De Kotmadam is a classic Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 comedy

Comedy

Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 TV series directed by Ronnie Commissaris and Wim Feyearts produced for Belgian television since 1991. The series is written by Jaak Boon

Jaak Boon

Jaak Boon is a Belgian television writer, director and producer who specializes in the production of comedy.Mainly a writer for Belgian television, Boon has written for a number of popular mainstream comedies in Belgium such as De Kotmadam since 1991 working with director Ronnie Commissaris...

 and Frans Ceusters

Frans Ceusters

Frans Ceusters is a Flemish television writer.Mainly a writer for Belgian television, Ceusters is probably best known for his writing of De Kotmadam since 1991 working co-writer Jaak Boon. and with director Ronnie Commissaris. Since 1998, Ceusters has wrote the script for Alle maten.-External links:...

. It has produced 18 series so far.

The series revolves around Jeanne (Katrien Devos), who owns a small sweet shop in the centre of Leuven

Leuven

Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...

 and rents out several rooms of her house to students studying in the city. She is a caring type and loves all her students. Her husband Jef (Mark Verstraete) works for the city's gardening department. Their friend Odilon (Odilon Mortier), a naïve warden in the local prison, visits regularly to give or seek help.

The sweet shop has one regular client: Bertje (Din Meysmans), a mischievous but well-meaning neighbourhood boy during the first four series, replaced by Mimi (Machteld Ramout), a middle aged woman who loves gossiping and is Jeanne's best friend.

Most of the stories in the show revolve around the antics of the five students. Because students can't realistically keep studying for more than a couple of years, there is high character turnover among the students. There is, however, some consistency in the stereotypicality of the characters:

• The hard-working, arrogant, know-it-all (M/F): Charles Victor, Ria, Gentil, Filip
• The fun-loving social type (M): Billy, Jo, Dieter, Hugo, Lukas, Stef
• The shy insecure type (M): Koen, Bas, Arnold
• The secure, responsible type (F): Sam, Pim, Lus, Brigitte, Saskia
• The fashionable outgoing boy-magnet (F): Betty, Veronique, Tineke, Lies

Cast

• Katrien Devos - Jeanne Piens (1991-)
• Mark Verstraete - Jef Liefooghe (1991-)
• Odilon Mortier - Odilon Bonheur (1991-)
• Machteld Ramout - Mimi (1995-)
• Marianne Devriese - Lies (2002-)
• Mieke Dobbels - Saskia (2004-)
• Jan Van Hecke - Arnold (2004-)
• Han Coucke - Stef (2003–2006)
• Mout Uyttersprot - Filip (2002–2006)
• Margot Brabants - Brigitte (2001–2004)
• Louis Van Derwaal - Bas (2001–2004)
• Fabrice Delecluse - Lukas (1998–2002)
• Bert Van Poucke - Hugo (1997–2002)
• Esther Leenders - Tinneke (1998–2002)
• Pepijn Caudron - Gentil (1998–2001)
• Steve Geerts - Dieter (1997–2001)
• Nicoline Dossche - Lus Haezevoets (1996–2000)
• Britt van der Borght - Ria Vranckx (1994–1998)
• Aron Wade - Koen Maertens (1991–1997)
• Geert Hunaerts - Jo Verhulst (1994–1997)
• Danaë van Oeteren - Pim Davignon (1996–1997)
• Tine Van den Brande - Veronique (1995–1996)
• Din Meysmans - Bertje (1991–1996)
• Christel Van Schoonwinkel - Betty Billen (1991–1996)
• Anne Denolf - Sam Detaeye (1991–1996)
• Pieter-Jan De Smet - Charles-Victor Blomme (1991–1994)
• Tom Van Landuyt - Billy (1991–1994)