User reviews

Highly original. Script, acting and production all excellent. I got hooked on subtitles recently through netflix, as being rather a good way to "read" in bed. Didn't quite believe the love interest between Luc and Anna Marie and didn't like the way she was portrayed as constantly relying on him for assistance .

Although almost each episode was a stand-alone mystery, all the characters evolved throughout the season. It wasn't just about Luc, or solving crimes. There was a very human and very realistic basis to the whole series. All-in-all very satisfying to watch.

This just popped up on Netflix and I was desperate for something new and different so I gave it a look and so glad I did. I have only watched a few episodes so far but they are great. It's a little formulaic but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment. Great mysteries, wonderful characters, unpredictable, love the quirky intern LOL his hair when he first showed up was hilarious. Really good solid whodunnit mystery series with a little dark humour and absurdity thrown in for good measure. Love the conflicting and complex relationship between the main character and his ex- peers from the police too. Great binge watching material as long as you're not a big baby about reading subtitles.

Alle Pointen sind ein Freudenfest für die deutschen Zuschauer: Wenn sich etwa zwei Schweizer schier unverständlich am Tatort unterhalten, bis einer der beiden selbst auflöst "... und jetzt noch mal auf Deutsch". Oder wenn der österreichische Pathologe mit Wiener Schmäh den sarkastischen Konterer mimt, wenn er über eine obduzierte Leiche sagt: "Den Spuren zu urteilen hatte er ein hartes, entbehrungsreiches Leben - also kein typischer Schweizer." Originel und ungewöhnlich im Panorama der heutigen TV Serien... und gute Schauspieler.

If you are looking for something different with plot and characters that keep you hooked look no further.If you enjoyed Wallander you will enjoy this series.

After working through all 4 series over Xmas i am still left wanting more. Most episodes are stand alone who & how dunnits as Luc Conrad undertaker, unable to ignore his well honed instincts after many years working as a detective, picks up murder victims the local police have, and sometimes haven't, missed.

The world of undertaking knows no boundaries. We follow Luc as he and his unlikely employee Fabio, collect bodies from almost every conceivable venue.

The acting, camera work and carefully chosen background music help build suspense and drama.

Great sub plots running throughout and well developed characters.

Despite the dark subject, and sometimes heavy plot line, gentle humour lightens the load. To top it all the series provides an insight into the world of undertaking and gives space to reflect on life and death.

Why is nobody watching this series? No reviews yet? I stumbled upon this magnificent series on Netflix by accident and I binged the whole first two seasons in a total of a few weeks. Now I have to wait for the following seasons....

The story is about Luc, a former police inspector (overweight, unhealthy life style, grumpy, like they should) who has taken over the family business funeral home, undertaker business after his retirement from the police due to some accident of sorts. He lives in the funeral home, together with the dead (corpses) he is handling and the former assistant (and lover) of his belated father. In the first episode he gets a new young assistant, a metal alto male Gothic without a drivers license and with many alternative ideas about life and the world in general. This alone stands for lots of very funny and crazy moments in the conversations. The writing here is excellent! Then there is Anne Maria, Luc's former police detective (and maybe lover you think?) who is now the city's police inspector and her officers.

The whole idea is that Luc - although not official police anymore, can't stay away from solving cases, especially about the dead people he has to pick up at crime scenes and has to work on in his funeral home.

The fact that the actors speak Swiss German is no problem for me, because I speak both German and French (the language has a little bit of both) but hey, there are subtitles in Dutch and English, so please don't let that be your downfall missing out on this little gem.

We speak of a crime series with lots of serious notes here, but the comical twists and characters make it very enjoyable to watch. Season 2 works towards a very shocking and intricate finale, so don't think it's the easiest watch you ever had.

Summary: great writing, great acting, witty as well as very serious, good solid and current murder cases, very very enjoyable to watch!

Thank God for European TV and film. There is a place for dumpy, grouchy and complex romantic lead parts in major TV shows and film we don't seem to grasp in this country. The hit series The Undertaker is a prime example of beautiful casting, superb acting and directing of well written crime stories based around the Swiss town of Aarau, Switzerland. The former Head Detective has left the force to take over his late father's Funerial Parlor and his former lover has replaced him. Unfortunately for her his crime solving abilities keep interrupting her investigations leading to conflict at work and in their unsorted/unspoken feelings for one another. (It should be noted that both actors won awards for their performances in the roles.) Luc is over 40, overweight, opinionated and deeply in love but afraid/unwilling to open up due to issues in his past. Anna Maria knows/knew he is/was her chance at a normal life but as the series progresses we learn she has demons from her family life she has difficulty facing. Is it a soap opera? No. One of the things that makes The Undertaker great is how the writing team develops the mysteries with the romance as subtext. Eventually they add a character who further exacerbates both aspects along with a horrific crime story that permeates season two and three. I love Anna Maria's character and the way Barbara breathes life into her. Mike is also the perfect Luc. There is so much to like here. The series is still in production as of 2018 and MHZ Choice has 4 series available (European series are not necessarily broadcast in the back to back manner as here in the States.) although they do not always coinside with the Scheduled episodes. I am now mid season 3 and am forcing to slow myself down or I will binge self out of this enjoyable diversion. Don't sweat the subtitles and enjoy the show.

This show is fantastic - I also watched most episodes very quickly and now I cant wait for season 3. Love the characters, wit, Luc's eye rolls and facial expressions... the subtitles don't faze me one bit. Keep this great show coming.....love it. I was mesmerized from the first episode. The story lines are great and well written, and the characters really compliment one another. The only comment I would make is that they all touch dead bodies and no one seems to wear gloves or wash their hands. I know its only a show but to me its a bit gross. Luc is a great actor and acts our his part in the show extremely well. Fabio, Anna-Maria and Erika are all great as well. I truly hope the series continues for a few more years.

So let me tell you, when Luc Conrad (Mike Müller) started out in the first season, people were curious about the new production the Swiss television brought to life. Little did they know, "Der Bestatter" was becoming iconic for Swiss people nowadays. From elders to teenagers, everybody loves the series. The budget they had and still have is compared to other European standards very low. Moreover, the city it's set in, Aarau, has some beautiful parts and you get to see plenty in the series. Also, one episode you will come across "Ömer's Imbiss", sort of a fast food trailer in the middle of the city, this guy is no actor, he really did sell hot dogs and stuff like that there for decades! He just retired recently. Give it a shot, you get to experience not only mysterious crimes but also kind of a portray of Swiss Culture.

This Series is one of the best TV-Show in Switzerland. I hope they will continue as long they can. I can just recommend it to everyone who like a good Story. Watch a trailer and some episodes you will like it. :)

There are many shows from Europe that are very cheesy and frankly, boring to watch. Why? Because they recycle, like Hollywood, the same tired tropes. This show is in that genre of recycled tropes but they make it fun. The characters and the actors are engaging. There is clearly a chemistry between them all. Could somethings have been better? Sure. But, it was fun to watch.

I love this show! It's exciting, has good acting, and the conversations are very funny! Give it a go, if you like crime series with a good touch of comedy. Hope this doesn't get cancelled too early, as the episodes are still witty and fresh.

/refers to Seasons 1-6/

Apart from general aspects of policing, this Series provides information how is the process of handling corpses in Switzerland, paving the way for the courses of events and enabling an undertaker to take an interest in crimes and mostly assisting the police, not hindering them. True, the depiction is not always smooth and the cases not too catchy, but Switzerland is a safe country and Aargau is hardly a place of serious crime... I am sure that the frequency of crimes depicted is bigger anyway :)

The real gem of this Series are characters and performances (previously unknown persons to me), particularly in the Luc Conrad´s office (policemen are more conventional). Mike Müller, Reto Stalder, Suly Röthlisberger - all seemingly great character actors. Their interaction creats giggling moments, but their attitude towards the deceased is always respectable.

Otherwise 8 points, but 9 points due to its country of origin. And I am looking forward to further seasons.