Matthijs van Nieuwkerk will make a musical program with Shirma Rouse for SBS 6. Will this lead to a return of De Wereld Draait Door? “RTL will probably regret it by now.”
Yesterday it came as a bolt from the blue: Matthijs van Nieuwkerk’s announcement that he is making his return to television at SBS 6. He will make a musical program there about Aretha Franklin, together with Shirma Rouse. Is that the prelude to more? It seems that all parties involved see this as a kind of test case.
On the plain
Are Matthijs and SBS 6 secretly working on a return of the famous De Wereld Draait Door, even if it is just once a week? “We will start with this program and then look further step by step,” said a spokesperson. “It is still too early to say anything about any follow-up plans.”
Telegraaf reporter Jordi Versteegden wonders how this will work. “I am very curious whether the Matthijs factor that is associated with this program… I mean: if Shirma had made this program with someone else entirely, it might score less. I still think people will watch Matthijs,” he says in Show news.
Flirting with SBS
The viewer will look more for Matthijs than for Aretha, Jordi thinks. “Aretha Franklin is not really an artist that our average viewer necessarily listens to, but I think if they do that together…”
He continues: “Maybe I underestimate our audience, but because they are going to do it together and weave their life story through it, we are slowly learning more about how Matthijs has felt in recent years. Then that might be a cautious flirt with SBS 6. At least that’s how I see it.”
Celebrity photographer William Rutten: “Me too. That’s how I see it.”
First step?
What does Camp Matthijs say about it? Jordi: “Only his manager categorically denies that when I put it to her, like: ‘Well, is this the first step?’ ‘No, it just happened by chance’, but there is no such thing as coincidence in this media world.”
Celebrity expert Bart Ettekoven: “I like that SBS dares to do such a different program than we normally see here on the channel. If you were to program that on Saturday evening after The Battle of The Bands… These are also people who love music.”
‘Well done!’
What does MAX boss Jan Slagter actually think of it? He is friends with Matthijs. Jordi: “’Well done, John de Mol,’ he said. He is not jealous and looks with admiration at how Matthijs will do this.”
Reporter Aran Bade thinks that John de Mol wants more. He agrees RTL Boulevard: “I think John is like, let’s give it a try, and once I give him a chance, we’ll see how it turns out.
Does RTL have any regrets?
Matthijs signed with RTL two years ago, but both parties parted ways amicably. Boulevard host Luuk Ikink: “I think RTL also has a bit of regret. If they see that it is possible: this program could also have been done on Videoland. That is what the plan was.”
Aran: “In fact, I don’t think the program suits SBS. RTL is more its target group.”
Luuk concludes: “It could also just be an open door that they at VI also think: well, now we can send him a message: ‘Come and visit us.’”