Tatort: 'Was ihr nicht seht' — Dresden episode repeated on Das Erste as MDR reportedly ends production
The Dresden episode 'Was ihr nicht seht', first broadcast in November 2023, returned to Das Erste as a repeat on 2 August 2026 — even as reports suggest MDR will not continue producing the Dresden Tatort for now.
Tatort: Was ihr nicht seht is the 1249th episode of the German crime series Tatort, produced by MDR and set in Dresden. It first aired on 5 November 2023 on Das Erste, SRF and ORF, and was repeated on Das Erste on 2 August 2026.
The Dresden Tatort episode "Was ihr nicht seht" returned to German television screens on 2 August 2026, when Das Erste showed it as a repeat. The film first aired on 5 November 2023, simultaneously on SRF, ORF and Das Erste, and is the 1,249th episode of the long-running crime series. Produced by MDR Fernsehen, the episode marks the 16th case for Dresden investigators Karin Gorniak and Peter Michael Schnabel, and the 10th for Leonie Winkler. According to reports, the plot begins with a woman waking disoriented beside her stabbed boyfriend, a knife in her hand, while one investigator doubts her guilt. The repeat comes at an uncertain moment for the Dresden team. Reports suggest MDR will not continue producing the city's Tatort for the time being, which would leave Gorniak and Schnabel's future unclear. Reception of the episode itself was mixed: one review judged it negatively, saying it lacks rhythm. MDR also made a sign-language version available.
Dresden Tatort returns to screens in August 2026 repeat
The Dresden-set Tatort episode "Was ihr nicht seht" returned to German television on 2 August 2026, when it was shown as a repeat on Das Erste. The episode, produced by MDR Fernsehen, had originally premiered on 5 November 2023 across SRF, ORF and Das Erste.
According to netzwelt.de, RBB also listed Tatort broadcast dates covering July and August 2026, with episodes available via streaming and the ARD Mediathek. Whether the 2 August showing formed part of those RBB listings or was a separate broadcast is not clear from the available information.
Premiere broadcast
Tatort broadcast dates listed by RBB begin (July–August 2026)
Episode shown as a repeat on Das Erste
The 1249th Tatort: Gorniak and Schnabel's 16th case
"Was ihr nicht seht" is the 1249th episode of the long-running German crime series Tatort, produced by MDR Fernsehen. It was first broadcast on 5 November 2023, airing simultaneously on SRF in Switzerland, ORF in Austria and Das Erste in Germany.
The case belongs to the Dresden team. It is the 16th investigation for Karin Gorniak and Peter Michael Schnabel, and the 10th for Leonie Winkler, who also appears in the episode's investigation, according to reports.
The plot, as described in coverage of the episode, opens with a striking scene: a woman wakes disoriented, a knife in her hand, beside the body of her stabbed boyfriend. She falls under suspicion, but reports suggest one of the investigators harbours doubts about her guilt — a tension that drives the case forward.
Martin Brambach is among the actors associated with Tatort, though his role in this particular episode has not been confirmed. The Dresden setting places the story in the city where the Gorniak and Schnabel team has long been based.
Critical reception and a sign-language version
Not all responses to the episode were favourable. One review of the Dresden instalment judged it negatively, saying it lacks a sense of rhythm and does not need to be seen, according to reports.
On accessibility, the MDR made a version of the episode with sign language interpretation available, reports suggest. The WDR, meanwhile, provided accompanying information about the episode on its website, according to the broadcaster's own pages. Both offerings gave viewers additional ways to engage with the film beyond its original broadcast.
An uncertain future for the Dresden Tatort
Reports suggest that MDR will not, for the time being, continue producing the Dresden Tatort. According to these reports, the broadcaster has decided to halt production of the long-running team centred on investigators Karin Gorniak and Peter Michael Schnabel, though no official confirmation of the move has been given.
What remains unclear is when this decision was taken. The available sources do not say whether MDR reached it before or after the episode's first broadcast on 5 November 2023, or at some later point. Nor is it established whether "Was ihr nicht seht" — the team's 16th case, and Leonie Winkler's 10th — will stand as the final Dresden instalment of the series.
The repeat showing of the episode on Das Erste on 2 August 2026 therefore arrives at an uncertain moment for the Dresden production. Whether viewers will see Gorniak and Schnabel investigate again, or whether the series ends here, is a question the current reporting does not answer.
Frequently asked questions
When was Tatort: Was ihr nicht seht first broadcast?
The episode was first broadcast on 5 November 2023, airing simultaneously on SRF in Switzerland, ORF in Austria and Das Erste in Germany. It is the 1249th episode in the long-running Tatort crime series and was produced by MDR Fernsehen. A repeat was later shown on Das Erste on 2 August 2026, and broadcast dates for Tatort episodes were also listed by RBB for July and August 2026.
What is the plot of the Dresden Tatort episode Was ihr nicht seht?
According to reports, the episode is set in Dresden and follows the city's investigators Karin Gorniak and Peter Michael Schnabel, working their 16th case, alongside Leonie Winkler in her 10th case. The plot reportedly begins with a woman waking up disoriented, holding a knife, next to her stabbed boyfriend. The story centres on the woman coming under suspicion while one investigator doubts her guilt.
Who are the investigators in Was ihr nicht seht?
The case is handled by Dresden detectives Karin Gorniak and Peter Michael Schnabel, for whom it is their 16th investigation in the series. Leonie Winkler also appears, with the episode marking her 10th case. Martin Brambach is an actor associated with Tatort, though his specific role in this episode has not been established in the available information.
Was Was ihr nicht seht repeated on television?
Yes. The episode was shown again as a repeat on Das Erste on 2 August 2026. RBB also listed Tatort broadcast dates for July and August 2026, with episodes available via streaming and the ARD Mediathek, though it is unclear whether the 2 August showing was part of those listings. MDR reportedly also made a version of the episode with sign language interpretation available.
Is MDR still making the Dresden Tatort?
According to reports, MDR will not continue producing the Dresden Tatort for the time being. However, the available information does not say when this decision was made or whether Was ihr nicht seht, the team's 16th case first aired in 2023, is the final Dresden episode. One review of the episode judged it negatively, saying it lacks a sense of rhythm.
Compiled from reporting by 9 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
