Serienversion

Serienversion is a term used in the German film and television industry to denote a version of a movie, television series or special that has been edited or extended for a home-video release or a television broadcast. The word itself is a compound of “Serie”, meaning series, and “Version”, meaning variation. It originally emerged in the 1970s when German broadcasters and studios began to re‑use cinematic material for nightly television slots, often adding commentary, trailers or supplemental scenes. The practice grew in popularity with the rise of videocassettes in the 1980s, when distributors would release longer cuts of blockbuster films in order to offer added value to consumers.

A Serienversion typically includes footage that was omitted from the original theatrical cut, such as deleted scenes, alternate takes or scenes cut for pacing or censorship reasons. In some cases, entire sub‑plots are re‑introduced, turning a standard film length of 90–120 minutes into a 120–150 minute feature. The DVD and Blu‑ray market has made the term particularly common; engineered releases for “Hauskinomaverstumf” often carry a printed label “Serienversion” alongside the original title. Some Deutsch‑language consumers now expect a special edition that provides the most comprehensive version of the story.

Prominent examples include the 2005 video edition of “Star Wars: Episode I – Der phantastische Riss”, which added 15 minutes of content, and the 2020 release of “Der Untergang”, the extended cut that incorporates archival footage omitted from earlier home‑media releases. While the term is still in use for occasional re‑cuts, most modern international releases now directly offer “Extended Edition” instead of a separate series version.