From Brussels to the world. This year’s Series Mania is one of Belgium’s powerhouses, with the northern (VRT) and southern (RTBF) public broadcasters uniting once again to air gripping dramas, historical thrillers and surprisingly relevant programming. From an outsider’s perspective, this collaboration may seem like a no-brainer. But Belgium does more than just produce joint Flemish-French television dramas.
It took Wim and Mark Jansen, heads of drama at Dutch-speaking VRT and French-speaking RTBF, who (interestingly enough) are not related but share the same job and the same last name, almost a decade before they first found success together. In 2023, Belgian-born Eyeworks produced “1985”, a TV series directed by “The Twelve” director Willem Bubin, focusing on the infamous Belgian Brabant Killer. The eight-episode show captivated Belgian and European audiences after its debut in the Cannes series, marking another successful collaboration between Janssen and Janssen (as it is known in this field).
But what was supposed to be a one-hit wonder sparked a new generation of projects, driven by Belgian producers on both sides of the country. As “Brendonck” premiered at Series Mania earlier this week, we spoke to Janssen & Janssen about “Hunters,” a deep dive into the lives of a Belgian SWAT team as the threat of the 2016 Brussels attacks continues to grow.
Based on the book of the same name by Lionel D. and Annemie Bourte, “Hunters” is a 6-by-52-foot psychological action thriller produced by Versus, Los Morros and Caviar.
Just a few kilometers away, at RTBF-VRT headquarters, where just ten years ago 32 people lost their lives to a few haters, we spoke with Janssen & Janssen today to discuss the need for this story and its place in the broadcasters’ joint initiatives.
What interested you about this particular project?
Mark Jansen: Hunters is a really unusual kind of project. On the one hand, there are stories about our country and recent history, which are what national television is focusing on. At the same time, it is a universal, character-driven story that allows us to enter the minds and psyches of people beyond our reality. Enjoy thriller, action, and suspense as you go behind the mask and understand what’s happening from their perspective. It’s a great combination of all these aspects.
Wim Janssen: The real men portrayed in this fictional television series are inspired by the books of Lionel, who was a member of SWAT during the Brussels attacks and all the events leading up to it. Through this retelling, we see how men who had been prepared for a particular situation suddenly found themselves facing a new kind of enemy. People who were fearless, armed with military weapons and ready to do anything. How does it feel when all of a sudden you’re turned into a war machine and you have to be ready to stop someone, maybe kill someone, and still remain human at the same time? How do you deal with that? That’s something we were also interested in. The appearance of Emily, a young psychology graduate who is faced with the difficult task of reaching out to these alpha males and helping them deal with what is going on, is very important. It connects “Hunter” with the struggles we have today in our world where survival of the fittest seems to be the new way. But how can we remain human? I think that was appealing to us as well.
VRT, Michelle Vertonghen
“Hunters” follows in the vein of previous successful collaborations between VRT and RTBF, including “The Twelve” and “1985.” What do you think about the increasing collaboration between the two networks?
Mark Jansen: That’s great. Because during and immediately after “1985” there was a sense of a “perfect moment.” A great broadcast partner, a great producer, a great writer and cast, and a fascinating Belgian subject matter. In a way, we thought once this was over, it was over and nothing like this would ever happen again. But at the same time, everyone asked us if this is the beginning of something new, which was very difficult to answer, because of course it depends on the project. The great thing since “1985” is that those new opportunities have indeed arrived and there are more than just one project.
Wim Janssen: I think “1985” helped define what kind of projects we could collaborate on. Even though Mark and we have been having these conversations for a very long time. Questions about current events, local stories… It always relates to a specific time and place, and these are the stories we share as Belgians, so it’s only natural that we want to create them together.
Mark Jansen: For both of our networks, it’s always about great writing and great ideas. But when we both click with a project and are willing to spend time and money on it, it means there is something universal beyond us. Outside of Belgium, it seems very obvious and natural for the north and south to work together because they are the same country, but in reality there are many cultural differences. Having topics and events rooted in our shared history makes collaboration much easier and more organic.
Do you think the “Hunters” collaboration felt as organic as your previous collaborations?
Wim Janssen: About Hunters Adil and Bilal (directors of Rebel and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and both creative producers at Los Moros) came to us with Versus, the book, and its writer Lionel D, so there was great energy from the beginning. Adil and Bilal’s participation also helped shape the sensitive story. Mathieu Mortelmans is also great, a very friendly director who constantly mixes the two languages with his staff. On set, we tell one team, one Belgium, one story.
Mark Jansen: And you have to give credit to the producers. Because it is the producers who understand what it really means to co-produce a drama in Belgium and are determined enough to see it through. It’s more than just turning your character into a Flemish-speaking person and suddenly adding a few locations in Flanders to grab a little money here and there. These producers understand the reality that we’re working with, what we need to find in the project, and what we need to see on screen. On “Hunters” they were able to work with both of us very smoothly. I think we make it easy for them because we get along very well and are very aligned with our editorial guidelines.
Additionally, how do projects like this fit into your regional strategy as a broadcaster?
Wim Jansen: For me, as co-producers, it’s very important that we look each other in the eye and say: “Okay, we both think this will work in our area, and we’re going to build this together.” Secondly, depending on the amount of notes you give and the budget you put into it, it’s really important to have real trust in each other and the potential of the series. And each of its territories tries to offer the best of its region to the table.
Mark Jansen: As I mentioned earlier, the buzzword is “organic.” There is no formal process and no quota that says you need to produce at least one series per year using VRT. We’re both platform broadcasters, so we always have subjects and genres that are popular with our viewers, such as true crime and murder mysteries. Then projects like “1985” and “Hunter” come along and it feels natural to take part in them, because they bring us a part of Belgian history that we want to share. When a television series that is organically bilingual, set in both regions, and features a compelling story lands on our desk, it’s a no-brainer. If that happens, that’s great.
Wim Janssen: And a great bonus. Viewers also begin to learn and get to know the talents of both parties. It’ll be interesting to see how it all works out.
Beyond Belgium, this project was supported by the New8 Alliance, how does this apply to promoting a series of this kind?
Wim Jansen: Every project we bring locally has a story with a unique selling point that resonates with other countries. “Hunters” is not only a story based on true events in Belgium, but also has international appeal.
Mark Jansen: This is a really important initiative because today we’re all thinking about new ways to circulate work. This has been a political philosophy of the European Union for many years, and in New8 it is what is actually happening. When we started our TV series in southern Belgium in the 2010s, it was a golden age for European series. Nowadays, the market is shrinking and European works are not distributed as much as they used to be. Platforms like Netflix are narrowing their reach to local series, so the dynamic that began with “La Casa de Papel” is shrinking. At least now, projects like New8 are putting the work back into circulation and continuing to stimulate audiences’ curiosity and desire for discovery. This is very interesting not only for political reasons, but also from an economics point of view.
What is in the pipeline for future VRT/RTBF co-productions?
Mark Jansen: In addition to the projects I’ve already mentioned, I have one or two ideas that I’ve already talked about. You’ll hear about them soon. As a public service media, we also have a mission and passion to support and develop local talent. So telling local stories and nurturing these talents is always on our agenda.
Wim Janssen: Beyond that, as I said, we have been talking about collaboration for a long time. The good thing about having a trusted relationship and open communication is that you can check in very early on in a project to see if it’s a good fit. We know each other’s strategies and discuss it often. And you can easily make soft suggestions to each other and see how the results turn out. We will continue to work together because we have the same values and want to cause the same things.
(LR) Mark Jansen, Wim Jansen
