In the new episode of the popular TV series, “Bundschuh Family – Bundschuh vs. Bundschuh” (October 2nd, 8:15 p.m., ZDF), Gundula (Andrea Sawatzki, 60) and Gerald Bundschuh (Axel Milberg, 67) appear as candidates against each other for the mayor’s office. While she focuses primarily on social projects and wants to revitalize the empty village shop, for example, he has more of an eye on community finances. With this in mind, he shows the place to investors for a pig fattening facility. These conflicting aspirations and the activities of the other eccentric family members – all of them at work with great enthusiasm – lead to the usual turbulent and entertaining complications in the family and throughout the place where they live.
Actress Sawatzki, who also wrote the “Bundschuh” novels, tells the broadcaster what qualifies Gundula for the office of mayor: “What sets her apart is that she can listen well and takes needs seriously. She doesn’t make empty promises she fights to the death to achieve her goals.”
And what would you do if you held a political office such as that of Chancellor? “Even if you had good ideas, it would fail in other areas, unfortunately we know that from politics,” she says rather resignedly. “What is certain is that old people and children are still the disadvantaged in our society,” she says, after all, naming sore points. She is already involved with both social groups as “patron of the German Alzheimer’s Society and also the ‘A Place for Children’ foundation”. From this work, Sawatzki knows: “It’s missing in every nook and cranny.”
With Axel Milberg the answer is more philosophical. If he were Chancellor, he would “give the ponderous people more momentum, the thoughtful ones more courage and the clever ones persuasiveness,” he explains to ZDF. In addition, the actor dreams of “supplies for everyone”, “a lot of empathy” and peace: “Some days, for example, on Tempelhofer Feld [leisure area on the site of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, ed.] it looks like “The world would be peaceful, friendly, tolerant, colorful and plenty of space for everyone. For flowerbeds and kites, for bicycles and skaters, for couples and loners,” he enthuses.
“Bundschuh vs. Bundschuh” is the eighth film in the series that began in 2015 with “Take a deep breath, the family is coming.” After a two-year break, things continued every year: “There was never any talk of relaxation” (2017), “Of course you are invited” (2018), “We are doing our Abitur” (2019), “The Bundschuh family in the Christmas chaos” (2020) , “It’s not quieter anywhere else” (2021) and in 2022 the Corona episode “Under Lock” was broadcast. A ninth film is said to have been ordered, reports “Bild am Sonntag”.
The current film is already available in the media library and “Bundschuh” fans are already discussing it on Andrea Sawatzki’s Instagram page. The actress herself also chimed in and commented with a tearful smiley: “Thekla, I think my mother Ilse is missing. But otherwise I’m a fan of the film.” Actress Thekla Carola Wied (79) left the series at the end of “It’s not quieter anywhere else” when the Bundschuh family moved to an old manor house in the country.
