Salamander (TV series)
| Salamander | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre |
|
| Written by | Ward Hulselmans |
| Directed by | Frank van Mechelen |
| Starring | Filip Peeters |
| Composer | Steve Willaert |
| Country of origin | Belgium |
| Original language | Dutch |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 47 minutes |
| Production company | Skyline Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Eén |
| Release | December 30, 2012 – March 17, 2013 |
Salamander is a Belgian drama television series that was first broadcast on Eén on December 30, 2012. The twelve-part series is produced by Skyline Entertainment and written by Ward Hulselmans.[1][2]
Plot
Jonkhere is a small private bank in Brussels, Belgium. At the start of the series, 66 separate safe deposit boxes belonging to a number of the most prominent public figures in Belgium are robbed. The owners want to keep the thefts under wraps to avoid scandal, but an incorruptible, old-school police inspector Paul Gerardi (Filip Peeters) throws himself into the investigation. Gerardi discovers that the victims are members of a secret organisation called Salamander, a cabal made up of the country's industrial, financial, judicial and political elite, and the safe-deposit boxes contained their most intimate secrets – secrets which go back to World War II and could bring down the nation. As he becomes the target of both the criminals and the authorities, Gerardi - at great personal cost - must quickly find out what their agenda is and who is behind the thefts.
Cast
- Filip Peeters as Paul Gerardi
- Mike Verdrengh as Raymond Jonkhere
- Violet Braeckman as Sofie Gerardi
- Koen De Bouw as Joachim Klaus
- Lucas Van den Eynde as Carl Cassimon
- Jo De Meyere as Armand Persigal
- Koen Van Impe as Vic Adams
- Warre Borgmans as Martin Colla
- Vic De Wachter as Gil Wolfs
- Tine Reymer as Patricia Wolfs
- Kevin Janssens as Vincent Noël
- Tom De Hoog as Patrick Dejonghe
- Wim Opbrouck as Marc
- An Miller as Sarah Debruycker
- Els Olaerts as Yolande
- Jan Van den Bosch as Assistant to Vic Adams
- Jenne Decleir as Jos
- Bart Hollanders as Victor
- Gene Bervoets as Guy Rasenberg
- Ann Ceurvels as Karin Rasenberg
- Marianne Devriese as Sandra
- Emilie Van Nieuwenhuyze as Nicola Wolfs
- Charlotte Vandermeersch as Jenny
- Geert Van Rampelberg as Harry Dewulf
- Mathijs Scheepers as Emile Jonkhere
- Leah Thys as Martine Callier
- Dirk Van Dijck as Premier
- Sura Dohnke as Sabrina Dox
- Katrien Vandendries as Sylvia
- Jordi Rottier as Gil Wolfs as a child
- Eric Godon as Jean-Jacques
Production
Filming began in Brussels in May 2011.[3] Filming locations include Brussels Park, Egmont Park, the exterior of the Belgian Federal Parliament, Cinquantenaire, Law Courts of Brussels, Brussels-South railway station and Hotel Metropole.[3]
BBC Four acquired Salamander in 2013 and the first broadcast of both episodes one and two was on 8 February 2014.[4] Sue Deeks, head of acquisition for BBC said, "“Salamander is a gripping, edge-of-the seat thriller. It will make a fantastic addition to our Saturday nights on BBC4.”[4] The series was also acquired by RTBF and negotiations are currently underway for other countries.[5] Funding was provided by Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie and the Belgian Tax Shelter.[5] The series was bought and carried by Netflix.
Salamander is set for an English-language remake, as a co-production between Cite Amerique and the British Artist Studio.[5] A second series is also being written.[6]
Reception
Ben Lawrence of The Daily Telegraph gave the first two episodes three stars out of five and called its plot "compelling".[7]
References
- ^ "BBC Four acquires Belgian thriller Salamander". BBC. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
- ^ Webdale, Jonathan (23 May 2013). "BBC4 bags Belgian crime thriller". C21 Media. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
- ^ a b "Salamander: nieuwe prestigieuze fictie voor Eén met een heuse topcast". TV Corner. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
- ^ a b Jeffery, Morgan (23 May 2013). "'Salamander': Belgian thriller series to air on BBC Four". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "BBC Four acquires Flemish TV-series Salamander". Flanders Image. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
- ^ Plunkett, John (7 February 2014). "Salamander: BBC4 heads out of the dark with Belgian thriller". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- ^ Lawrence, Ben (8 February 2014). "Salamander, episode s1 and 2, BBC Four, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
