Flemish comedy show
| In de gloria |
|---|
 In de Gloria DVD box cover |
| Genre | Sketch show, Mockumentary, Satire, Tragicomedy |
|---|
| Created by | Jan Eelen |
|---|
| Directed by | Jan Eelen |
|---|
| Country of origin | Belgium |
|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
|---|
| No. of seasons | 2 |
|---|
| No. of episodes | 20 |
|---|
|
| Producer | Woestijnvis |
|---|
| Running time | 25 minutes |
|---|
| Production company | Woestijnvis |
|---|
|
| Network | VRT |
|---|
| Release | 11 February 2000 (2000-02-11) –
28 April 2001 (2001-04-28) |
|---|
In de Gloria ("In the Glory") was a 2000–01 Belgian TV sketch comedy show, directed by Jan Eelen and produced by the company Woestijnvis. It was a mockumentary series which satirized reality television and human interest shows, especially the way regular people are exploited by media.[1]
The show ran on the Belgian public TV channel Canvas for two seasons of 10 episodes each. In Flanders itself, the series continues to enjoy significant popularity and critical praise, with several sketches having gained classic status. Despite the local popularity, the show has never been exported.[2][3]
Concept
In de Gloria is a mockumentary in sketch show format. Every episode consists of a series of sketches that are mostly improvised around a central idea. The tone is tragicomical. Eelen based some of the spoof targets on pre-existing TV formats, including some shows of his own company, Woestijnvis. In an interview, Eelen said he was inspired by the Dutch mockumentaries of Van Kooten en De Bie and Arjan Ederveen's 30 minuten.[4]
Status
In de Gloria has been lauded by TV critics ever since it first aired. In 2002, it received the Prijs van de Vlaamse Radio-en Televisiekritiek for "Best TV Show".[5] It's also popular with viewers. All seasons are available on DVD.
Internet notoriety
"Boemerang" (Boomerang) gained notoriety on YouTube. It features the host of a talk show, "Boemerang", breaking into fits of giggles after hearing the voice of one of his guests, who spoke in a squeaky manner due to a failed tonsillectomy, much the same as Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther dentist sketch.[6][better source needed] The video uploader who added English subtitles to the footage implied the footage was real and shortened it especially to remove all indications of it being fake.[citation needed] The full sketch shows the TV host in a supposed archive TV show (hence the title Boemerang) looking back on the infamous moment that got him fired in the past. All people in the footage are actors.[citation needed] The show's host, Erik Hartman, is played by Tom Van Dyck; his two guests Valère and Marijke are portrayed by Lucas Van den Eynde and An Miller.[7]
It quickly became an Internet meme among foreigners who mistook it for being real.[citation needed] In September 2006, the YouTube clip was even shown during The Tonight Show with Jay Leno[8] and Star Channel news, with both hosts announcing it as being real.[citation needed]
Parts of the Boemerang sketch were also featured in an Argentinian television advertisement for Quilmes beer, titled Risas (laughs), where Hartman is seen laughing.[9][better source needed]
