FANS are thrilled that Vienna Blood has returned to BBC Two for a third series this winter.
The thrilling crime drama transports viewers back to the 1900s, but is the series based on a true story? Here’s everything you need to know.
Vienna Blood has returned to BBC Two for a third season
Is Vienna Blood based on a true story?
Hit BBC Two series Vienna Blood is not a true story and is not based on real events.
Instead the show is an adaptation of Frank Tallis’s Liebermann best-selling book series.
Author Frank is also a clinical psychologist – which helps him write his much-loved crime thrillers.
He has authored nine crime novels to date, including the collection of books known as the Liebermann Papers – for which he has received several awards.
There are seven novels and one short story in the Liebermann Papers series so far, published between 2005 and 2018.
The first season of Vienna Blood was adapted from the first three novels in the series.
The latest season of the crime drama is also based on the book series, with the first episode having the same title as the fifth book in the collection – Deadly Communion.
What is Vienna Blood about?
Starring Matthew Beard and Juergen Maurer, Vienna Blood is set in 1900s Vienna – a hot bed of philosophy, science and art, where a clash of cultures and ideas play out in the city’s grand cafes and opera houses.
A brilliant young English doctor, Max Liebermann (Matthew), and Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen) investigate a series of unusual and disturbing murders.
Max’s extraordinary skills of perception and psychology and Oskar’s forceful tenacity lead them to solve some of Vienna’s most mysterious and deadly cases.
Speaking on the latest season, Sue Deeks, BBC Head of Programme Acquisition, said: “We are truly delighted to welcome Vienna Blood back to BBC Two and iPlayer.
”What better way to spend a winter’s evening than to watch Max and Oskar as they attempt to solve three more ingenious murder mysteries in such a gloriously opulent setting.”
What happened in Vienna Blood seasons 1 and 2?
Starting in 2019, viewers have now enjoyed two seasons of Vienna Blood – with the third now underway.
But what happened in seasons one and two? Here’s a recap.
In the crime dramas very first season, viewers watched as a medium was found dead in mysterious circumstances – and of course, Dr Max Liebermann was called upon by Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt of the Vienna Police to assist in finding the murderer.
The second episode then saw Max’s engagement party interrupted by news of a grotesque series of murders in Vienna’s slums.
Oskar quickly arrested a suspect and found circumstantial evidence to support a conviction – but Max wasn’t convinced that they had the right man.
The final episode of the series concluded with Max’s nephew suffering from a breakdown after the drowning of a fellow cadet at a military academy.
The police department denied any suspicions but Max shown Oskar a pattern of violence and believed that they were looking at foul play.
Then in 2021, Vienna Blood returned to our screens once more – and with even more mystery.
The first episode of the season two focused on a depressed Hungarian Countess who drowned in the bath of her luxury hotel suite.
At first it appeared to be suicide, but later evidence uncovered it was in fact a murder investigation – and intense scrutiny fell on her psychoanalyst, Max Liebermann.
Investigating Officer Oskar Rheinhardt teamed up with Max to solve the riddle of the Countess’ death and clear Max’s professional reputation.
In the second instalment, a young pick pocketer stumbled upon a mutilated corpse in Vienna’s slum quarter.
The secret services warned Oskar that the investigation was not the concern of the his police department – however, when Oskar received anonymous messages relating to the murder, he couldn’t resist delving further.
To finish season two, the final episode saw the discovery of a monk found brutally murdered in his monastery.
A suspect was arrested, but Max didn’t think the man in question killed the monk.
Instead, to untangle the web of deceit Max and Oskar went undercover to find out the truth.
And now season three has arrived!
The third season premiered on BBC Two on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 9pm.
The following episodes will air each week at the same time, with the final instalment hitting screens on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
But, if you can’t wait – all episodes from Season one, two and three are available to watch on the channels streaming platform, BBC iPlayer.
