Behind the scenes
Originally the N.I.R. only planned 13 episodes. The series was originally going to be named "Het Koperen Anker" or "De avonturen van kapitein Biebuyck," centering around a former army colonel. Since there was an actual military captain with that name who overheard the plans this idea was scrapped. [5]
In 1959 the character Marianne was written out of the series and replaced by a new character, Marieke. The actress who played Marianne, Francine De Weerdt, was replaced by Chris Lomme. Nand Buyl, who played the skipper, developed a love affair with Lomme and the couple later married. [6]
Theologian Max Wildiers wrote scripts for the series, [7] as well as Anton van Casteren, [8] Rik de Bruyn, [9] and Gerard Walschap. [10] [11]
Popularity and legacy
The series' popularity thrived on farcical situations and the fact that all the characters spoke in the dialect of the province Antwerp. While "Schipper naast Mathilde" was very popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s the program has seldom been repeated on TV since. This has to do with the fact that only nine episodes remain available today, but also because the show itself is extremely out-dated. In terms of television direction it's comparable to a filmed theatrical play.
In 1955 Willy Vandersteen made a celebrity comics newspaper comic strip based on the success of the TV show, drawn by his assistants Eduard de Rop and Gene Deschamps, but it didn't last long. [12] In 1960 Eddy Ryssack and Johan Anthierens also made a comic strip based on the show, De geheime avonturen van Kapitein Matthias (The secret adventures of Captain Matthias), which was published in Humo. [13] A series of novelisations was also published, as well as an audio play released on vinyl record. [14]
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.
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Johan Anthierens was a Belgian journalist, columnist, publicist, critic and writer. He became notorious because of his socially conscious columns, as well as his equally controversial opinions during interviews. He published both in HUMO as well as Knack and founded his own short-lived satirical magazine, De Zwijger in 1982-1985. The general public got to know him thanks to his television appearances, both as panel member in the quiz De Wies Andersen Show and as interviewer in the talkshow Noord-Zuid (North-South). Due to his confrontational criticism of capitalism, the monarchy, the Church, the establishment and the far-right movement Anthierens had both a lot of admirers as well as many enemies. Still, together with Louis De Lentdecker and Maurice De Wilde, he was widely regarded as one of the "Big Three" of Flemish critical journalism.
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Flemish (Vlaams) is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch, Belgian Dutch, or Southern Dutch. Flemish is native to the region known as Flanders in northern Belgium; it is spoken by Flemings, the dominant ethnic group of the region. Outside of Belgium Flanders, it is also spoken to some extent in French Flanders and the Dutch Zeelandic Flanders.
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Ad Wouters is a sculptor, born in the Netherlands, who is active in Belgium in Leuven and the forest south of it. Wouters is known for his oak wood sculptures.
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The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is the symphony orchestra of Flanders (Belgium), based in the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The orchestra is led by chief conductor Elim Chan and honorary conductor Philippe Herreweghe. The organisation, which is one of the seven art institutions of the Flemish Community, is one of the most important cultural representatives in the region. It is one of only two Belgian orchestras that have the right to style themselves as "royal", hence its full name "Antwerp Symphony Orchestra - the royal philharmonic orchestra of Flanders".
Kom Toch Eens Kijken was a Flemish children's TV series, broadcast between 1955 and 1960 on the Flemish public TV channel NIR 1. It was hosted by Bob Davidse and Terry Van Ginderen, who both presented themselves to their young viewers as Nonkel Bob and Tante Terry.
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Rita Mulier is a Belgian feminist author and economist. Writing for De nieuwe maand, she set up the Vrouwen Overleg Komitee and played a role in the women's liberation movement in Belgium. She focused on mother's rights in the workplace and held a post in the Flemish Community from 1991 until 1996. She was recognised with a baronetcy and published her autobiography in 1999.
