One of the most anticipated Netflix Original shows coming to Netflix in 2019, this German dark comedy will his screens on Friday 31 May (in all countries) – just in time for a weekend binge.

While we had a teaser back in April, the full trailer was only released on May 17, and promises a mix of the sophisticated and the silly.

The series is written by Philipp Kassbohrer and Matthias Murmann, who previously worked together on Neo Magazin. Lars Montag (Sex, Pity and Loneliness) directs the first half of the season, and Arne Feldhausen (Crime Scene Cleaner) takes over for the second half.

Plot and Cast

The show centres on Moritz Zimmermann, played by Maximillion Mundt (Tiger Milk, Radio Heimat), a young man dumped by the love of his life Lisa (Anna Lena Klenke), but determined to win her back. It turns out Lisa spent some time in the US, where she transformed into a pill popping party animal (a sign of what Germans think about the US society?) So, having clearly watched way too much television, he thinks that becoming a rich drug baron will give him everything he needs to win her back. So, what is the answer? Set up an online drug business in your bedroom with your best friend Lenny (Danilo Kamperidis) of course. Being invited into their special friendship and watching them grow up together gives the show its heart.

As well as a comedy caper, the show incorporates a pretty stark commentary on the contrasting connectivity and isolation of Generation Z. We also see Moritz applying all the contemporary advice for getting from “good to great” to make the most of his new entrepreneurial venture. In this way, it is also a commentary on the future of work.

True Story

The premise of the show is actually taken from the true story of a young man named Maximillion, who in 2013, when he was 18, launched a similar online drug business called ‘Shiny Flakes’. When the police eventually caught him in 2015, he had made 4 million euros. He is currently serving a 7 years prison sentence.

Episodes

Season one of How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) will have just six episodes, each of about 30 minutes, so it will be a short series that viewers will eat in a few hours.

Production

While the real Maximillion lived in Leipzig, Moritz will live in Cologne, and the series was filmed there between October and December 2018 by the Bilduntonfabrik production company.