The German period drama Babylon Berlin has entered its fifth and final season, with creators Henk Handloegten, Tom Tykwer and Achim von Borries previewing the finale at a private Berlin event. The season depicts the collapse of the Weimar Republic and Adolf Hitler's rise to absolute power, and the makers say its story now carries unsettling echoes of contemporary politics, particularly the growth of far-right movements in Germany and beyond.

The final season spans 30 January to 5 March 1933, covering Hitler's appointment as Reich chancellor through to the rigged elections that cemented Nazi control. The creators noted that Germany's far-right AfD party, which polled around 10 per cent when the show began in 2017, is now close to 30 per cent and could win a state election next month; they also pointed to scenes of paramilitary round-ups written before, they say, comparable real-world developments emerged. Stars Volker Bruch and Liv Lisa Fries reprise their roles as detective Gereon Rath and partner Charlotte Ritter, with Fries noting the tone has darkened from "dancing on the volcano" to simply "the volcano".