Born and raised in Bavaria, Alexander Bickel discovered his passion for fictional storytelling while studying in Cologne, freelancing as a junior story consultant for WDR drama department. In the early 2000s he joined ZDF in Mainz, where he worked in several editorial and managerial positions and commissioned a variety of fictional productions, including the acclaimed series "Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter" and "Ijon Tichy: Raumpilot". After his return to Cologne and WDR in 2019 he has been leading the drama department. Some recent series he and his team have produced for ARD’s linear TV and streaming service are the franco-german political comedy "Parlament", the historical spy thriller "Bonn" and the psychological family drama "Haus aus Glas".