Entertainment & Media

Cologne – September 11, 2026 -- German broadcaster WDR has produced a second batch of 1,000 free "Maus" school-start packages for first-grade classrooms in North Rhine-Westphalia after the initial run sold out within days.

The free kits, tied to the long-running children's show Die Sendung mit der Maus, are designed to ease the transition into elementary school and introduce young children to responsible media use.

Demand exhausted two full print runs in days

The first 1,000 packages were claimed by teachers almost immediately after launch. WDR responded by printing 1,000 more, but those were also fully requested by educators shortly after.

WDR Director General Dr. Katrin Vernau said the response shows strong demand for reliable, child-friendly educational materials, and that the broadcaster plans to expand the program further in 2027.

Bristol, Tenn. – September 11, 2026 -- Brad Pitt will serve as Grand Marshal for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway, appearing alongside Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris six days before Pitt's new film opens in theaters.

The Academy Award-winning actor and producer will take part in Bristol's pre-race ceremonies and help give the command to fire engines before the NASCAR Cup Series race begins under the lights at 7:30 p.m. ET. It marks the third race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase, a 500-lap event on Bristol's 0.533-mile concrete oval.

Unterföhring – September 11, 2026 -- German broadcaster SAT.1 is partnering with the country's cinema and distribution associations to bring KINOFEST 2026 to more than 700 cinemas and over 2,700 screens on September 12 and 13, offering tickets for just 5 euros each.

Every seat, every screen joins the discount weekend

The event is organized by HDF KINO e.V., AllScreens e.V., AG Kino e.V. and AG Verleih e.V., with SAT.1 serving as a key partner. Cinemas nationwide will also host additional on-site promotions during the two-day festival.

New releases headline the discounted lineup

Moviegoers can catch a lineup of current releases at the reduced price, including "Steckerlfischfiasko" starring Sebastian Bezzel, director Paul Greengrass's "The Uprising -- Für die Freiheit," and the Oasis reunion tour documentary "Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger."

Alpharetta, Ga. – September 11, 2026 -- National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE) has unveiled a nationwide brand refresh for its Eyeglass World chain, aiming to reposition the optical retailer as a digital, style-forward destination for eyewear shoppers.

A new campaign ties eyewear to personal identity

Developed with creative agency VML, the relaunch centers on the tagline "Change Your Glasses. Change Your World." The campaign's launch film follows a woman navigating a mirror maze, trying on different pairs of glasses that reflect different versions of herself.

Joe VanDette, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at National Vision, called the effort "a complete reinvention of the brand to meet the expectations of today's style-focused consumers," adding that the company is making it easier for customers to shop via virtual try-on, online purchase, or in-store visits.

Los Angeles – September 11, 2026 -- La Proue, a female-founded luxury fragrance house, will introduce two new Eau de Parfums, Phare 143 and Voilune, backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards Official Giving Suite, produced by Distinctive Assets in support of the Television Academy Foundation.

The exclusive backstage experience will welcome presenters, performers and nominees including Jamie Lee Curtis, Lisa Kudrow, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jean Smart, Zendaya, Quinta Brunson, Keri Russell, Claire Danes, Carey Mulligan, Dakota Fanning and host Mariska Hargitay, making them among the first to experience the brand's scents.

Founder Leighanne Neville built the brand around women who navigate their own path

"I created La Proue as a reminder to stand in your own strength — feminine, grounded and confident," Neville said, adding that debuting the fragrances backstage at the Emmys, among artists who forged their own paths, feels meaningful to the brand's mission.

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.

Siloam Springs, Ark. – September 11, 2026 -- Author Spencer Patterson has released a new children's picture book, "The Good Pliosaur," that uses a prehistoric underwater rescue to teach young readers about compassion and overcoming prejudice.

Illustrated by Sam Calden, the story is set in an ocean world where long-necked plesiosaurs and short-necked pliosaurs have distrusted each other for generations, despite no longer being at war. The narrative follows Brett, a plesiosaur who believes his species is superior to pliosaurs.

An attack leaves the story's hero trapped and injured

While traveling to bake cookies for his mother, Brett is attacked by deep-sea bandits who steal his pearls and pin him beneath a heavy rock. Two fellow plesiosaurs pass by and refuse to help, each citing an excuse to leave him behind.

Munich – September 11, 2026 -- RTLZWEI airs a new double episode of its social documentary series "Hartz, Rot, Gold" on September 8, 2026, at 8:15 p.m., with the episode available seven days earlier on RTL+.

Jessica and Olaf face a health scare ahead of their second child's birth

The Hamburg couple already has a crib for their baby, thanks to a furniture donation, and 55-year-old Olaf plans to build a shelf himself. He is also considering a job at the Hamburg Dom fair. But a visit to the gynecologist brings alarming news: doctors detected a lump on the baby's heart. Jessica tries to stay calm while Olaf grows increasingly worried.

Munich – – September 10, 2026 -- Ten years after a truck attack killed victims at Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Christmas market, German broadcaster ARD will release a six-part fictional thriller series revisiting the events leading up to the tragedy. "Breitscheidplatz 19/12" streams on ARD Mediathek starting Friday, October 30, 2026, airs on Das Erste on Sunday, November 1 at 9:45 p.m., and continues on Friday, November 6 at 11:55 p.m.

The series had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and its German premiere at FilmFest Hamburg.

Munich – September 10, 2026 -- The fifth and final season of "Babylon Berlin" premieres September 10 on the ARD Mediathek streaming platform, closing out a decade-long series with eight new episodes.

Ten years and five seasons come to a close

The crime drama follows detectives Gereon Rath and Charlotte Ritter through 1920s Berlin, with the finale marking the end of a production that has run since its debut. Cast members reflected on the show's decade-long journey ahead of the release.

Volker Bruch, who plays Gereon Rath, said the character has followed him "like a shadow" for ten years, describing how the storyline often intertwined with his own perception of reality. Liv Lisa Fries, who portrays Charlotte Ritter, said she can now let the character go "with gratitude" after a decade in the role.