A gripping new post-apocalyptic show comes to streaming this week

Based on a graphic novel series, the show has a fantastic premise.

The eight-part German show drops all in one go on Disney+ tomorrow (Wednesday, 16 September). Available to watch with subtitles or dubbed, it has one of the greatest premises for a TV series in recent memory.

The story takes place in a near-future Berlin, now a city-state, as climate change ravages the Earth. Temperatures are regularly over 40C, while the gap between the rich and poor has widened significantly.

In this Republic of Berlin, the privileged live comfortably within a massive, fully air-conditioned dome built around part of the city. This is as the rest of the population outside this 'climodome' sinks into corruption and violence.

Already a dire situation, things get worse when a group of bloodthirsty vampire elites secretly invade the city. They can use the climodome to walk in the daylight, while using the poor outside the dome as a blood source.

The show follows two sisters, split apart as children and living on different sides of this divided Berlin, as they try to survive this changing climate and this emerging vampire threat.

Watch the trailer for City of Blood right here:

Inspired by the German graphic novel series Berlinoir, City of Blood is a must-watch for fans of dystopian, post-apocalyptic, or dark fantasy storytelling.

This is thanks to its clever social allegory and its layered storytelling, focusing on characters across the Republic of Berlin's social strata, from the elite, to the people on the streets, to the politicians in between.

It also boasts top performances by its acclaimed German cast, including Lea Drinda (Where’s Wanda?), Franz Hartwig (Das Boot), David Schütter (Charlie’s Angels) and Lars Eidinger (the upcoming Superman sequel).

City of Blood Interview

JOE spoke to Franz Hartwig about City of Blood. The actor plays Johan, a wealthy vampire in the series who is more civilised than his bloodsucking brethren.

You can read that conversation below, which has been edited for clarity and length.

JOE: The show is based on a graphic novel series, Berlinoir, which has a cult following in Germany. But for international audiences who might not be familiar with City of Blood yet or might not know the graphic novel, how have you been describing it to people? Because it's a really cool mix of loads of different genres.

Franz Hartwig: Yes, I think you don't have to know the graphic novel to understand the show. It's a show about two sisters living in a post-apocalyptic, "clima-apocalyptic' world. Global warming is happening, which it is, actually. There is an elite - the vampires who can afford more than lots of other people.

These two sisters try to survive in this world, in this Berlin that's over 40°C warm. There is a climodome, where the rich ones can live under very pleasant temperatures.

JOE: I like the show because it feels like it's taking problems that are in society right now and imagining the next steps if we don't deal with these issues. But then there's also the fantastical element with the vampires.

Vampires have persisted because they can be a metaphor for lots of different things and, as you said, they sort of represent the elite in this show. But your vampire is a little bit different, both in terms of his personality and the way you play him. What do you think sets Johan apart from the other vampires?

FW: He tries not to be a vampire, which makes him a very, very special vampire. He tries to manage his needs, his need for blood, his thirst. He doesn't bite people.

He wants to live in a world where humans and vampires live together in harmony and in peace.

The show starts, and the world does not know about vampires and their existence.

JOE: Your character is not quite a hero, but also not quite a villain. A lot of the characters in the show are very morally grey. Was that an appeal to you in joining the project?

FW: Oh yes, I really love that we have so many layers to all of the characters. There's no black and white.

Johan, my character, is a vampire. He has good goals, but to reach those goals, sometimes he chooses the wrong way.

For instance, he bribes politicians, or he buys the politicians, and tries to manipulate the elections which are ahead in this Republic of Berlin.

JOE: Also something which feels a little contemporary....City of Blood tells this really complex, layered story about a futuristic Berlin in a way that can appeal to people around the world. But I was wondering if there are any particular details about Berlin and Germany in the show that people abroad may miss.

FW: Berlin is a very, very good metaphor for a city which was divided. And in our show is again divided in two halves: the rich and the very poor, or the ones who try to survive in this environment.

But no, this is Berlin, but it could also be in New York or Dublin.

JOE: For international audiences that watch City of Blood and really enjoy it, would you have any recommendations of other German TV shows that they can check out? Feel free to name some you've been in.

FW: Oh sure, I will.

There's one called, I think the international title is [Der Pass]. It's an Austrian-German show. There was also a show named The Tunnel, between France and England. It's based on that story; a very good show.

We have a lot... Babylon Berlin. I'm not part of Babylon Berlin, but it's also a very, very good German show.

JOE: In recent years, non-English language shows have become a lot more popular in English-speaking territories. As a German actor, what do you think has led to that change? Because it's been great to see. You get to watch cool things from around the world.

FW: I don't know. Maybe we're getting braver to tell big stories. Because we had times in Germany that, I don't know, maybe the courage to tell big stories and do big pictures, a little bit of pathos, you know, wasn't so common.

Maybe it started all with Dark on Netflix, maybe. It was a very good show and very new...

JOE: ...Which you were in as well.

FW: Yeah! A small part in Dark. Yeah, that's true.

JOE: City of Blood looks very expensive. I was just wondering how you went about shooting these wide expanses of this futuristic Berlin?

FW: Yeah, we didn't shoot in Berlin; I think it [was] just five days out of 100. Mostly, we shot in Prague and the Czech Republic.

It was very expensive, as far as I know. But a lot of things were created with CGI and computer techniques.

How to watch and where is it streaming?

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City of Blood can be streamed in its entirety on Disney+ from Wednesday, 16 September.