Flikken Maastricht

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

Small introduction: 'Flikken' is Dutch slang for 'police officers', while 'Maastricht' is a beautiful town in the very South of the Netherlands.

So these series are about a police unit in a provincial town. Set in the current crime, atmosphere, morality & mentality of the Netherlands. Extra flavor is added by Maastricht's internationalism: the town lies close to Belgium and Germany, and has its Dutch character lovely mixed with these foreign influences.

Another key-point: 'Flikken Maastricht' has its plots strongly interwoven with the personal lives of its police officers. Too much to be true, I should say, but these recognizable day-to-day problems have contributed to the series' popularity.

'Flikken Maastricht' was and is a TV-hit, (so far) spread over four seasons. Its evolution follows a usual pattern: developing itself in seasons 1 and 2, peaking in 3, and getting a little overdone in series 4.

After 4 episodes I can safely conclude that ''Flikken: Maastricht'' is a worthy police show on Dutch television. It has more depth and character development than in ''Baantjer'' and less over-the-top violence than in ''Van Speijk''. It's a bit written by the book, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

If I do have to complain about the show, I'd say that ex-soap star Angela Schijf just isn't a very strong performer. She's a charismatic person, but one needs more to make a character come to life. Now she seems like a whining kid who never grew out of puberty instead of the grumpy female detective she has to play. Victor Reinier is very good in his role as ''older'' policeman on the edge. It's funny to see him in this role, considering that he played the greenish assistant for '' De Cock '' in countless episodes of Baantjer.

I also adore the fact that this show has Maastricht as a setting. This city has a nice Burgundian air to it, strengthened by having an old-fashioned tavern as one of the recurring locations in 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..

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.