkable show I really wish it would go on and become even better. It were pretty difficult times but I believe Germany today is in an even more delicate situation and this story is not over yet. Unfortunately.

One of the best TV show I've seen in a long time! It's exciting,never predictable and amusing,you want more and more of it! I really hope they'll make a sequel 'cause 8 episodes aren't enough! I wasn't born in 1983,so I kept asking my dad for details,but I think they nailed it because everything feels so 80s and so credible.

The ensemble cast is tightly directed to deliver credibility in what was an unbelievable time in world history. Costuming and locations are spot-on, and the series encapsulates the terror and the excitement of that year perfectly. The realism particularly of the atmosphere, offices, technology and mindset of the East German security agency bureaucrats of that era is so very well done. Highest praise. I'd be surprised if producers aren't eyeing an American re-make. Brilliant.

This started with such promise, but by the 3rd episode it's all fallen apart. The character acting is way over the top thanks to the scriptwriting which turns into a parody of itself. There's still some nostalgic value which kept me going, but closer to the 7 episode you are irritated as hell, leaving you thinking this is just plain silly and unbelievable. Such a pity, this could of been something quite special! I was hoping for something a little more sophisticated like "The Lives of Others 2006". Give it a whirl if you still enjoy it by episode 6 you at the home stretch. But for me it doesn't match up to the above ratings. Sorry, I really wanted to like this!

Is this the most well thought out and plot free show of all-time: no. But that doesn't detract from it being enjoyable, especially for those who lived through the 1980's. I watched this with my wife and parents. My wife cares very little for political thrillers and my parents are not big fans of the genre either, yet we all enjoyed the first season. My suggestion, just watch it but don't get to invested in trying to think through all the plots and details.

Yes, real spy craft is probably way more intense, training oriented, and done over an extended period of time. But when you think about, how many movies/shows get into this level of detail. Answer is probably few and far between. Most skirt these topics so as to develop the story as quick as possible with hopes of keeping the audience. And Deutschland '83 is no different.

To many implausible things. STASI and KGB agents were well trained. This makes westerners look stupid. In reality nothing was that easy and it took months or years to finish one mission. As well as the morals were different, people were actually married to each other and had sex after marriage (I guess only good thing about that regime), a few high ranking communists or celebrities were exception.

It seems strange to think now that when I was growing up Germany was divided; but it's in this world of my youth that "Deutschland '83" is set, when Ronald Regan installed new missiles in Europe and the world appeared to be on a perilous course. The series tells a spy-story, which also serves to illuminate the differences between east and west. It's well plotted and acted and does a decent job at conveying the spirit of the times, although it feels a little constrained by the fact that history has already decided who the good, and bad, guys were. It's not the most profound exploration of its subject, but it's a tense and entertaining thriller.

Acting varies from OK to good, the story is believable, connecting events to real world escalations at the time seems well played. Recommended to people from GDR and other former socialist countries: feels like visiting a GDR museum a little and brings a smile on a face, that's definitely what authors intended.

There are some plain moments, the plot can get very predictable and the pilot could be a bit more engaging too.

Also wanted to highlight that there are way too many modern things (ceilings, lights, doors, building walls, chairs etc.) in the GDR; all cars seem to be very clean and new; Field Station Berlin, although very briefly, but shown in current state: all small things probably not so noticeable for folks not from former socialist countries and young population. But for me, as for someone who grew up in 90s, it still catches the eye a lot.

I am German and lived in east Germany as a child and in West Berlin until 1970. The series strikes me as something of a fairy story. just to give some examples: the protagonist would, as someone else stated, have to have undergone extensive training, not only in the English language - Russian was the first foreign language in East Germany - but also in West German - by 1983 the word material had diverged, reflecting the political and cultural separation since WWII. Just one example of the credibility gap: the protagonist's flight back into GDR. Controls on entering the motorway corridor were extremely strict. If you moved house from Berlin or vice versa you couldn't just pile stuff inside or on top of the car, you had to use a removal firm and itemise your goods in triplicate, down to your books. That's how claustrophobic the times were. Also, I know there was no way of stopping on the east German motorway (at least by 1970 and I would be interested to be corrected). Travel was timed, you were fined if you broke the speed limit and arrived too soon.

There are many other details that don't ring true. I accept the series is meant to be entertainment not documentary but even my husband (English) found it hard to have to suspend disbelief so often.

My husband is German & we live in Alabama, so it's not often we are able to watch TV in German. We loved that there were no voiceovers for this series. The historical accuracy is pretty spot on. Like some other reviews, I will say that some of the acting could have been better. The fact that my native language is English & I could point out poor acting throws a small red flag. I also think a bit more money could have been put in the production. But we really enjoyed the series & looked forward to a new episode every week. We are now going through Deutschland 83 withdrawals. We hope a second season is not too far away!!