ZDF

Mainz – September 12, 2026 -- German public broadcaster ZDF has confirmed a series of last-minute schedule swaps affecting its documentary lineup over the coming weeks, replacing several previously announced titles with different films at the same air times.

Terra X episodes get bumped for other documentaries

On Thursday, September 24, the 7:45 a.m. slot will air "Raubbau auf den Philippinen" (USA, 2024) instead of the planned "Terra X Harald Lesch: Der Wald - Wunderwelt im Wandel," with the rest of the day's schedule continuing as originally planned from 8:15 a.m.

On Friday, September 25, "Terra X: Albrecht Dürer - Superstar" (Germany, 2019) will replace "Terra X: Gustave Eiffel: Der Mann, der den Eiffelturm erfand" at 2:45 a.m., with programming resuming as scheduled from 3:45 a.m.

Mainz – September 11, 2026 -- The ZDF documentary "Die Nummer auf meinem Arm – Albrecht Weinberg und seine Geschichte," which first aired on June 4, 2024, is being released as a 90-minute cinema film titled "Albrecht Weinberg. Es ist immer in meinem Kopf" ("Albrecht Weinberg. It's Always in My Head"). The film opens in German theaters on Thursday, September 10, 2026, and will later air on ZDF following its cinema run.

Filmmakers Güner Jasemin Balci and Jesco Denzel directed the project, which follows Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg's return to Germany in 2012 after 60 years of exile in the United States.

Mainz – September 09, 2026 -- A new ZDF documentary examines how the global matcha craze is driving up prices, causing supply shortages, and fueling a market flooded with fake products. "Matcha – Genuss mit Beigeschmack" ("Matcha – A Bitter Aftertaste") streams on the ZDF platform starting Friday, September 11, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., and airs on ZDF television Sunday, October 13, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

Reporter Victoria Reichelt travels to Japan for the film, directed by Laura Hohmann, to trace matcha from tea field to social media feed.

Mainz – September 07, 2026 -- German broadcaster 3sat will air "Das Ich-Zeitalter: Zwischen Selbstverwirklichung und Selbstoptimierung," a documentary examining the booming self-optimization trend, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. The film, directed by Isabella Purkart, will remain available in the 3sat Mediathek for 90 days after broadcast.

The documentary follows several people who have built their lives around the pursuit of a "better self," a movement heavily promoted by influencers on social media.

A 26-year-old plans to be cryogenically frozen after death

In Frankfurt am Main, filmmaker Lena Hager meets Vimal Kamaraj, 26, who has arranged to have his body frozen after he dies. He hopes future medical advances will one day revive him, and he already structures his daily routine around longevity practices.

September 07, 2026 – Mainz -- German broadcaster ZDF has revised its programming for the week of September 6 to 11, with the biggest shift coming on Sunday, September 6, when live coverage of the Saxony-Anhalt state election takes over the 7:25 p.m. slot. The change bumps the documentary series "Terra X: Weltstädte" from that evening's lineup, though the rest of the night's schedule from 8:20 p.m. onward proceeds as planned.

A cast credit gets corrected in a 9/11 documentary

ZDF also flagged a casting correction for "9/11 - Die Geiseln des Terrors," airing Tuesday, September 8 at 8:15 p.m. The actress previously listed as "Kathrin Jelinek" is credited under the correct spelling, Katrin Jelinek. The fix carries over to the program's repeat broadcast early Wednesday, September 9 at 1:45 a.m.

Mainz – September 03, 2026 -- German broadcaster ZDF is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a lineup of specials, a two-part docudrama, and a science-focused segment airing across ZDF, ZDFinfo, and 3sat in early September 2026.

A live special airs from New York on the anniversary itself

On Friday, September 11, 2026, at 7:25 p.m., "ZDF spezial: 11. September – Der Tag, der die Welt veränderte" broadcasts live from a set above Ground Zero in New York. Host Shakuntala Banerjee speaks with eyewitnesses and experts about the lasting impact of the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, and about how the anniversary is being marked amid shifting U.S.-NATO relations under President Donald Trump.

Erfurt, Germany -- September 01, 2026 -- Families looking for new children's programming this fall can find a fresh batch of shows from Germany's public children's channel KiKA, starting with a 50th-anniversary re-release of "Die Biene Maja" now streaming on kika.de. The lineup for September 2026 also includes the new preschool series "Karlchen" launching September 2, the desert adventure film "Prinzen der Wüste" arriving September 6, a live AI-education event called "Check die KI" on September 15, and new episodes of "Rabbit Academy - Die Häschenschule" from September 16. All titles are available on kika.de, the KiKA app, and the Kikaninchen app.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- August 28, 2026 -- Ten of the best young songwriters competing on Germany's "Dein Song" spent last week filming at a new songwriting camp in Frankfurt am Main, part of the ZDF and KiKA competition's 19th season. The camp followed a casting round held in Wiesbaden in late July 2026. Contestants reworked their compositions and performed a semi-final round for the judging panel. The 16-part documentary series and finale are set to air in February 2027 on KiKA, kika.de, the KiKA app, ZDF streaming and the ZDFtivi app.