Flikken Maastricht

Just watch from season #1. See how it developes! . . . . . . .

As an American with barely any knowledge of the Dutch language, I can still say that Flikken Maastricht is a top-notch detective series that anyone would find enjoyable. Its not just about the crimes and cops and criminals, its about people that anyone can identify with. Its much more realistic in that it deals with crimes both large and small that detectives in mid-size police forces would likely encounter. For the male viewers there is plenty of hot totties to turn your head and for the ladies there is Victor Reinier. Plus, the Maastricht setting is simply gorgeous. Now, if only the producers would put out a box set with English subtitles perhaps I could stop bothering my Dutch friend for translations of things I don't quite understand.

I'm watching Flikken Maastricht via BVN, which is a free to air satellite broadcast. Maastricht is to The Netherlands what New Orleans is to the US, but without the music. The food, mardi gras, French influences, those are all similar. In the series there's nothing that refers to the couleur locale, save for the back ground. The indigenous Maastricht people speak a beautiful language, just like New Orleans cajun, but I haven't find one character who sounds like a local.

But, what bothers me most is how the writers are unable to build a story. They have no clue how to set up the key scenes of the program. It's structured like an Emeril show, first you take this, than you do that and voilá, there's your gumbo.

How many foreign companies have picked up the show?

The level of acting in the series is below average and things never get realistic. Characters are shallow and badly cast. I watch Scandinavian, French, Israelian and even Polish series, but this just has no nothing..

Its bad people, I mean, lets be honest here.

Mediocre actors, bad storyline.

The main characters are played by fairly decent actors, but the other actors are awful.

You can't really blame them, they're all rather one-dimensional-stereotypes. They always react in the exact way you would expect them to react. No surprises. Marion and Romeo aren't funny, while the situations they're in are obviously SUPPOSED to be funny.

I've never had the idea that I was actually looking at the real thing. I was looking at a bunch of actors in police uniforms. They seem to be out of place.

The actors that actually speak in the correct dialect (from Limburg) are always playing the part of "low-IQ-having-over-emotional-dimwit".

I'm convinced this series is aimed at kids in the early teens. However they did win a prize this year. But these kids are allowed to vote as well. Just don't be fooled!

I really enjoy NOT watching this show every Friday night. Watching 'Flikken Maastricht' is about as much fun as trying to figure out how to lick your elbow