''Einstein'' is a German

police procedural The police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agency, law enforcement agencies ...

dramedy Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

television series that is based on the 2015 film of the same name, written by Martin Ritzenhoff und Matthias Dinter. The television series premiered on Sat.1 emotions on January 5, 2017 and has sold to over 100 territories including a hit in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

AXN AXN is a pay television channel brand by Sony Pictures Television, which was first launched in September 1997 in Asia. Local versions have since been launched in several parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, and Latin America, with some ne ...

and also in

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

on FilmBox. On March 29, 2019, Sat.1 canceled the series after three seasons.

Plot

Felix Winterberg, unknown great-great-grandson of

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...

, is the youngest professor of

theoretical physics Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict List of natural phenomena, natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental p ...

Ruhr University Bochum The Ruhr University Bochum (, ) is a public research university located in the southern hills of the central Ruhr area, Bochum, Germany. It was founded in 1962 as the first new public university in Germany after World War II. Instruction began ...

. Winterberg has inherited the genius of Einstein and suffers from the deadly health of Huntington's chorea, which gives him a remaining life expectancy of about seven years. He must help Kriminalkommissarin (

Police commissioner A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...

) Elena Lange as an independent consultant under the direction of Kriminaloberkommissar Stefan Tremmel in the investigation of murder cases in order to not end up in prison for violations of the Narcotics Act (unauthorized

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

Cast

Episodes

Season 1 (2017)

Season 2 (2018)

Season 3 (2019)

Reception

Ratings

Awards and nominations

Adaptations

American adaptation

In October 2018, an adaptation of the series at

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

was announced, with a creative team that included writer

Michael Reisz Michael Reisz (born March 25, 1968) is an American actor, writer, and producer. He was a writer for the television series '' Boston Legal'' until its ending in 2008, as well as a writer and executive producer for the first two seasons of '' Shad ...

Carol Mendelsohn Carol Mendelsohn (born 1951) is an American television producer, showrunner, and screenwriter, known for her work on the police procedural, crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. Education Mendelsohn grew up in Chicago, where her fathe ...

, and Tariq Jalil in association with

Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a division of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#Universal Studio Group, Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which, in turn, is ...

. That adaptation was not picked up, but in October 2020, another US adaptation was announced, this time for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

, however it was not picked up, but in June 2024 it has been re-developed for the US adaptation with

Andy Breckman Andrew Ross Breckman (born March 3, 1955) is an American screenwriter, comedian, and radio personality. He is the creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning television series ''Monk'' on the USA Network and is co-host of WFMU radi ...

and

Randy Zisk Randall "Randy" Zisk is an American television director, producer, and writer. Biography He graduated from the University of Southern California and is a native of Dallas, Texas, where he graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas. His family ...

. On August 6, 2024, it has ordered a pilot production commitment for the series with Breckman as showrunner and Zisk as director in the series. On October 3, 2024, it was announced that

Matthew Gray Gubler Matthew Gray Gubler (, ; born March 9, 1980) is an American actor, best known for his role as criminal profiler Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show ''Criminal Minds'', for which he also directed several episodes. Gubler has appeared in ...

had joined the production as Lew Einstein. On November 26, 2024, it has announced that

Rosa Salazar Rosa Salazar (; born July 16, 1985) is an American actress. She had roles in the NBC series '' Parenthood'' (2011–2012) and the FX anthology series '' American Horror Story: Murder House'' (2011). She made her breakthrough as the title charact ...

would star as Detective Inspector Maddie Paris. On April 22, 2025, CBS has picked up the series with Gruber returns to eye network. It set to premiere on 2026–27 television season. After the series pick-up Salazar announcer her exit to be recast.

Czech adaptation

In May 2021, an adaptation by

Prima televize TV Prima, also known simply as Prima (previously Prima family, Prima televize, Premiéra, originally FTV Premiéra), is a Czech Republic, Czech television channel based in Prague. Its current owner is FTV Prima, spol. s. r. o., which is majorit ...

Einstein – Případy nesnesitelného génia ''Einstein – Případy nesnesitelného génia'' (''Einstein'') is a Czech television series from Prima televize. The series is about Professor Filip Koenig, who inherited genius from his great-great-grandfather Albert Einstein Albert Ein ...

starring

Vojtěch Kotek Vojtěch Kotek (born 8 January 1988 in Prague) is a Czech actor and dubber. Selected filmography Film * ''Snowboarďáci'' (2004) * '' Rafťáci'' (2006) * ''Ro(c)k podvraťáků'' (2006) * ''Burning Bush'' (2013) * '' Vlastníci'' (2019) * '' ...

started broadcasting.

Slovak adaptation

In February 2023, an adaptation by

TV Joj TV JOJ is a Slovak private TV channel owned by J&T Enterprises and launched in March 2002. The channel screens serial dramas and TV shows. The name JOJ is derived from a Slovak interjection, comparable to ''oh là là''. History It was launch ...

Einstein starring

Juraj Loj Juraj is a given name used in a number of Slavic languages, including Czech, Slovak, and Croatian. The English equivalent of the name is George. Notable people * Juraj Chmiel (born 1960), Czech diplomat and politician * Juraj Dobrila (1812–1882 ...