Media & Entertainment

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.

Munich -- German broadcaster ARD is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks with three new productions: a primetime documentary, a special broadcast, and an investigative podcast series.

A 90-minute documentary revisits New York's last carefree summer before the attacks

"SEPTEMBER," directed by Johan von Mirbach and produced by WDR, contrasts the everyday lives of New Yorkers during the summer of 2001 -- shaped by Fashion Week and the US Open -- with the parallel preparations of the 19 hijackers. The film combines personal testimonies with previously unpublished archive footage and interviews with voices from politics, media, and security agencies. It is streaming now on ARD Mediathek and airs on Das Erste on September 11 at 8:15 p.m.

Cologne – September 07, 2026 -- German telecom provider congstar and the Gaming Ohne Grenzen initiative handed out the fourth annual Gaming ohne Grenzen Award at gamescom on August 26, expanding the ceremony to nine categories for the first time.

Three new prizes -- the Get Together Award, Best Feature, and Best Mobile Game -- joined the lineup this year, reflecting the growing range of accessibility tools built into modern games. Host Stefanie Langer led the ceremony at the Jugendforum NRW booth, with winners selected by a jury of gaming, inclusion, e-sports, and education experts, plus one community-voted prize.

Tiny Bookshop wins both the National and Community Choice awards

The relaxed bookstore simulation Tiny Bookshop took the National category for its point-and-click controls and lack of time pressure, then repeated the win in the Community Choice Award, edging out Forza Horizon 6 and Rhythm Doctor in the public vote.

Seoul – September 07, 2026 -- Netmarble has opened pre-registration for ZERO, a new fresh start server for its dark fantasy MMORPG RAVEN2, ahead of its grand opening on September 15 at UTC+0.

Pre-registration unlocks a special starter package

Players who sign up through the dedicated website receive the [ZERO] Special Starter Package. The bundle includes a Heroic Holy Garment Summon Scroll, a Heroic Familiar Summon Scroll, an Elite Spec. C Member's Accessory Selection Chest, four types of +2 Dazzling Relic Chests, 200 Spec. C Enhancement Stone Chests, and 5 million Gold.

Morton Grove – – September 7, 2026 -- U.S. spending on new physical video games fell to $1.5 billion in calendar year 2025, the lowest annual total since tracking firm Circana began measuring the category in 1995, according to data shared by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella and cited by The Old School Game Vault.

The figure marks a steep drop from the category's peak of $11.6 billion in 2008. A separate rolling 12-month measurement from Circana, covering the period ending May 2026, put spending at approximately $1.6 billion -- down from a peak of roughly $11.5 billion for the 12 months ending May 2009.

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.

New York – September 07, 2026 -- Emmy-winning conservationist Jeff Corwin returns to national television with "Jeff Corwin's Southern Wild," premiering Saturday, October 3, on ABC stations nationwide as part of the Weekend Adventure educational programming block, with air times varying by local market.

The series, produced by Hearst Media Production Group in partnership with Lees-McRae College, was filmed across North Carolina, following Corwin from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic coast.

Corwin Tracks Bears, Alligators and Sea Turtles Across the State

Episodes show Corwin searching for bats and salamanders, encountering black bears, alligators and sea turtles, and snorkeling native waterways to study fish populations. The show also documents wildlife rescue and conservation work as it happens in real time.

Los Angeles – September 04, 2026 -- Akatsuki Games has released Main Story Part 2 Chapter 1, titled "A New Threat," for Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME, marking a new phase in the mobile and PC title's first anniversary celebration.

A new villain emerges from the remains of a defeated kaiju

The chapter picks up after Kafka Hibino and his allies survive a battle with Dimensional Identified Kaiju A. Data pulled from the creature's remains reveals the existence of "Dimensional Identified Kaiju D," a more powerful entity that previously hunted Kaiju A and now targets the power source behind Kaiju No. 8 itself. To respond, Kafka, Iharu Furuhashi, and the character Suited pass through an Artificial Dimensional Gate developed by Suited, launching a multiverse mission that opens Main Story Part 2.

Munich – September 04, 2026 -- A new episode of "Hartz und herzlich - Tag für Tag Rostock" airs September 1, 2026 at 8:15 PM on RTLZWEI, with the episode available seven days early on RTL+.

Jasmin and Maik juggle housing search with benefits renewal

The couple currently lives temporarily with Maik's mother Bärbel while searching for their own apartment. They face a Jobcenter appointment to renew their social benefits applications. Maik has also interviewed in person at a landscaping company, with the conversation opening up the possibility of a mini-job as a starting point.

Hamburg – September 04, 2026 -- German public broadcaster NDR is celebrating 20 years of its documentary series "Die Nordreportage" with a free cinema tour across northern Germany and a two-week television special starting September 28.

Four cities host premiere screenings between September 28 and October 2

The tour stops at Kino Center Husum on September 28, Ozeaneum Stralsund on September 29, Filmpalast Lüneburg on October 1, and ASTOR Film Lounge HafenCity in Hamburg on October 2. Each evening pairs a classic episode with an unreleased new production, followed by a chance for audiences to meet the filmmakers and the people featured on screen.

Premieres include "Notruf auf Fehmarn" in Husum, "110 hautnah" in Stralsund, a new installment of "Rollys Trucker-Imbiss" in Lüneburg, and a feature on Hamburg's Davidwache police station in the HafenCity screening.