Balko is a German prime time television series broadcast on the private TV channel RTL. It is a police detective story with comical twists featuring two inspectors of the Dortmund police, Balko (played by Jochen Horst until episode 49, then by Bruno Eyron) and his colleague Klaus Krapp (Ludger Pistor). Balko's main characteristics are his coolness and his consistently laid-back appearance, whereas “Krappi” is a typical mama’s boy and very clumsy. The series started in 1995 and has won several television awards.
Kriminalhauptkommissar Balko
Balko, the main character of the series, is an easygoing and friendly police officer not always sticking to working rules. He is a conscientious objector and holds no high school diploma. Most of the time he is surrounded by incompetent colleagues he cannot rely on in cases of emergency. Balko originally comes from Wetter, a small village in the Ennepe Ruhr district, near Dortmund. His parents still live there. So far his Christian name has not been mentioned in any episode.
Kriminalhauptkommissar Klaus Krapp
Krapp, also called "Krappi", is a thoroughly honest public servant. He is never dressed improperly, is always up to date in his profession and well-educated. He graduated from a German high school (Abitur) and is a reserve officer of the Bundeswehr. Despite his many skills, in the domestic area as well as many others, he has no luck with women. His attempts to score with the opposite sex are legendary but have mostly been a failure. Krapp seems to cling to his mother, who is mentioned repeatedly and lives in Dortmund-Huckarde, though she never appears in person.
Kriminaloberrätin Katharina Jäger
After a series of changes in the leadership of the homicide division (during the first years the part of the chief executive was played by Dieter Pfaff as well as for a short time by Horst A. Fechner and Arthur Brauss), Kriminaloberrätin Katharina Jäger (played by Sabine Vitua) became Balko's boss from 1998 to 2000. After her death caused by assassination with a sabotaged car, which was originally directed at Balko, Wittek became the new chief detective.