"For our internal security" SVP National Councillor wants to impose cult show on SRF by the state
"Aktenzeichen XY ... Ungelöst" has captivated TV audiences since 1967. SRF left as co-producer in 2003. National Councillor Lukas Reimann (SVP/SG) wants the original true-crime format back in the regular program.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- National Councillor Lukas Reimann (SVP) is calling for the return of "Aktenzeichen XY ... Ungelöst" to the regular SRF program, as he considers the show to be an effective tool for crime detection and prevention.
- Although the show used to be broadcast in Switzerland, it was discontinued in 2003 for ratings reasons; two special broadcasts are planned for 2025 and 2026, but Reimann is calling for a fixed monthly slot.
- Despite his support for halving the Serafe fees, Reimann believes the investment in Aktenzeichen XY is justified, as he says it contributes to public safety and reaches an audience of millions.
"Aktenzeichen XY ... Ungelöst" is one of the most successful shows on German-language television and is considered the world's first true crime format. One of its regular viewers is National Councillor Lukas Reimann (SVP/SG). "Yes, I'm a fan, I always watch the show on ZDF and also listen to the XY podcasts," he tells blue News on the phone.
And now he is calling for "Aktenzeichen XY ... Ungelöst" to return to SRF's regular program with a motion.
The show is a long-running hit. Its first presenter, Eduard Zimmermann, who is also its creator, is one of the TV legends in the German-speaking world. From 1967, he presented unsolved criminal cases, some of which were re-enacted by actors. He asked viewers for help, who could report their clues to the studio by telephone during the show.
Successful, but accused of scaremongering
From 1969, Swiss television was part of the production, with cases from Switzerland captivating the national broadcaster's audience. The most frightening crimes were always the talk of the day after the program. But "Aktenzeichen XY", as the show was usually called, was also criticized. Quite a few accused it of scaremongering - its face, Eduard Zimmermann, is said to have been on an RAF death list, according to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.
But in 2003, the TV manhunt for criminals came to an end in Switzerland. The then editor-in-chief of SF DRS - now SRF - told "persönlich.com" that the show would have to be moved from Fridays to Thursdays, where it would displace higher-rated programs.
In 2025 and 2026, "Aktenzeichen XY ... ungelöst" will return to the SRF program with two editions - one of which will deal with the violent death of a Bulgarian prostitute who was found in Lake Lucerne in 2014.
"Great added value for security"
Lukas Reimann is not satisfied with two special programs on SRF. With a motion, he is calling for a fixed, monthly slot for the public search for criminals on screen. "Out of around 5,800 criminal cases broadcast, around 38 percent were solved," the lawyer says in the motion text, promoting the program. As impressive as this figure is, it is impossible to determine how many of these cases would have been solved without TV exposure.
Reimann counters this on the phone: "The podcast 'Aktenzeichen XY ... gelöst' repeatedly shows how a tip-off after the TV show made a decisive contribution to the investigation." This is probably not true for all cases, but certainly for many cases that were solved after the broadcast.
In the justification for his motion, Reimann states that "Aktenzeichen XY" is a valuable tool for crime prevention, for example in the areas of fraud or femicide. What's more: "There is no other television program that brings such great added value for security, society and the population."
In an interview with blue News, he adds that the programs also regularly explain how to protect yourself from grandchild fraudsters and online scams.
"Not scaremongering, but a reflection of reality"
In the ZDF program, "Aktenzeichen XY" is by far the product with the highest ratings, praises Reimann. Even among the less TV-oriented audience of 14 to 49-year-olds, it achieves a market share of 20 percent.
The show helps the police to solve serious and difficult cases. It also promotes public safety by awarding the XY Prize for Civil Courage to "people who intervene courageously and in an exemplary manner in emergency situations to protect others".
For all these reasons, it is "incomprehensible and wrong that Switzerland no longer participates in XY and thus also deprives Swiss law enforcement authorities of the opportunity to regularly search, investigate and clear up cases in a way that attracts millions of viewers."
blue News wants to know from Reimann whether the dramatic staging of real crimes is necessary in order to obtain information from the public. He replies: "It's obviously the form that reaches people. You also have to sell the content so that enough people watch."
He turns the accusation that the show is scaremongering into a positive one: "It can have a positive effect if people become aware that criminals are out and about and behave more cautiously. After all, the show is a reflection of reality."
Halving initiative and "Aktenzeichen XY" not a contradiction for Reimann
Lukas Reimann is a declared supporter of the halving initiative, which aims to reduce Serafe fees to 200 francs - which could only be achieved with further drastic cost-cutting measures. However, he believes that the cost of re-entering the show as co-producer of "Aktenzeichen XY ... Ungelöst" - which the SVP politician is not familiar with - is justified. "It's a question of priorities. As a public service, the Tagesschau is even higher up the list for me," explains Reimann.
In general, positive things about SRF rarely come from the SVP. If it were to bring "Aktenzeichen XY" back on screen, it would probably appease one critic, Lukas Reimann.
