Group therapy on the big screen and celery shots instead of champagne. For the preview screening of the ARD series “Die Friesenjunkies”, Berlin’s Delphi Filmpalast was transformed into an exclusive addiction clinic straight out of Sylt, complete with a surprise appearance by Otto Waalkes. The eight-part improvised dramedy is now streaming on ARD Mediathek and airs on Das Erste on November 13 and 14.

Joining series creators and stars Oskar and Emil Belton, along with representatives of ARD, ARD Degeto Film, Radio Bremen, hr and production company Kleine Brüder, were cast members Pheline Roggan, Sylvie Meis, Shadi Eck, Stephan Luca, Arman Kashani, Marie-Lou Sellem, Peter Kurth, Marie Lina Smyrek, Maradona Akkouch, Sönke Möhring, Marc Hosemann, Ute Böhnke, Fabian Rashagai, Jogi Kaiser, Enrique Fiß and Katy Karrenbauer, who all checked into the Berlin outpost of the fictional “Isebek” clinic. Among the celebrity guests were Evelyn Weigert, Julia Wulf, Emily Kusche, Helena Zengel, Nura Habib Omer, Katrin Bauerfeind, Nadine Breaty, Blumengarten and Checker Julian, along with many others.

The four episodes shown were an emotional rollercoaster, balancing comedy with heavier moments. Asked on stage how they approached the subject of addiction, Emil and Oskar Belton said: “The most important thing is to take your characters seriously. You can’t make fun of them or compromise who they are just for a laugh. You have to respect the world you’re portraying.”

Sylvie Meis, who plays the successful businesswoman Madison, was equally enthusiastic: “Working on a project like this was a dream come true. It was the best time of my life.”

The evening peaked with a surprise live performance by Otto Waalkes, who had the audience singing along to “Wir haben Grund zum Feiern” and “Friesenjung” and earned rapturous applause.

Synopsis

Welcome to “Isebek”, an exclusive rehab clinic on the island of Sylt. Celebrities, millionaires and ordinary people find themselves thrown together, united by one thing: their determination to overcome addiction.

But in this insular world of therapy, group sessions and detox, a different set of rules applies. Money and social status count for nothing. What matters are the personal demons, hidden struggles and darker sides of human nature that each patient brings with them.

All eight episodes of “Die Friesenjunkies” are now streaming on ARD Mediathek. The series also airs on Das Erste on Friday, November 13, at 11:50 p.m. and on Saturday, November 14, at 11:40 p.m.

“Die Friesenjunkies” is produced by Kleine Brüder GmbH (producers: Emil and Oskar Belton) and commissioned by ARD Degeto Film, Radio Bremen and hr for ARD. Commissioning editors: Carolin Haasis and Christoph Pellander (ARD Degeto Film), Lina Kokaly (Radio Bremen) and Jörg Himstedt (hr).