For all you new fans of things Belgique, this new series starts on BBC4 TV tonight. Explore the fictional underbelly of our new friends' nation from the comfort of your favourite chair or sofa
Flemish (Belgian Dutch) as it is mostly set in Flanders (Ghent and Bruges), though unsurprising to also hear French (Walloon) which is spoken in the South and East. There is a massive linguistic divide in Belgium.
Thought this was good, but not as compulsive viewing as the Bridge.
Agree exactly. Although I think we may learn that Belgium is a rather dodgy country....
as you probably know, Germany invading 'neutral' Belgium was the ostensible reason for Britain entering WW1 .. 'Belgium' had undergone Spanish then Dutch 'rule' for centuries before its emergence as a separate state in (I think) the 1830s .. a nice buffer state between France and Germany .. Belgium suffered terribly under German occupation in WW1 .. my ex-neighbour, a Belgian, told me that when the country was part of the Spanish 'empire', speaking Dutch/Flemish was punishable by death, hence the northern Belgians devotion to their language .. Belgium could possibly go the way of Yugo and Czechoslovakia, a break-up along religious and linguistic lines
Flemish (Belgian Dutch) as it is mostly set in Flanders (Ghent and Bruges), though unsurprising to also hear French (Walloon) which is spoken in the South and East. There is a massive linguistic divide in Belgium.
Hi Thommo
That's interesting, to know which cities are the locations. So where is the police base, is that in Bruges? And what about the bank?
Most of the shots were in Brussels, the Jonkhere private bank was definitely in Brussels, by the views from the Police station that was also in Brussels, the Canal shots were mainly Bruges and a few of the street shots were Ghent. Only recognise as Im in Ghent quite a bit of late with work.
Prob should've made the distinction between filmed and set. Mostly set in Belgium with elements filmed in Flanders.
I enjoyed it and look forward to next week's episode.
But a question, please..
What language are they speaking ?
Detected what sounded like a few German words & some French sounding ones too.
They are mainly speaking Flemish with a bit of French. Belgium has three official languages, Flemish (very much like Dutch but there is a Dutch-Flemish dictionary so they aren't the same) which is spoken by the Flems, French which is spoken by the Walloons (who used to speak Walloonian but the French eradicated that when they owned Les Pays Bas as it was known then), and German, spoken in a small area near the German border. The Flems and the Walloons aren't the best of neighbours which is why the country has so much trouble forming a government.
Comments
But a question, please..
What language are they speaking ?
Detected what sounded like a few German words & some French sounding ones too.
That's interesting, to know which cities are the locations. So where is the police base, is that in Bruges? And what about the bank?
Prob should've made the distinction between filmed and set. Mostly set in Belgium with elements filmed in Flanders.