SBS 6 will continue with Today Inside. The program returns on Monday after an absence of more than two weeks. That is what Johan Derksen tells the AD.
After the 48-hour media frenzy about his candle story, Johan Derksen was forced to stop Today Inside, because the Talpa management dropped him hard. Bobo Paul Römer in particular has put bad blood at the gentlemen. He unabashedly stabbed them in the back on national radio.
Quarrel with Talpa
It was not the ‘hysterical reactions’ that made him resign, Johan tells the AD† “I can take a beating,” he says. Máár: “If you have your back against the wall, I expect some support from the Talpa management, but I didn’t notice that.”
According to Johan, the attitude of the Talpa top was very disappointing. “Paul Römer told the radio that the program was outdated and John de Mol approved an embarrassing press release, announcing that I would apologize again in the evening. I’m not going to keep going.”
Smooth ending
Johan thinks that he had already expressed enough regret the night before. It was also just plain stupid, he admits. “I started a story from fifty years ago. Half way there was no way of knowing exactly what had happened. Then, in the atmosphere of the program, I said a smooth end to it. Completely wrong, I take all the blame.”
Still, he expects backing from Talpa. “De Mol knew who he was bringing in. He wanted high-profile television and good viewing figures: we take care of that. I understand that he has been getting a lot of shit lately, but I expect the Talpa boss not to be influenced by a smear campaign on social media.”
Conversation with John
The VI trio sat down on Sunday with John de Mol, Erland Galjaard and Marco Louwerens. “It was a lively and good conversation. The opinions and points of view were at odds with each other, although in the course of the conversation there was a greater understanding of each other’s points of view.”
He continues: “De Mol emphasized that he was behind us, because he did not cancel us. We had thrown in the towel ourselves. And the management made it clear that they would like to resume the program, but not a single director was willing to sit at the talk show table to analyze the course of events again.”
Talpa in panic
The viewing figures of SBS 6 have collapsed considerably due to the abrupt end of Today Inside. In addition, public opinion also turned in favor of the VI trio, which has caused Talpa to panic considerably, said TV expert Rob Goossens in RTL Boulevard last night.
Rob: “Obviously two things are playing in the background. Talpa is a bit shocked in the other direction, at the ease with which the whole of the Netherlands said: ‘Well, it wasn’t that bad after all.’ And two: the immense interest of competitors in that trio.”
AD scoop
The AD scoop ‘Today Inside can be seen again from Monday, with Derksen’ containing an extensive interview with Johan you can read on the website of the AD†
Update
Update 2.30 pm – Talpa cannot yet confirm VI’s return. “The reporting regarding a return of the Today Inside program on SBS6 is premature,” said a spokesperson.
“We had a good conversation with the men last Sunday to look back in peace on the past few weeks and what happened. As soon as there is more news to report, we will come back to this from SBS 6.”