Political show flops
The week's news at a glance.
Berlin
A German network’s attempt at a political drama similar to NBC’s The West Wing has failed because of the inherent lack of drama in German politics. The Chancellor’s Office, a fictional account of life in the German government that premiered this month, featured story lines about a reporter trading sex for scoops and a Cabinet minister on drugs. Television critics panned the show as “stupid” and “boring.” But politicians said the show was not nearly boring enough. “The seat of government is really a very quiet place,” said former Cabinet member Egon Bahr. “You don’t see people running around wildly, rushing from one office to another.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Five takeaways from Rachel Reeves' Spending Review
The Explainer The winners and losers as the government sets its budgets for the next four years
-
Is Hamas losing control in Gaza?
Today's Big Question Balance of power among remaining leaders shifts as rival group emerges and population turns
-
Mario Kart World: Nintendo Switch 2's flagship game is 'unfailingly fun'
The Week Recommends The 'thrilling' racer includes a range of new features including open-world exploration