ZDF

The current logo for ZDF

ZDF (stylized as 2DF, short for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) is a German public-service television broadcaster channel that once aired The Simpsons in Germany until 1994 when the show was moved to ProSieben. Its cartoon mascots are Mainzelmännchens, which name are a play on Mainz, a German city and the location of headquarters of ZDF, and "Heinzelmännchen, a type of gnome common in folklore surrounding the city of Cologne (Köln).

ZDF aired The Simpsons in Germany for the first time in September 13, 1991 with the season 1 episode "There's No Disgrace Like Home" on a evening timeslot, and the season was aired in a random order (though in the next two seasons aired on that channel the episodes were still aired in a random order rarely), and "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was aired on December 6, 1991 instead as the twelve episode of the first season of the dub.

Lately in its run, the show was moved into afternoon timeslot and the series ended with season 3 (with a season 4 episode "A Streetcar Named Marge" which aired on that channel in February 16, 1993, as the season 3 finale "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" was not aired on ZDF, it instead aired in 1994 when the show was moved to ProSieben, a German private channel).

The ZDF German dub of the show was dubbed by Munich company Elan-Film, with Siegfried Rabe as the dubbing director. The dub was later re-aired in German televisions again on German feed of Fox Kids/Jetix channel in mid-2000s.

Gallery

"The Simpsons in ZDF" icon, with the family on the icon. A variant of the icon with the Matt Groening signature and the date of the very first German premiere date of the series and "18.20 Uhr" (or 6PM20sec) text below the family.

The introduction card with the "Simpsons in ZDF" icon (without the signature and the airdate and time on it). The German text appeared on the image, translated as "On Friday the 13th, you can enjoy us!"

The ZDF announcer introducing the show.

The another card, smiliar to the introduction card, aired after the show on ZDF in 1991.

Previous logo from 1987

Videos

Die Simpsons - Erstausstrahlung im ZDF am 13.09.1991

Narrator's short introduction to The Simpsons at its very first German premiere on ZDF channel, before followed by the German intro of the first season.

Simpsons - 1. Folge im deutschen TV mit Nachspann (1991)

The slighty low-quality version; narrator's short introduction to the series at its very first German premiere on the channel and a few seconds of the intro, and the ending credits of the German dub of the first season.