BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The new season of the successful ARD series "Charité" has ended with conspicuously weak ratings. Just 1.49 million viewers (6.2 percent) tuned in to the fifth episode on Thursday evening. The sixth and final episode then only reached 1.32 million viewers (5.4 percent) from 9.05 p.m., falling well short of the ratings of previous "Charité" seasons. In 2021, more than five million people watched the fifth and sixth episodes of the third season.

The first season was set at the end of the 19th century and revolved around the research work of virologist Robert Koch, season two took place during the Nazi era and the third season during the construction of the Berlin Wall. The fourth season, which has now ended, was the first to look into the future and showed, among other things, the effects of long-term climate change in the year 2049. This concept obviously did not go down well with the audience.

The strongest ratings hit among viewers aged three and over was ZDF with the start of the new season of the midwife series "Lena Lorenz" (4.87 million, 20.1 percent), which was about two switched babies. RTL scored with the Europa League match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United (3.75 million, 16.8 percent), which ended 2:0.

Sat.1 also did quite well in the midfield with Jorg Pilawa's entertainment show "Das große Allgemeinwissensquiz" (1.58 million, 6.9 percent) and the ProSieben casting show "Germany's Next Topmodel" (1.56 million, 7.1 percent). Heidi Klum did not send anyone home for the second week in a row. However, six female and male models are on the edge of their seats in the upcoming edition of "GNTM". Stella, Felix, Jana, Nuri, Dominik and Yusupha will have to fight to stay on the catwalk./bok/DP/ngu