ZDF's new miniseries “Sheep” streams with real talking sheep

The five‑part German‑Austrian comedy‑mini‑series “Sheep” premiered on the ZDF Mediathek on 13 July 2026 and will be broadcast on ZDF television on 24 August 2026 at midnight. The show follows a self‑appointed “crown of creation” herd of sheep who believe they have domesticated humans. When the young ram Oliver discovers that the promised utopia at the “Obermoser” is instead a death trap, he tries to warn his flock. The series mixes absurd comedy with tragic undertones, featuring real sheep on set whose mouths are digitally animated and voiced by German actors such as Merlin Sandmeyer, Jella Haase and Birgit Minichmayr. Directors Leni Gruber and Alex Reinberg created the programme within ZDF’s format lab “Quantum”. “Sheep” has already earned awards at Canneseries 2026 (Student Award) and the Seriencamp competition in Cologne. The unconventional concept aims to bring fresh humor to German television.