Television adaptations
In 1993 Bart Peeters appeared in Mark Uytterhoeven's popular TV talk show "Morgen Maandag", where he played BRTN network head Cas Goossens, whom he had imitated a lot in "Het Leugenpaleis". It was one of the most memorable moments of the show.
De (V)liegende doos
In 1995 Peeters and Matthysen tried to transfer the absurd Leugenpaleis comedy to television. Since the BRTN refused to give them their own show at the time they broadcast the format on the commercial network vtm. The shows, "De Vliegende Doos" and "De Liegende Doos" ("The Flying Box" and "The Lying Box") were broadcast in prime time at Sunday evenings. "De Vliegende Doos" was a big budget comedy musical spectacle show aimed at a family audience, with puppets and Ronny Mosuse playing an African warrior. "De Liegende Doos" was broadcast later at night and more adult in style. Both programs went live and were completely improvised. While the shows received a lot of media attention at the time the format didn't really catch on with the general public. "De Vliegende Doos" was perceived to be too infantile. "De Liegende Doos", which was more in line with the madcap style of the radio show, got a better reception, but was still too daft for the average viewer. Still, "De Vliegende Doos" was shown in repeats during vtm and its sister channel 2BE's matinée hours and a CD with music from the show was released later.
Het Peulengaleis
Four years later Peeters and Matthysen returned to the small screen with "Het Peulengaleis", a switcheroo of the radio show's title. This time the VRT did give them a chance to make a TV version of "Het Leugenpaleis" and it aired on Canvas late at night. Each episode was directed by Stijn Coninx and featured, apart from Peeters and Matthysen, guest actors among which Tine Embrechts was the most prominent.
The show was smaller in budget and pretense and reached its target audience much easier. It was an instant hit and popular enough to inspire six TV seasons.
Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie, commercially styled as VRT is one of the national public service broadcasters for the Flemish Community of Belgium.
VTM or Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij is the main commercial television station in Flanders and forms part of a network of channels owned by DPG Media.
DPG Media Group is a Belgian media group. It is active in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The exact ownership structure is not clear; it is believed that the group is mainly owned by the Belgian Van Thillo family. The company employs about 6,000 people.
Alles Kan Beter (Everything Can Be Better) was a Belgian comedy TV series produced by Flemish production house Woestijnvis between the end of 1997 and 1999. It was broadcast on the public TV channel Canvas, directed by Jan Eelen and starred TV presenter Mark Uytterhoeven, chief editor of HUMO Guy Mortier and the newcomer on television at that time Rob Vanoudenhoven as regular hosts. The fourth presenter was a different guest every week. The program was a combination of humoristic commentary on archive footage taped from the Flemish TV channels VRT and its rival vtm and sketches starring the four hosts. The show achieved cult status and is still repeated regularly.
Wouter Vandenhaute is a Belgian Entrepreneur, Television producer and former sports-journalist. He is currently managing director of the Belgian media holding De Vijver, which includes the TV production company Woestijnvis and TV channel VIER. Vandenhaute married VRT sports journalist Catherine Van Eylen.
Bart August Maria Peeters is a Belgian singer, musician, television presenter and actor.
Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 with the song "Like the Wind", written by Ilia Beyers, John Terra, Emma Philippa-Hjälmås and Wim Claes, and performed by Vanessa Chinitor. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Flemish Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT), selected its entry for the contest through the national final Eurosong '99. The competition featured twenty-five competing entries and consisted of three shows. In the final on 28 February 1999, "Like the Wind" performed by Vanessa Chinitor was selected as the winner via the votes of three televoting groups and two jury groups.
Radio2 is a Belgian radio channel operated by the Flemish public broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT).
The Clement Peerens Explosition, or CPeX, was a Belgian parody rock group, created by Hugo Matthysen, Bart Peeters and Ronny Mosuse, the last two being former members of The Radios. The band was known for its comic lyrics in songs and interventions during performances, all in the Antwerp dialect.
Kristel Philemon Charlotte Verbeke is a Flemish singer, actress and host. She is most known for being a member of the first K3 group, from 1998 until 2015. In 2015 she became the manager of the new K3, remaining in this position until 2017. Since then, Verbeke focused on TV producing and acting.
Schalkse Ruiters, translated as "Roguish Horsemen", was a Flemish humoristic TV talk and game show, broadcast on the TV channel Eén between late 1996 and early 1998. The program was a cross between a comedy show, a talk show, a game show and a mockumentary. Hosted by Bart De Pauw and Tom Lenaerts viewers were shown three video reports about three different topics. The people in the studio and viewers at home had to vote whether they believed each individual video to be real or staged. In between these reports hidden camera segments and comedy sketches were shown.
Aram Van Ballaert is a Belgian guitarist and composer who is active since 1988. His classical guitar background resulted in a series of concerts throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle-East. Since 2012, Van Ballaert has been a composer for films and television.
Bart De Pauw is a Flemish TV host, comedian, actor and TV and film scriptwriter, known for humorous television series and shows on Belgian public television, like Buiten De Zone, Schalkse Ruiters, Het Geslacht De Pauw, Willy's en Marjetten, De Mol, Quiz Me Quick and De Biker Boys. He is also the scriptwriter of the Belgian blockbuster film Loft (2008), the original Flemish version of the Hollywood remake The Loft (2014).
Hugo Matthysen is a Belgian (Flemish) singer, guitarist, columnist, writer, Master in Philosophy and actor. He lives in the municipality of Hove in Antwerp.
Goedele Maria Gertrude Liekens is a Belgian politician, sexologist, tv host and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Belgium 1986 and represented her country at Miss Universe 1986. She also currently serving as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the party Open VLD, to which she was elected in 2019.
Studio Kafka was a Flemish sketch comedy radio show presented on the radio station Studio Brussel between 1995 and 1999. It was presented by Belgian cartoonists Kamagurka and Herr Seele and aired each Sunday afternoon between 13.00 and 14.00 p.m.
Celebrity comics are comics based on the fame and popularity of a celebrity. They are a byproduct of merchandising around a certain media star or franchise and have existed since the mass media and comics came into existence in the 19th century. Celebrity comics are usually not held in high esteem by critics, because of their purely commercial nature. They are solely created to capitalize on media trends and therefore published so quickly and cheaply that drawings and narratives tend to be of very low quality.
Events of the year 2019 in Belgium.
The Ha! van Humo is a yearly award offered since 1980 by the Flemish magazine Humo to the best television show of the year. The winner, chosen from 10 nominees, receives 5,000 Euro and a sculpted "H". In the first years, the show has also been given a few times to a TV maker and to a radio show instead of a television show. In 1997 and 2014 there were 2 winners, in 2012 no award was presented.
Conner Rousseau is a Belgian politician and chairman of the social-democratic Flemish Vooruit party. He became its chairman in November 2019 at the age of 26.
