Hélène Hendriks and her summer talk show De Oranjezomer are greatly missed by Marcus den Blanken, the right hand of Angela de Jong. “That is a more positive program than VI.”
She is the goddess of SBS 6: Hélène Hendriks. Friend and foe are surprised by the incredible success of her summer talk show De Oranjezomer. The viewing figures were actually as good as those of Today Inside, which is now back on the tube. And according to media journalist Marcus den Blanken of the AD, that says something.
Rather Helene
Marcus confesses in the AD Media podcast that he actually prefers to see De Oranjezomer than Today Inside. “What I really liked and what made me watch it every night was: it also had a little more positivism. Today Today Inside has started again. Certainly good grades, but I don’t always like to look at those, because I already know…”
He continues: “Yes, then Derksen will come again and then he will keep his tune about politics again. He’s kind of that old uncle at a birthday party who does that every time. But there are a lot of those old uncles, so a lot of people are watching, so that’s fine. But yes, that made me prefer to watch Hélène.”
‘a bit more positive’
The Oranjezomer is actually a much nicer program than Today Inside, Marcus thinks. “You also have regular guests there, but every evening had something more different than what I see at Today Inside. And a bit more positive. That made me happy, but that is really pure personal opinion.”
Angela de Jong agrees with the compliments. “Just a nice look away program. I also really liked that Jeroen Pauw was there. (…) The whole country was jubilant that Gijs and Marcel did such a fantastic job. Well, she wiped it off the map in one fell swoop with her talk show. With double viewing figures.”
‘Very pretty’
Hart van Nederland also benefited when Marcel & Gijs were exchanged for Hélène, according to Angela. “Suddenly a lot more people were watching that. She speaks to the SBS audience and I think that’s very clever about her. She has of course been around for quite some time, but she knows how to maintain a certain open-mindedness.”
She continues: “Hélène has really improved a lot over the past period. She learned a lot in HLF8, but if you compare it to what she did with Wilfred Genee back then on that joint talk show, she’s really progressed 25 steps. She does keep a pleasant, yes, what shall I say, authenticity and open-mindedness. She remains very much herself.”
Priority
SBS 6 should bet on Hélène, Angela thinks. “Now she was the replacement’s replacement. Credit where credit is due, then make her so important that you immediately put her down as a permanent replacement and also make her more important, I think, in the station’s communications. There is no one in that entire stable who is so close to those SBS viewers and to the common man.”
Know your priorities, she tells the Talpa management. “I think if you ask SBS: who are your most important women, they will soon put Linda de Mol and Wendy van Dijk forward, but that really has to be Hélène Hendriks. They really have gold in their hands with that.”
Marcus: “Yes, and Linda de Mol has one program and Wendy van Dijk, no dog watches that, so yes, then it is simple who your most important woman is.”