Lüthi und Blanc is a Swiss German language television drama serial (soap opera) of the 1990s and 2000s. It was filmed and produced at locations in Switzerland by Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF.

Cast and characters (inclompete) Actress/Actor Role Episodes Year Hans Heinz Moser († 2017) Jean-Jacques Blanc 1–288 1999–2006Linda Geiser Johanna Blanc 1–288 1999–2006Isabelle von Siebenthal Catherine Lüthi, geb. Blanc 1–288 1999–2006Hans Schenker Martin Lüthi 1–288 1999–2006Benjamin Fueter Thomas Lüthi 1–288 1999–2006Stefanie Stämpfli Julia Lüthi 1–158, 196, 259–288 1999–2004, 2006Viola Tami Lotta Waser 1–288 1999–2006Tonia Maria Zindel Maja Lüthi 1–288 1999–2006Martin Schenkel († 2003) Steve Meier #1 1–140 1999–2003Noel Wigger Pascal Lüthi 1–218 1999–2005Renate Steiger Lilian Lüthi 1–288 1999–2006Esther Gemsch Lisbeth Rohner 1–288 1999–2006Hanspeter Müller-Drossaart Hanspeter Rohner † 1–45, 287 1999–2000, 2006Beat Schlatter Willi Huber 1–288 1999–2006Graziella Rossi Abusinda 1–288 1999–2006Gilles Tschudi Michael Frick 2–288 1999–2006Monica Budde Madame Delley 2–288 (durchgehend) 1999–2006René Vuilleumier Pierre 2–217 (durchgehend) 1999–2005Anja Margoni Natalie Rohner 3–120, 184–223, 281–288 1999–2002, 2005–2006Jessica Früh Dorothée Hurni-Frick 3–288 1999–2006Yor Milano Franco Moretti 4–117 1999–2003Patrick Frey Kurt Schwarz 5–288 1999–2006Bernhard Michel Lukas "Lucky" Schmid † 6–66 1999–2001René Schoenenberger Ulrich Rohner 9–47, 86–102, 152–244, 280–287 1999–2006Dorothee Reize Angelika 9–47 1999–2000Anne-Laure Luisoni Madame Fonjallaz 11–148 (durchgehend), 287 1999–2004, 2006Ludwig Boettger Albert Fink 21–288 1999–2006Ettore Cella († 2004) Lukas Wälti-Kern † 27–86 2000–2001Sibylle Courvoisier († 2003) Letti Merian 31–172 (durchgehend) 2000–2003Hanna Scheuring Jeanine Wälti-Kern 32–118 2000–2002Alfred Pfeiffer Schmuklerski 33, 50–67 2000–2001Joris Gratwohl Maurizio Galfatti 37–108 2000–2002Katharina von Bock Sabina Köster 49–288 2000–2006 Tessie Tellmann Ursula Schmid 50–105, 159–288 2000–2002, 2004–2006Jodoc Seidel Josef † 59–90 2000–2001Klaus-Henner Russius Dr. Honecker 66–68, 253–262 2000, 2006Andreas Krämer Geri 72–140 2001–2003Jean-Pierre Cornu Dr. Tobler 72–154 2001–2004Regula Stüssi Sekretärin Kuster 76–283 2001–2006Raphael Clamer Alex Weiss 77–120, 164–264 2001–2006Bernard Michel Daniel Schmid 84–158 2001–2004Anne-Marie Blanc († 2009) Esther Weiss 91–116, 177, 219 2001–2002, 2004–2005Andrea Marin Margrith "Angelique" Müller 94–126, 151–153, 247 2001–2005César Keiser († 2007) Alfred Bernasconi 94–147 2001–2003Roland Herrman Paul Nyffenegger 96–133, 168–179, 211–216 2001–2005Tiziana Burkart Tamara Müller 104–288 2002–2006 Manuel Löwensberg Urs Wicky 112–128, 153–200, 221–288 2002–2006Mathias Gnädinger († 2015) Ruedi Egger 120–288 2003–2006Birgit Steinegger Doris Ruf 141–203, 275–278 2004–2006Roeland Wiesnekker Steve Meier #2 143–288 2003–2006Anikó Donáth Doris Hummer 160, 264–287 2004, 2006Walter Andreas Müller Bela Straub 163–219 2004–2005Jörg Schneider († 2015) Oskar Wehrli 169–288 2004–2006Sabina Schneebeli Regula Imboden † 175–263 2004–2006Helmut Vogel Rainer Sanders 196–268, 281 2004–2006Joel Basman Zizou Imboden 199–286 2004–2006Andreas Matti René Imboden † 208–216, 254–263 2004, 2006

Plot (excerpt) The various plot lines are about the fate of families around the stubborn chocolate factory-owner Jean-Jacques Blanc (Hans Heinz Moser), his wife Johanna (Linda Geiser), whose daughter Catherine (Isabelle von Siebenthal) and her son, and Catherine's husband Martin Lüthi (Hans Schenker). Opponent of the Lüthi and Blanc-clans and "villain" of the series is the opaque, scheming bankers and illegitimate son of J.J. Blanc, Michael Frick (Gilles Tschudi). The serial focusses on locations in Zürich and Sainte-Croix, the location of the fictional chocolate factory J. J. Blanc.

In addition to the places where the characters live and work, the locations include the "Calvados Bar" in Zurich-Wiedikon, which is run by Martin Lüthi's mother Lilian (Renate Steiger) and his half-sister Maja (Tonia Maria Zindel) and her husband Steve Meier (Martin Schenkel and Roeland Wiesnekker respectively), various shared flats and a farm in the Zurich province. In addition, there are the fictional restaurants "De la Poste" in Sainte-Croix and "Balthasar" in Zurich, which serve as meeting places.

Other important characters are the widowed, scheming gossip reporter Lisbeth Rohner (Esther Gemsch), her brother-in-law, the hypocritical-seeming pastor Ulrich Rohner (René Schoenenberger); street sweeper and "Calvados" regular Willi (Beat Schlatter); the son of the Lüthi couple and young lawyer Thomas (Benjamin Fueter), his sister Julia (Stefanie Stämpfli) and Thomas' ex-girlfriend Lotta Waser (Viola Tami). The popular actor Mathias Gnädinger can be seen in the role of the farmer Ruedi Egger. The constellations of characters and settings have changed considerably in some cases during the more than 200 episodes that have been broadcast.

At the beginning, the series was conceived as a cross-language project; the series also ran in dubbed versions on the SRG stations TSR and TSI. In addition to the locations in the German and French-speaking parts of Switzerland, there was also a plot location in Ticino. This concept failed, however, and Lüthi und Blanc was continued as a purely Swiss-German project. What remained was the occasional bilingualism of the series. Although the main characters usually speak German with each other, French is often spoken in conversations with outsiders in Vaud, even in the dialect version.

The series sometimes touches on controversial topics such as open homosexuality, racism, drug abuse, prostitution, celibacy, incest or polygamy. The often very different social milieus portrayed are striking.

Production Lüthi und Blanc was shot at locations in the Canton of Vaud and in Zürich, and produced in Glattfelden.

Around 80% of the scenes were shot in a studio set up especially for the soap in Glattfelden. There were over 30 sets for the series in the former spinning mill. Among the most famous were the "Villa Blanc" and the "Calvados Bar", which exists in real life in Zurich and was recreated in a slightly modified form in the studio. The exterior views were shot all over Switzerland, for example in Estavayer-le-Lac (Villa Blanc) or Embrach (farm).

The smaller part, about 20% of all scenes, were shot "on location". The Lüthi and Blanc crew spent about four weeks a year filming in Switzerland.

The filming was not open to the public, but it was possible to visit the Glattfelden Film Studios - an opportunity taken advantage of by several thousand visitors each year.

The series was shot up to nine months in advance of broadcast. In addition, the scripts were written half a year in advance. Filming was done in so-called sub-sets, which were assigned to a director.

Reception As well as Fascht e Familie, Lüthi & Blanc is still very popular in the Swiss German culture, and from time to time re-broadcast in the Swiss German television. Lüthi and Blanc was by the Swiss media often called Schoggi Soap (chocolate soap).

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