Samson en Gert
Encyclopedia
Samson en Gert was a Flemish
-Belgian
children's television series
produced by Gert Verhulst, Danny Verbiest and Hans Bourlon, the driving forces behind Studio 100
. This successful production company
is responsible for Bumba, Big en Betsy (Gert en Samson's counterparts), Kabouter Plop
, Piet Piraat
, K3
and several family
-musicals
. Samson en Gert began life on 15 July 1989 starring Danny Verbiest and Gert Verhulst in the respective roles. Samson en Gert is currently broadcast daily on Ketnet and weekly on the Dutch Tros
.
The Samson en Gert series ran from 1990 to 2005 while full-length CDs were released on an annual basis. Nowadays only the Christmas shows (running since 1991) and the twice-a-year music video
s remain, but it's not unlikely that Gert a new series will be taped on location. Re-runs of the existing 750 episodes are still broadcast in Belgium and the Netherlands.
channel (now Ketnet) in 1989; he contacted Danny Verbiest who worked with Dutch
clown
-/acrobat
duo Bassie & Adriaan
. Their latter television series introduced a sheep-dog called Lara as the next non-human sidekick
. This inspired Verbiest to create Samson, a talking bobtail
. Bassie & Adriaan paid a visit to Samson en Gert late 1990 during work on their Europe
-themed series and referred to Lara (R.I.P. 1992).
After their successful debut episode on Christmas
1989 Samson en Gerts series began in earnest in 1990 with a Wednesday afternoon slot and a Sunday morning rerun
. The one hour episodes were recorded in a set representing Samson and Gert's living room and were interrupted by cartoon
s and fanmail
. The pair was regularly visited by local hairdresser Albert, the Mayor of the town, and neighbour
Joop Mengelmoes to whom Samson refers as Mr. Chocomoes (Mr. Choccy Mousse); the latter played by Dutch
transplant Stef Bos
.
Stef Bos left in 1992 to concentrate on his singing career. The Mengelmoes character was replaced by the boastful Octaaf and his daughter Miranda (who left after one year). In the same year the stage set was augmented by a cellar and a kitchen, and from 1993 onwards viewers could also take a look at the Mayor's office. Other additions were Albert's hairdressing saloon, and a grocery store
run by Octaaf's Mum Jeannine de Bolle. During 1995/1996 the Mayor's niece Sofie (to whom Samson refers as Koffie) made a few appearances.
In 1996 the city hall
stage was rebuilt to fit in a corridor, a staircase and an elevator
. In 1998 the regularly mentioned mayoral secretary Eugene Van Leemhuyzen finally made his appearance.
A year later Hans Royaards was added tot he cast in the role of the Minister's Delegate, who comes to check up on the Mayor's activities on a regular basis. 1999 also saw the departure of Jeannine; her absence was since covered up by Octaaf's "Ons moeke zegt altijd..." ("Mummydear always says") during his last two years.
In 2000 a square set was built for scenes at the chip-stall run by new arrival Frieda Kroket whose offscreen-uncle Fred Kroket had retired to Spain
. The Frieda character stayed for three years. In 2005 the MD became a fulltime character while Verbiest (Samson's voice actor) retreated. Peter Thyssen, the voice actor of the talking pig of Big en Betsy, took his place in a move that longtime fans regret. The character Albert departed in 2006.
Dutch viewers got their first exposure to Samson en Gert in 1992 thanks to public broadcaster Veronica. Three years later TROS
took over when Veronica became a commercial station. Samson en Gert then moved to the Sunday morning slot on children's channel Zapp
till December 2008.
Today, it is still not known whether there will be new episodes.
stage name "Alberto" and whenever Gert fails to do so Albert furiously responds with (for example) "Ten eerste is het Albertooo; en ten tweede, de koekjes zijn op" ("Firstly; it's Albertooo. Secondly; you're out of cookies"). Octaaf de Bolle always says (for example) "Opscheppen, dat is toevallig een van mijn specaliteiten. Mijn Miranda zegt dat ook altijd; pa, zegt ze, zoals jij kan opscheppen zo... schep ik op" ("Showing off happens to be one of my specialties. My Miranda always agrees; Dad, she says, the way you show off... well, I show off"). Samson struggles to pronounce difficult words and names; for example, he refers to Eugene van Leemhuyzen as Mr. Van Veel Luizen (Mr.Many Lice) while Jeannine de Bolle becomes Mrs. Praline
. Recurring subjects in the series are "cheaters never win" and "honesty
is the best policy
".
s, Samson en Gert were also the subject of a series of comic books plus other merchandising varying from school
-equipment to bed sheet
s and lunchboxes. Belgian fans were even exposed to Samson-bread, unmilled wholewheat powdered with flour
.
2000 saw the launch of Plopsaland, a theme-park devoted to Studio 100-productions. In 2005 the doors of the new indoor theme park in Hasselt
, Plopsaland Indoor, opened. Finally, in 2006, the third theme park in the Plopsa-family opened, after the theme park Télécoo near the village of Coo, Belgium went bankrupt. It was bought by Studio 100, and subsequently renamed Plopsa Coo.
Studio 100 also aims to open two theme parks in the Netherlands, the first of which will be located in Coevorden
. The opening of the first park is scheduled for December 2008.
) are given a cameo-appearance. Even old muckers Albert (back to his fat self), a greying Octaaf and the Mayor are present to spice things up. Flashback-scenes serve to portray the main characters' younger selves; even at that age Gert fancied Marlene. His wealthy nemesis Jean Louis Michel (whose name should never be mentioned at No. 101) is nowhere to be seen. A second movie has yet to be confirmed.
Gert (Gert Verhulst) Samson's owner, although Samson is actually not a pet to him, but more a true best friend. He lives at a tiny house on Dorpstraat 101. The doorbell is broken (due to Joop Mengelmoes's attempt to fix it) so everyone has to knock on the door. Gert is in love with Marlène (who he addresses as "Marlèneke), but she is in love with a singer named Jean-Louis-Michel, at who Gert is very jealous about. Gert drives a red Citroën Deux chevaux.
Joop Mengelmoes (Stef Bos) Was Samson and Gert's neighbour. He was an ingenious inventor but was always clumsy. Once he tried to fix their doorbell, but totally ruined and now everyone has to knock on the door. He loved animals very much, he had a pet turtle named Marlène (not to be confused with Gerts girlfriend). Samson mistakes his name for Mr. Chocomousse
Albert Vermeersch (Koen Crucke
) A barber who runs the town's barber shop, although he's not very good at his work. He doesn't have many customers (mostly just one customer in a week) and lost customers after he humorously ruined their hair. In his free time he sings opera at a local drama club. His idol is Pavarotti. Albert's dream is to become a famous opera singer, so like all famous opera singers he took a stage name: Alberto Vermicelli. Everybody calls him Alberto, but Gert still addresses him as Albert, which results that he angrily shouts his famous catchphrase "Ten eerste is't Albertooo! En ten tweede..." (First, it's Albertooo! And second...). Albert is obese and is also greedy and gluttonous, when he sees food (mostly pies and/or cookies) he instantly eats it. In many episodes he performs a dirty trick or scam to get a pie. Samson mispronounces his name as Mr. Spaghetti.
Burgemeester (Mayor) (Walter De Donder) As his name says, he is the mayor of the village. His real name is Modest, but everyone (even Samson) addresses him as (meneer de) burgemeester (mister mayor). He is likes to build model airplanes (often while he should actually be working) and tries to keep this a secret to everyone, although his friends already know. He has a twin brother Basiel, who is a sailor and who is mostly at sea. He has also a niece Sofie and maid Marie, who makes his favourite meal: sugar flavoured porridge .
Octaaf De Bolle (Walter van de Velde) The owner of the town's grocery store which he runs together with his mother Jeannine and daughter Miranda. Octaaf is honorary vice-president of the local sporting club named "De Spieren Los" (Loose Muscles). He thinks he's very ingenious and he has invented many things, but they all failed. He also likes to brag about himself, claiming that whatever he's currently doing happens to be one of his specialties. Therefore he uses his catchphrase "Dat is toevallig één van mijn specialiteiten" (this happens to be one of my specialties). Samson mispronounces his name as Mr. De Raaf (mister The Raven).
Miranda De Bolle (Liesbeth Verstraeten) Octaaf De Bolle's teenage daughter. According to Octaaf, she's very shy. Miranda only appeared from 1992 until 1993. Samson called her Veranda.
Jeannine De Bolle (Ann Peterssen) Octaaf De Bolle's mother. Like her son, she likes to brag about herself. She runs a local hobby club. According to her, she's the most creative woman of the village. Everyone always calls her Mevr. Jeannine (Mrs. Jeannine), Octaaf calls her "moeke" (mommy), Samson calls her Mrs. Praline. She was played by Ann Petersen
, who was a famous Belgian actress.
Sofie (Evi Hanssen) The Mayor's niece. She often helps him in his work as mayor of the town (mostly helping him with making model airplanes). While she is very nice, she can also nag. The actress who portrays her was never mentioned in the episodes title screens for some reason. Her role lasted from 1994 till 1996. Samson called her "Koffie" (Coffee
).
Eugène Van Leemhuyzen (Walter Baele) The mayor's secretary. Before 1998 his character was only mentioned. In the 1998 episode "De filmvoorstelling" (the film presentation) he is seen for the first time and he became a main character after that. He is known for having a very big imagination, and sometimes he acts very hyperactive. Van Leemhuyzen often picks his nose, which disgusts many people (including the viewers). Everybody always addresses him by his last name, and Samson refers to him as Mr. Van Veel Luizen (Mister Many Lice)
Afgevaardigde van de Minister (The Minister's Delegate) (Various actors (????-1999), Hans Royaards (1999-????) An inspector who works for the government. His job is to check if everything in the village goes well and if the Mayor and Van Leemhuyzen do their job right. Before 1999 he had only a recurring role, played by various actors. In 1999, in the episode "De Schuimvloed" (The Foamy Flood) a new, permanent Delegate is introduced, played by Hans Royaards. In the same episode he introduces himself as Roger De Zeper but that name would not be used any more for the rest of the series as he is always addressed as "de afgevaardigde van de minister". The new Delegate had a main role now instead of a recurring role, as he appeared many more times. He is often antagonistic towards Samson, Gert and the others (mostly towards the Mayor and Van Leemhuyzen). The delegate is short-tempered, and often uses the Mayor and Van Leemhuyzen to do his dirty work for him (mostly following ridiculous rules made by the minister). However in a few episodes he is very friendly towards the others. Samson wrongly addresses him as "de gevaarlijke van de sinister/verkwister" (the sinister's/squanderer's dangerous one)
Frieda Kroket (Barbara De Jonghe) Was introduced in 2000 together with the new Town Square set. She was a vendor selling fries from a trailer-like shop on the town square. She was madly in love with Alberto, a feeling that wasn't mutual. Many fans didn't like her, mostly because of her foolish behaviour and her greasy hair. In 2003 she was removed from the series. Samson called her Mevr. Frietje (Mrs. Chip)
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
-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...
children's television series
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
produced by Gert Verhulst, Danny Verbiest and Hans Bourlon, the driving forces behind Studio 100
Studio 100
Studio 100 is a Flemish company that produces popular children's television series and owns five amusement parks and four musical ensembles.-History:Studio 100 was founded in 1996 by Gert Verhulst, Danny Verbiest, and Hans Bourlon...
. This successful production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
is responsible for Bumba, Big en Betsy (Gert en Samson's counterparts), Kabouter Plop
Kabouter Plop
Kabouter Plop is the eponymous protagonist in a children's television series by Studio 100.The television series is directed by Bart Van Leemputten. Most episodes last about five minutes and are set in Plop's milk inn or in Kabouter forest...
, Piet Piraat
Piet Piraat
Piet Piraat is a Flemish children's program written and produced by Studio 100. Shown in Belgium on Ketnet and in the Netherlands on Z@PP, Piet Piraat is a good-natured pirate who crosses the Seven Seas with his crew, getting into various adventures...
, K3
K3 (band)
K3 is a Flemish/Dutch girl band with a Dutch repertoire, mainly aimed at pre-adolescent children. The name of the group is derived from the names of the three original members: Karen Damen, Kristel Verbeke and Kathleen Aerts. Their music is produced by production company Studio 100 and is written...
and several family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
-musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. Samson en Gert began life on 15 July 1989 starring Danny Verbiest and Gert Verhulst in the respective roles. Samson en Gert is currently broadcast daily on Ketnet and weekly on the Dutch Tros
TROS
TROS is a Dutch television and radio organization part of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting...
.
The Samson en Gert series ran from 1990 to 2005 while full-length CDs were released on an annual basis. Nowadays only the Christmas shows (running since 1991) and the twice-a-year music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s remain, but it's not unlikely that Gert a new series will be taped on location. Re-runs of the existing 750 episodes are still broadcast in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Series
Gert Verhulst began his career announcing children's programmes on the BRTN 2Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep
The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders ....
channel (now Ketnet) in 1989; he contacted Danny Verbiest who worked with Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
-/acrobat
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
duo Bassie & Adriaan
Bassie and Adriaan
Bassie & Adriaan were a Dutch circus duo who starred in their own television series. Bassie is a ginger-haired red-nosed clown who wears a red tartan-jacket and green trousers; he's fond of cream-cakes, and calls himself "stupid, but not smart". Adriaan is an acrobat in a blue 1970s-style shirt;...
. Their latter television series introduced a sheep-dog called Lara as the next non-human sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
. This inspired Verbiest to create Samson, a talking bobtail
Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog which was developed in England from early herding types of dog. The Old English Sheepdog has very long fur covering the face and eyes...
. Bassie & Adriaan paid a visit to Samson en Gert late 1990 during work on their Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
-themed series and referred to Lara (R.I.P. 1992).
After their successful debut episode on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1989 Samson en Gerts series began in earnest in 1990 with a Wednesday afternoon slot and a Sunday morning rerun
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
. The one hour episodes were recorded in a set representing Samson and Gert's living room and were interrupted by cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s and fanmail
FanMail
FanMail is the third studio album by American girl group trio TLC, released on February 23, 1999. As with previous album CrazySexyCool , the group re-teamed with Dallas Austin, Babyface, and Jermaine Dupri on the album's production and the album features the computer voice female named Vic-E .The...
. The pair was regularly visited by local hairdresser Albert, the Mayor of the town, and neighbour
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
Joop Mengelmoes to whom Samson refers as Mr. Chocomoes (Mr. Choccy Mousse); the latter played by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
transplant Stef Bos
Stef Bos
Stef Bos is a Dutch singer who has been living in Antwerp, Belgium, since 1984. He sings in Dutch , and has been successful in Belgium, the Netherlands and South-Africa ever since his breakthrough single "Papa" came out in 1990.He wrote Belgium's entry into the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest, "Door...
.
Stef Bos left in 1992 to concentrate on his singing career. The Mengelmoes character was replaced by the boastful Octaaf and his daughter Miranda (who left after one year). In the same year the stage set was augmented by a cellar and a kitchen, and from 1993 onwards viewers could also take a look at the Mayor's office. Other additions were Albert's hairdressing saloon, and a grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
run by Octaaf's Mum Jeannine de Bolle. During 1995/1996 the Mayor's niece Sofie (to whom Samson refers as Koffie) made a few appearances.
In 1996 the city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
stage was rebuilt to fit in a corridor, a staircase and an elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
. In 1998 the regularly mentioned mayoral secretary Eugene Van Leemhuyzen finally made his appearance.
A year later Hans Royaards was added tot he cast in the role of the Minister's Delegate, who comes to check up on the Mayor's activities on a regular basis. 1999 also saw the departure of Jeannine; her absence was since covered up by Octaaf's "Ons moeke zegt altijd..." ("Mummydear always says") during his last two years.
In 2000 a square set was built for scenes at the chip-stall run by new arrival Frieda Kroket whose offscreen-uncle Fred Kroket had retired to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The Frieda character stayed for three years. In 2005 the MD became a fulltime character while Verbiest (Samson's voice actor) retreated. Peter Thyssen, the voice actor of the talking pig of Big en Betsy, took his place in a move that longtime fans regret. The character Albert departed in 2006.
Dutch viewers got their first exposure to Samson en Gert in 1992 thanks to public broadcaster Veronica. Three years later TROS
TROS
TROS is a Dutch television and radio organization part of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting...
took over when Veronica became a commercial station. Samson en Gert then moved to the Sunday morning slot on children's channel Zapp
Nederland 3
Nederland 3 is the third and youngest of the terrestrial television channels operated by the Dutch public-broadcasting organization NPO in the Netherlands and carries programs provided by member-based non-profit broadcasting associations. It is oriented towards children, youth and innovative...
till December 2008.
Today, it is still not known whether there will be new episodes.
Running gags
The series is characterized by a stream of running gags; every time someone enters Samson and Gert's living room the visitor always says "Ik moest kloppen want de bel doet het niet" ("Sorry, I had to knock because the doorbell doesn't work"). Hairdresser Albert Vermeersch insists on being addressed by his operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
stage name "Alberto" and whenever Gert fails to do so Albert furiously responds with (for example) "Ten eerste is het Albertooo; en ten tweede, de koekjes zijn op" ("Firstly; it's Albertooo. Secondly; you're out of cookies"). Octaaf de Bolle always says (for example) "Opscheppen, dat is toevallig een van mijn specaliteiten. Mijn Miranda zegt dat ook altijd; pa, zegt ze, zoals jij kan opscheppen zo... schep ik op" ("Showing off happens to be one of my specialties. My Miranda always agrees; Dad, she says, the way you show off... well, I show off"). Samson struggles to pronounce difficult words and names; for example, he refers to Eugene van Leemhuyzen as Mr. Van Veel Luizen (Mr.Many Lice) while Jeannine de Bolle becomes Mrs. Praline
Praline
Praline is a family of confections made from nuts and sugar syrup.-Europe:As originally inspired in France at the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte by the cook of the 17th-century sugar industrialist Marshal du Plessis-Praslin , early pralines were whole almonds individually coated in caramelized sugar,...
. Recurring subjects in the series are "cheaters never win" and "honesty
Honesty
Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or theft....
is the best policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
".
Merchandising and theme-parks
Apart from releasing CDs and DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s, Samson en Gert were also the subject of a series of comic books plus other merchandising varying from school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
-equipment to bed sheet
Bed sheet
A bed sheet is a piece of cloth used to cover a mattress. It is this sheet that one typically lies on.In many areas of the world, a second flat bed sheet is laid on top of the sheet covering the mattress. This is known as a "top sheet" and when a top sheet is used, the sheet covering the mattress...
s and lunchboxes. Belgian fans were even exposed to Samson-bread, unmilled wholewheat powdered with flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
.
2000 saw the launch of Plopsaland, a theme-park devoted to Studio 100-productions. In 2005 the doors of the new indoor theme park in Hasselt
Hasselt
Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
, Plopsaland Indoor, opened. Finally, in 2006, the third theme park in the Plopsa-family opened, after the theme park Télécoo near the village of Coo, Belgium went bankrupt. It was bought by Studio 100, and subsequently renamed Plopsa Coo.
Studio 100 also aims to open two theme parks in the Netherlands, the first of which will be located in Coevorden
Coevorden
Coevorden is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands. During the municipal reorganisation in the province in 1998, Coevorden merged with Dalen, Sleen, Oosterhesselen and Zweeloo.- Population centers :...
. The opening of the first park is scheduled for December 2008.
Samson en Gert; the movie
Their first feature-length movie Hotel op Stelten (Madhouse Hotel) was released in March 2008. Many contemporary celebs like The Dalton Sisters and Dirk van Voren (Steven Stil from Piet PiraatPiet Piraat
Piet Piraat is a Flemish children's program written and produced by Studio 100. Shown in Belgium on Ketnet and in the Netherlands on Z@PP, Piet Piraat is a good-natured pirate who crosses the Seven Seas with his crew, getting into various adventures...
) are given a cameo-appearance. Even old muckers Albert (back to his fat self), a greying Octaaf and the Mayor are present to spice things up. Flashback-scenes serve to portray the main characters' younger selves; even at that age Gert fancied Marlene. His wealthy nemesis Jean Louis Michel (whose name should never be mentioned at No. 101) is nowhere to be seen. A second movie has yet to be confirmed.
Main characters
Samson (Danny Verbiest (1990–2005), Peter Thyssen (2005-????) A cute little dog of the Bobtail race, who is capable of speaking. He is a little bit naïve and don't understand modern life very well. This leads to his many mispronunciations (for example he calls Mengelmoes (Joops last name) Chocomousse). He likes to eat spaghetti and fries.Gert (Gert Verhulst) Samson's owner, although Samson is actually not a pet to him, but more a true best friend. He lives at a tiny house on Dorpstraat 101. The doorbell is broken (due to Joop Mengelmoes's attempt to fix it) so everyone has to knock on the door. Gert is in love with Marlène (who he addresses as "Marlèneke), but she is in love with a singer named Jean-Louis-Michel, at who Gert is very jealous about. Gert drives a red Citroën Deux chevaux.
Joop Mengelmoes (Stef Bos) Was Samson and Gert's neighbour. He was an ingenious inventor but was always clumsy. Once he tried to fix their doorbell, but totally ruined and now everyone has to knock on the door. He loved animals very much, he had a pet turtle named Marlène (not to be confused with Gerts girlfriend). Samson mistakes his name for Mr. Chocomousse
Albert Vermeersch (Koen Crucke
Koen Crucke
Koenraad Desiré Arthur Crucke is a Belgian operatic tenor, politician, and actor of stage, television, and film. As an opera singer he has been particularly active at the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp where he specializes in character roles. He has appeared in numerous musical theatre productions as...
) A barber who runs the town's barber shop, although he's not very good at his work. He doesn't have many customers (mostly just one customer in a week) and lost customers after he humorously ruined their hair. In his free time he sings opera at a local drama club. His idol is Pavarotti. Albert's dream is to become a famous opera singer, so like all famous opera singers he took a stage name: Alberto Vermicelli. Everybody calls him Alberto, but Gert still addresses him as Albert, which results that he angrily shouts his famous catchphrase "Ten eerste is't Albertooo! En ten tweede..." (First, it's Albertooo! And second...). Albert is obese and is also greedy and gluttonous, when he sees food (mostly pies and/or cookies) he instantly eats it. In many episodes he performs a dirty trick or scam to get a pie. Samson mispronounces his name as Mr. Spaghetti.
Burgemeester (Mayor) (Walter De Donder) As his name says, he is the mayor of the village. His real name is Modest, but everyone (even Samson) addresses him as (meneer de) burgemeester (mister mayor). He is likes to build model airplanes (often while he should actually be working) and tries to keep this a secret to everyone, although his friends already know. He has a twin brother Basiel, who is a sailor and who is mostly at sea. He has also a niece Sofie and maid Marie, who makes his favourite meal: sugar flavoured porridge .
Octaaf De Bolle (Walter van de Velde) The owner of the town's grocery store which he runs together with his mother Jeannine and daughter Miranda. Octaaf is honorary vice-president of the local sporting club named "De Spieren Los" (Loose Muscles). He thinks he's very ingenious and he has invented many things, but they all failed. He also likes to brag about himself, claiming that whatever he's currently doing happens to be one of his specialties. Therefore he uses his catchphrase "Dat is toevallig één van mijn specialiteiten" (this happens to be one of my specialties). Samson mispronounces his name as Mr. De Raaf (mister The Raven).
Miranda De Bolle (Liesbeth Verstraeten) Octaaf De Bolle's teenage daughter. According to Octaaf, she's very shy. Miranda only appeared from 1992 until 1993. Samson called her Veranda.
Jeannine De Bolle (Ann Peterssen) Octaaf De Bolle's mother. Like her son, she likes to brag about herself. She runs a local hobby club. According to her, she's the most creative woman of the village. Everyone always calls her Mevr. Jeannine (Mrs. Jeannine), Octaaf calls her "moeke" (mommy), Samson calls her Mrs. Praline. She was played by Ann Petersen
Ann Petersen
Ann Petersen was a Belgian actress.She was one of the best known actresses in Belgium. She was especially noted for her roles in Pauline & Paulette, the children's serial Samson & Gert, Thuis and Captain Zeppos.-External links:...
, who was a famous Belgian actress.
Sofie (Evi Hanssen) The Mayor's niece. She often helps him in his work as mayor of the town (mostly helping him with making model airplanes). While she is very nice, she can also nag. The actress who portrays her was never mentioned in the episodes title screens for some reason. Her role lasted from 1994 till 1996. Samson called her "Koffie" (Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
).
Eugène Van Leemhuyzen (Walter Baele) The mayor's secretary. Before 1998 his character was only mentioned. In the 1998 episode "De filmvoorstelling" (the film presentation) he is seen for the first time and he became a main character after that. He is known for having a very big imagination, and sometimes he acts very hyperactive. Van Leemhuyzen often picks his nose, which disgusts many people (including the viewers). Everybody always addresses him by his last name, and Samson refers to him as Mr. Van Veel Luizen (Mister Many Lice)
Afgevaardigde van de Minister (The Minister's Delegate) (Various actors (????-1999), Hans Royaards (1999-????) An inspector who works for the government. His job is to check if everything in the village goes well and if the Mayor and Van Leemhuyzen do their job right. Before 1999 he had only a recurring role, played by various actors. In 1999, in the episode "De Schuimvloed" (The Foamy Flood) a new, permanent Delegate is introduced, played by Hans Royaards. In the same episode he introduces himself as Roger De Zeper but that name would not be used any more for the rest of the series as he is always addressed as "de afgevaardigde van de minister". The new Delegate had a main role now instead of a recurring role, as he appeared many more times. He is often antagonistic towards Samson, Gert and the others (mostly towards the Mayor and Van Leemhuyzen). The delegate is short-tempered, and often uses the Mayor and Van Leemhuyzen to do his dirty work for him (mostly following ridiculous rules made by the minister). However in a few episodes he is very friendly towards the others. Samson wrongly addresses him as "de gevaarlijke van de sinister/verkwister" (the sinister's/squanderer's dangerous one)
Frieda Kroket (Barbara De Jonghe) Was introduced in 2000 together with the new Town Square set. She was a vendor selling fries from a trailer-like shop on the town square. She was madly in love with Alberto, a feeling that wasn't mutual. Many fans didn't like her, mostly because of her foolish behaviour and her greasy hair. In 2003 she was removed from the series. Samson called her Mevr. Frietje (Mrs. Chip)
Twentieth anniversary
In 2010, each Saturday and Sunday an old episode made betwen 1990-1995 was shewn on Ketnet.Trivia
- Apart from Samson himself, his mispronunciations too are a page out of Bassie and AdriaanBassie and AdriaanBassie & Adriaan were a Dutch circus duo who starred in their own television series. Bassie is a ginger-haired red-nosed clown who wears a red tartan-jacket and green trousers; he's fond of cream-cakes, and calls himself "stupid, but not smart". Adriaan is an acrobat in a blue 1970s-style shirt;...
's book. In their debut series (De Plaaggeest) the pair were forced to take other jobs after their own circus abandoned them. Bassie told a school-headmaster, struck by sick personnel, to employ Adriaan as a PEPhysical educationPhysical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
teacherTeacherA teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. "He's very good at gumelastics".
- Early 2007 Gert lived up to his 1992 on-song promise to hand out gallonGallonThe gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
s of lemonadeLemonadeLemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
and 100 kilograms of chocolateChocolateChocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
if he'd ever had €10,000,000 (At the time of the song, however, Belgium still had the francFrancThe franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
as its currency, though the video appears to show Gert throwing US dollars in the air (10,000,000 BEF (Belgian francs)Belgian francThe franc was the currency of Belgium until 2002 when the euro was introduced into circulation. It was subdivided into centimes , 100 centiem or Centime .-History:...
= about US$310,000)). Gert organised this event at Plopsaland Indoor.
- Apparently putting some distance between himself and his TV-character, Gert now sports a goatee-beard.