How to Completely Botch Mozart - Two bold new series redefine Mozart’s legacy for modern audiences
Two new TV series are reimagining the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for today’s viewers. Mozart/Mozart arrives first on December 12, 2025, in the ARD Mediathek, followed by Amadeus on Sky and WOW from December 21. Both take bold creative liberties with history, offering fresh perspectives on the legendary composer and his world.
Mozart/Mozart shifts focus to Maria Anna Mozart, known as Nannerl, portraying her as a gifted composer crushed by the patriarchal norms of her time. The series fills historical gaps with dramatic flourishes, including a fictional romance between Nannerl and Antonio Salieri, even staging a duel between Salieri and her brother Wolfgang. Critics, however, have faulted its weak musical treatment—Nannerl’s compositions reportedly sound like generic film scores—alongside an inexperienced lead actor and flat dialogue.
The ARD production will be available exclusively in the ARD Mediathek from its release date.
Meanwhile, Amadeus adapts Peter Shaffer’s famous play, casting a Japanese-British actor as Mozart and a Black performer as his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte. Sky’s series stands out against another Mozart project on the platform: the documentary Mozart: Genius and Rebel, which offers a more traditional, historically grounded view.
Both series will reach audiences in December 2025, with Mozart/Mozart launching first on December 12 in the ARD Mediathek. Amadeus follows on December 21, streaming on Sky and WOW. The contrasting approaches—one speculative, the other rooted in theatre—highlight how Mozart’s legacy continues to inspire new storytelling.
