“An Austrian masterpiece: David Schalko’s bizarrely tender television series Braunschlag.”

– Rolling Stone Magazine

“The Braunschlag ensemble is in brilliant playing mood and superbly cast. Outstanding is Everyman performer Nicholas Ofczarek, who has virtually no sober scene and credibly pulls off this delirium….Simon Schwarz shines in the role of the party secretary who loses his mental overview after a fall. Bibiana Zeller crowns her guest appearance the ever more bizarrely developing story and not only in terms of personnel makes the connection to some of the best domestic series and films on whose shoulders Schalko confidently stands, including “Kottan ermittelt,” “Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter” and “Die Alpensaga.””

– FAZ

“…Here, the province does not merely provide the local color to an inconsequential event. It is rather an authentic showplace

where the reality of the entire country is condensed into a ludicrous burlesque. The absurd is the normal here. In every village emperor there is the parvenu from the villa district, in every discotheque there is the loudmouth from the mass media, in every small scam there is the great corruption theater of the republic. …”

– Die Zeit

“This story is good. But it is invented. For 360 minutes, one witnesses a veritable Austrian serial miracle.”

– Der Standard

“After “Aufschneider”, director David Schalko has once again succeeded in creating an extraordinary TV – epic with the eight-part satire Braunschlag. The combination of laconic dialogues, bizarre tastelessness and grotesque situations is unparalleled in ORF – history.”

– Falter

“At last, another Austrian series where you can laugh liberally and not slide into crude slapstick.”

– TAZ

“Braunschlag is everything: wicked and hilarious, with dialogues that hit mercilessly, and with actors who love their characters. This is how television has to be!”

– Münchner Merkur

“David Schalko’s series is well on its way to being included in the book of great ORF series. “Alpensaga”, “Mundl”, “Kottan” and now “Braunschlag”.”

– The Gap

“When it wants to, ORF can produce really good television entertainment. Here, Austrian everyday life is described in an uncompromising and edgy way, but actually quite compassionate. And you rub your eyes in amazement and amusement: this is cheeky, funny to the hilt, without forcing itself to be, and polarizing.”

– Kurier TV Woche

“Braunschlag is the best thing ORF has had produced in 30 years. The script is first-rate, like all good comedy scripts dead funny and dead sad at the same time. The acting is great, every role is excellently cast.”

– KURIER

“This is how television must be!”

– Wiener Zeitung

“Writer and director David Schalko has created a kind of doctoral thesis in domestic series art here, a story told in a grand arc, cast with pinpoint accuracy and grandly acted.”

– TV media

“Almost solely responsible for the work, which is rich in drastic volte-face: David Schalko, who acted as screenwriter, director and producer….

His tour de force: he sticks to the many bizarre details he came up with…. not, as is usual in domestic film – and television creation, self-indulgent, but keeps a multi-stranded, rather explosive plot going….”

– Kleine Zeitung

“David Schalko’s story about the desperate struggle of ordinary people against bankruptcy, alcohol, envy and loneliness oscillates between wit and madness. And it is grotesque to the point of pain.”

– The Press

“Braunschlag, penned by David Schalko, is funny, authentic, soberingly realistic, top-notch cast and anything but politically correct…..”

– Salzburger Nachrichten