Terios
When I was in Kyrgyzstan I saw on TV what appeared to be a Russian copy of Kommissar Rex. Not just a dubbed version, but another show copying it. Since I can't speak Russian I didn't understand it - but it looked that way to me. The dog wasn't a patch on Rex though, it seemed far less agile and less intelligent, and needed to be directed or nudged on occasion. I've been trying to find information on it, and have found a reference to a show called "Mukhtar Returns", apparently about three police officers with a German Shepherd. Are there any Russians out there who can give further info? Is it really what I thought it was - a Rex rip-off?
janburn007
I've been hooked on "Inspector Rex" ever since just happening to come across an episode on SBS TV in Australia a few years ago. I don't know quite what it is about this series, but for a foreign-language series with English subtitles on SBS (the sort of show that is not ordinarily high on an Australian's viewing list)it seems to have gained an extraordinarily large following here. Perhaps it's our love of animals and Rex himself that make us love this show. Many people I know are fans, and like myself, would not miss an episode.The series starts out with Rex's police dog handler being shot and killed in the line of duty, and Rex being left to pine for his former master. A young detective by the name of Richard Moser is involved in that same shoot-out, and ends up shooting the criminal who killed Rex's master. Thus, Moser meets Rex. Rex is now a dog without a master, and Moser is also companion-less, having recently gone through a divorce, so is a bachelor once more. What each of them really needs is a new companion, and Moser eventually convinces Rex that they need each other. So, after much bureaucratic red tape, Moser gains ownership of Rex, and the two team up to make a dynamic duo.It soon becomes evident that Moser doesn't really know very much at all about dogs, but at least his heart is in the right place, and he manages to fumble his way through, at times with considerable prompting from Rex himself. Moser gets permission to take Rex to work with him at the "Mordkommission" (homicide squad), where Rex's expertise and training as a police dog (sniffing out drugs, explosives, dead bodies, and being able to follow a scent trail) prove extremely handy in solving the murders that take place in Vienna. Who would have thought that such a beautiful city could be the back-drop to so much foul play? Moser and Rex very quickly become inseparable, and there is an excellent rapport and chemistry between the dog and his new master. Rex also befriends Moser's work colleagues, Stockinger and Hoellerer.Unfortunately, this new relationship, it seems, is just too good to last. Once again, in Series 4, Rex is left without a master when Moser is also killed in the line of duty. Moser's work colleagues at that time, Boeck (having replaced Stockinger who moved to Salzburg) and Hoellerer, are left to care for a pining Rex, until the arrival of "The New Guy", Alex Brandtner (Moser's replacement). Alex makes a very dashing entrance in Series 4, and coincidentally just happens to know a bit about dogs. Alex also surprises his new work colleagues by introducing himself by his first/Christian name, and also addressing them by their first names (an unusual practice in Germany/Austria where work colleagues normally use their surnames). Boeck does a background check on Alex and discovers that he was actually once a police dog handler, but decided not to work with dogs again after his own dog was killed in an explosion in the line of duty. Alex and Rex very quickly take to one another, and soon Rex has a new master (Alex), and is back at the office helping to solve a new murder every week.Alex is quite a different character from Moser, and his relationship with Rex is somewhat different. He is much more athletic and likes to work out and keep himself in shape, whereas Moser was a bit on the lazy side when it came to physical exercise, and only indulged in it rather reluctantly. At first, Alex and Rex did not seem to have quite the same rapport and chemistry as Rex and Moser, but having now seen many of the Alex/Rex episodes, I'm beginning to like them more than I did at first. However, I still do tend to prefer the Moser/Rex episodes on the whole.I love the way the plots develop each week, against the beautiful Viennese background. I also love the way we see the relationship develop between Moser and Rex, and later Alex and Rex. In the early Moser/Rex episodes, we would often see Moser teach Rex a new "skill", and then get to see Rex having to utilise that skill later in the episode.This series is highly recommended and certainly a must for all animal lovers!
adelaide08
I am new to the fairly large fan base that exists for this t.v. series which started when I viewed the last show that wrote Tobias Moretti out of the series. From there, we have rented DVD's of the series, but alas, all episodes of every series are not available for rental. Though some of the earlier story lines have been rather weak and there could have been more involvement regarding the dog actor, all this was fortunately corrected along the way, just as we were debating whether or not to continue watching. Now that we have become familiar with the character quirks and are well and truly hooked on the series, only time will tell if we will want to continue watching, as it will definitely feel strange without Moser. As for the subtitles, it would seem beneficial if the subtitling were done with immaculate detail to the true German meaning of the words, as it is somewhat disconcerting to be hearing the German dialect and reading a translation of Aussie slang. I just feel that the translating is so important, it can make or break an episode, and that fans want the German authenticity to come through. As for the theme music, nowhere can I find credit for a person or group, but if you have a legit music sharing program, you can download off the net as we have. Type in the search bar "T.V.Themes.SAT1.ORF1-Kommissar Rex(96). I believe this will get you the theme version you want. We had to try 3 times for the right one. I can't seem to find more info about the dogs who have played Rex through the years. It has been interesting to find out more about the different actors and their bodies of work outside of this series. Great board, lots of very good feedback and information. Thanks from this transplanted Canadian.
