Harry & Derrick

In 1998 millions of people tuned in for Das Abscheidsgeschenk, (the farewell gift), the final episode of Aus der Reihe Derrick. The show was well known for its non violent content and lack of bloodshed. Generally, the bad guys would simply confess their crimes to the warm listening ear of Stefan Derrick. Still, people around the globe wanted to know whether Derrick would also survive the final episode or whether maybe, finally, one of the many criminals he’d put away over the years would try to get their revenge. In the episode, Derrick lives to run Interpol.

281 episodes of Aus der Reihe Derrick turned Tappert into a cult figure. The slightly stooping, polite police inspector and his trusted sidekick Harry solved crime like gentlemen. The fact that in later years Tappert had to wear more and more elaborate toupets and a girdle that made it impossible for him to even sit down naturally only added to his charms.

The only German actor to have fanclubs throughout the world and recently a discoteque named after him in The Netherlands, Tappert made tv history.

Last weekend, Horst Tappert died at the age of 85. Luckily, this is not really the end, because the series has been in reruns for years and even today for instance in France In France L’inspecteur Derrick and Harry are still solving crimes. Harry, hol schon mal den Wagen!