BBC Vienna Blood recap as series 4 set to differ from first three series

BBC's hit crime drama Vienna Blood is set to return for a fourth series. The upcoming season of the riveting thriller, based on Frank Talli's bestselling Liebermann novels, will premiere on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, August 4.

The fourth series will see Juergen Maurer, Matthew Beard, Amelia Bullmore, Conleth Hill and Charlene McKenna all return to their roles. As the acclaimed drama makes its comeback, many viewers will be trying to recall the events of the third series, which was broadcasted on the channel back in December 2022.

In an unprecedented move, BBC chiefs have confirmed that, unlike the previous three series, the fourth season will feature a single story titled Mephisto Waltz unfolding over two suspense-filled episodes.

Sue Deeks, BBC head of programme acquisition, expressed her excitement, she said: "This is such an exciting event a Vienna Blood case so big it needs to be told over two thrilling episodes. What a treat we have in store!".

Indeed, the fourth series of Vienna Blood takes place in 1909, with a year having passed for the characters. Writer and executive producer, Steve Thompson, shed some light on where we find Oskar Rheinhardt and Max Liebermann in the new season.

He said:"Oskar and Max's lives have changed and they've gone in different directions. Okcar's career has not gone quite as well as he'd hoped. He's made a terrible mistake at work and as a result is facing demotion.

"Max's career, by contrast, is on the ascent. The first time we meet Max, he's just come back from New York. He's been giving a lecture tour. He's suddenly the name on everybody's lips and become a famous name in his field. When they meet again, they're very, very different people. They're not the buddies they were before. There's a little bit of distance between them because they're in incredibly different places."

This picks up after the dramatic finale of season three when Oskar and Max had to solve the puzzling death of a celebrated film actress during her latest premiere. But hints of discord surfaced after Max authored a book delving into the criminal psyche, recounting events from their shared escapades, prompting Oskar to question if their collaboration was mere fodder for Max's ego.

After splitting up with Therese in a series three farewell, Juergen Maurer discusses Oskar's situation in the upcoming season.

He explained: "We find Oskar in his regular job confronted with a very hard task. He is not with Therese because she dumped him at the end of series 3. Oskar is still the lone wolf he used to be."

Matthew Beard, who portrays Max, also provided an update on his character's situation, he said: "At the beginning of series four, Max returns from a successful lecture tour in New York where he has been spreading Freudianism very successfully. And he's got a promotion. He is the Director of the Neurology department. There's a lot going on in his life and I think he's enjoying all of that. But I also think he's particularly happy when Oskar shows up with a new case for him."

Mark your calendars, as Vienna Blood is set to premiere on Sunday, August 4 at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.