The Olsen Gang of Würchwitz

Episode 1

The Olsen Gang of Würchwitz—these are former mayor Friedrich-Karl Steinbach as Egon Olsen, village blacksmith Andreas “Mäxchen” Schaller as Kjeld, master painter Steffen Gruner as Benny, and bank employee Steffi Pöschel as the flamboyant Yvonne. They all have a plan, hatched by former biology teacher Helmut “Humus” Pöschel and dentist Thomas “Peng” Linzner. They want to shoot a new feature film, which is scheduled to hit cinemas on December 5, 2015. The amateur filmmakers begin their fifth film with the final scene—the sentencing of the Olsen Gang. It is being filmed at the Higher Regional Court in Naumburg with a real prosecutor, the former district administrator of Burgenlandkreis, and more than 30 extras, including a courtroom artist.

After the elaborate shoot, everyone slips back into their everyday roles: Mäxchen, who still practices old-world craftsmanship in his forge from 1749, and dentist Thomas Linzner at his construction site. He wants to open a new practice in six weeks. Steffi and Steffen look for flamboyant fabrics so that Steffen can sew a new film costume for Steffi once again. The two used to be a couple. Now Steffen is just Steffi’s “personal tailor.” Friedrich-Karl looks after his horses and sheep, the latter of which have a very special task. Humus and Peng are forging ambitious plans—they want to hire a prominent TV detective for their new film. Will it work out, and who will it be?

Episode 2

Today, the Würchwitz Olsen Gang deals with a prominent investigator. The famous TV detective is to be picked up at Leipzig Central Station. But first, it is the gang itself that causes a great stir there. Egon has to sign autographs, and when a school class from Novosibirsk starts singing the Olsen Gang song, the Würchwitz locals are absolutely thrilled. In all the hustle and bustle, they almost forget to welcome Jaecki Schwarz, who is hunting Egon Olsen as a Chief Inspector without a fee. The Danish rogue, who cracked a “Franz Jäger Berlin” safe in a Zeitz train using a stethoscope and intuition. After the long filming sessions, which the professional completed without any complications, they head to the former “Benny’s” Triebe winery in Würchwitz, where Jaecki Schwarz celebrates with the Würchwitz Olsen Gang until late into the night. But the next high-profile visitor is already lurking in Würchwitz—a mite cheese professor from Japan, who wants to explore the secret of the “crawling cheese” in Humus’s Mite Cheese Museum. A specialty made from low-fat quark and rye flour, which millions of mites allow to ripen into a rare type of cheese, valued by enthusiasts as the “truffle” among cheeses, though it ranks among the ten most disgusting delicacies in the world online. The mite professor from Japan is impressed by the Würchwitz cheese. Friedrich-Karl Steinbach needs a new horseshoe for his horse and naturally goes to the village blacksmith and gang colleague Mäxchen. But he is plagued by great worries. He has a large order and wants to quit the filmmaking. Cameraman Peng is completely stunned when Mäxchen delivers the news. And so the day of shooting with a 1948 URSUS goes completely wrong. The mood is ruined, and Humus and the cameraman get into an argument. The Würchwitz Olsen Gang is in a bind. Will they get out of it?

Episode 3

In Sieglitz, the police march in with full gear and real weapons to catch Egon Olsen. The three officers from the Burgenlandkreis station play law enforcers in their spare time, hunting a Danish rogue. Naturally, they also work without a fee, out of fun and enthusiasm for the eccentric villagers. Peng has his son with him during filming for the first time, as he currently doesn’t see him at all. The filming and the practice expansion consume all his time. And there is still no end in sight, even though the new rooms should have been finished long ago. The blacksmith is plagued by a guilty conscience. Can he leave the gang in the lurch? No. And so he now works day and night in the forge, unless he is on set. Meanwhile, Steffen displays designer qualities. He has finished sewing the costume for the flamboyant Yvonne—without a pattern. The dress is a hit, and what Steffen conjures up from an old hat could hold its own on the international stage. Steffi is thrilled and shines during a shoot at the Leipzig racecourse.

A little later, she even takes off—in a plane that the gang also got for free. From a Zeitz dentist and hobby pilot who was once a fan of the Danish Olsen Gang and is now thrilled by what the Würchwitz locals are achieving. And so he organized a second plane so that Peng could also film from the outside as the flamboyant Yvonne goes in search of the Olsen Gang. In the evening in Bockwitz, at the Würchwitz locals’ regular pub, Humus presents a surprise. As a thank you to the gang, their families, and all the helpers, a weekend trip to Switzerland is planned. Steffen is delighted. He hopes to pursue his great passion—shopping—in Zurich. But this plan will go thoroughly wrong, at least for him. Peng hopes that his plans for the practice will finally become a reality, because after all, he also has to edit the film. 1,000 tickets for the cinema premiere on December 5 have already been sold, and the beginning isn’t even finished yet.

Episode 4