Paul Witteman

Spring 2012: the SP is doing better than ever in the polls. The party stands at well over thirty seats. With that, Emile Roemer could very well become the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Director Coen Verbraak approaches the SP leader with the proposal to follow him as he prepares for the elections, which are likely to come in a year or two. Roemer says ‘yes’. For these could be historic times, both for his party and for the Netherlands. Two days after that meeting, the first Rutte cabinet falls, and everything accelerates rapidly. This documentary meticulously shows what happens from that moment on.

On March 6, 2002, Pim Fortuyn, as leader of Leefbaar Rotterdam, achieved a resounding victory in the municipal elections in the city on the Maas. Nationally, Fortuyn would instantly secure eighteen parliamentary seats; the political landscape had been permanently changed by him. March 6, 2002, concluded with a now-historic television debate between Pim Fortuyn and Ad Melkert, among others, moderated by Paul Witteman. What exactly happened behind the scenes surrounding the key players Fortuyn and Melkert? Confidants of the leading figures of that time tell their story. Moderator Paul Witteman also looks back on the debate.

Documentary by Fons de Poel about the phenomenon of Pim Fortuyn in Dutch politics, his rise, his political success, his political vision for the Netherlands, and the assassination attempt on him on May 6, 2002, at the Hilversum Mediapark, based on archival material and interviews with, among others, close friends of Fortuyn.

Colleagues and friends look back on the life of writer Joost Zwagerman.

Documentary by Remy Vlek about one hundred years of social democracy in the Netherlands, which began with the founding of the SDAP on August 26, 1894, followed by a studio discussion moderated by Paul Witteman on the future of social democracy.

Balkenende's storm Jan Peter Balkenende discusses his premiership in detail for the first time. For eight years (2002 - 2010) he held the highest political office in The Netherlands.

No synopsis available yet.

On February 29 – Leap Day – we celebrate Sonja Barend's birthday. She turns eighty then. She made countless programs, and when you watch them back, you can sense the spirit of the times. Sonja was the Netherlands' first true talk show host. She dared to ask anything, was critical, broke taboos, and had an opinion. In the night of Saturday, February 29 to March 1, we pay tribute to her. Dutch presenters will talk for an hour about what Sonja meant to them and to the Dutch television landscape.