Flikken Maastricht

On 24 November 2006 it was published that Victor Reinier and ex-GTST-actress Angela Schijf would play a main role on the show. On the same day, the contracts with the city of Maastricht and the police of Limburg-Zuid were signed.[1] On 18 March 2007 the complete cast was announced.[2]

The first episode of the series aired on 3 September 2007 at 10:00pm by the Dutch broadcast organisation TROS on channel Nederland 1. 13 weeks later, on 26 November, the last episode of the first season was aired. The first season had an average of 1,314,000 viewers per episode, and on 20 March 2008 it was released on DVD.

Since 2 September 2008, the series has also aired in Belgium, on Channel 1. On average, 737,000 Belgian viewers watched the first season. The second season aired in Belgium in autumn 2010. The show is also aired in Italy, under the title Flikken - Coppia in Giallo, with Italian voice-overs. The first season was viewed by 1,100,000 on average in Italy.

In 2009, the third and fourth seasons were recorded. The third season started on 30 October 2009 and had 10 episodes. The fourth season was aired directly after the third season. The reason for this is unknown.

In the beginning of 2010, TROS announced that they had ordered to produce the fifth season. This season also had 10 episodes. The recordings started at the end of May 2010. The first episode aired on 7 January 2011. In the fifth season, Will van Kralingen (hoofdinspecteur Ellis Flammand) came back after she had to leave earlier due to medical reasons.

The popularity of the show was proven at the 'Flikkendag Maastricht 2010' on 25 September 2010. That day included demos of emergency services in Maastricht with special visits of the four leading actors from the show. Previously there was a Flikkendag in Ghent.

In the series, the city of Maastricht and the police station of that city are often portrayed. Many of the stories play on or around the Sint Pieters Mountain. What lacks making the image of Limburg complete is the use of the Limburgian dialect. One of the main characters, Eva van Dongen, was born in Maastricht in the series. However, she speaks pure Dutch.

Every once in a while the shooting of the show in Maastricht and its surroundings proves be a slight nuisance. For example, the municipality of Roermond was not very glad when the tunnel on Rijksweg 73 was blocked.[3]

The sixth season starting airing on 27 January 2012 with the TV film De Overloper, in which storylines from previous seasons were resolved. The following week, on 3 February, the first episode of season 6 aired, with Ria Eimers playing the role of the new hoofdinspecteur Frieda Mechels.

TROS ordered ten new episodes for the seventh season even before the sixth season started airing. The shooting started on 5 June 2012. The seventh season was scheduled to air on February 22, 2013. It was also announced that the character Esmee van Rooy (played by Jamie Grant) would return. It is clear that the series was to be continued: in fall 2012 preparations for the eighth season commenced.

De Overloper is the TV film of Flikken Maastricht from 2012. This movie continues from the last episode of season 5 and contains important developments in the storyline.

Angela Schijf who plays the role of Eva van Dongen got the nickname "Schietschijf" on set, which is a Dutch pun on her name because she can shoot quite well.[4]

Since the third season, Dutch actors have guest starred in Flikken Maastricht, including Piet Römer, Melody Klaver, Daniël Boissevain, Theo Maassen, Tygo Gernandt, Rick Engelkes and Mimoun Oaïssa.

Three people have played themselves on Flikken Maastricht: Gerd Leers, mayor of Maastricht at the time, popular singer Frans Bauer, and the famous violinist André Rieu.[5]

Andrea Croonenberghs guest-starred in the last two episodes of the first season (episode 12 and 13) as Britt Michiels, who used to play a main role on the original Flikken. It wasn't very clear as to what happened to Britt after her departure out of Ghent, even though she told Wolfs that she had no relationship and presently worked in Antwerp.[6]

Thomas Acda played an important supporting role in season 4 and the first episode of season 5. He later returned in season 6.

In the fifth season, a new supporting actor joined the cast: Jamie Grant. Grant is not in the opening credits, but her name is credited after the title of the episode is displayed. She was not part of the cast in the sixth season because her character likely was still in a coma. It was announced that she would return in the seventh season.

In the sixth season there were two more supporting actors: Lee M. Ross and Bill Zielinski. Will van Kralingen quit again after the fifth season with her role as Ellis Flamand following her earlier hiatus of season 2-4. In season 2-4 Helmert Woudenberg played Eugène Hoeben as the hoofdinspecteur. Her successor is Frieda Mechels, played by Ria Eimers.[7]

In the 7th season Jamie Grant returned as officer Esmee van Rooy and TROS-presenter Vivienne van den Assem had a recurring role as informant/infiltrator Tonja. Also, Thomas Acda returned as ex-detective Daan de Vos.[8]

• Website AVROTROS (in Dutch)