defilmtv1-8, Exercise 1: Why television allowed long dramas

Model answer:

The public broadcasters had a stable income from the licence fee and long time slots that did not have to be filled with the most commercial programmes, and they co-financed films. A director with an ambitious project could therefore turn to television for money and room.

Two examples: Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980), about fourteen hours; Edgar Reitz's Heimat (1984), eleven parts of about fifteen hours. Das Boot (as a series) is also acceptable.

Check the lengths and dates in a reference.