The story
In 1899 the steamship Kerberos leaves Southampton for New York, carrying passengers from many countries who hope to start again – and who all seem to be hiding something. Mid-ocean, the ship comes across the Prometheus, a vessel that went missing four months earlier, and the discovery sets off a chain of events that makes everyone question what is real. True to its many-nations premise, characters speak their own languages.
Why it matters
From the creators of Dark, 1899 is the costliest German TV series to date and was shot on a new virtual-production stage at Studio Babelsberg. Its cancellation, weeks after Netflix said it was the most-watched title in 58 countries, drew pointed criticism of the streamer's habit of ending series early.
Notable facts
- Its first two episodes premiered at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2022. (source)
- The budget was at least €60 million, with Netflix investing €48 million. (source)
- It was filmed on a virtual-production stage called Volume at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam. (source)
- A fan petition to save the show had passed 100,000 signatures by July 2024. (source)