The Meilandjes are flooded with negative reviews: their new talk show Chateau Meiland VIPS is not popular. “Everything is an act,” shouts Alex Mazereeuw in the Volkskrant.
Chateau Meiland VIPS is a hit in terms of ratings with 940 thousand viewers for the first episode last night, but in terms of content, Martien Meiland and his family can only count on negative reviews. Angela de Jong of the AD, who, unlike other reviewers, was positive about the Patty Brard series, is also critical.
Get off
Angela is very tired of Meiland, as she shows column. “How do you milk a successful format to the last drop, while a blind person can see that the trick has long since worn off? (…) This spin-off is not about the guests at all. Of course not, duh. It is purely and solely about the Meiland family itself, as always.”
You can tell that the Meilandjes have not paid any attention to the guests who come by, says Angela. “In the end, the main intention was for the guests to ask questions. At the Meilandjes.”
Everything is act
Alex Mazereeuw, the TV critic of de Volkskrant, also looked in horror. “Look at the Meiland family and see a family that seems to be forever affected by the years of presence of cameras. Nothing feels sincere or authentic anymore, everything is an act of hysterical excitement, mock sincerity and grotesque TV madness.”
The first scathing review about this program came from Telegraaf columnist Mark Koster, who also has a lot of difficulty with the fact that Caroline van der Plas was a guest. Alex agrees: “The distinction between a politician to be taken seriously and a full-time celebrity is becoming increasingly diffuse.”
Hysterical screaming
As Caroline van der Plas, you have to wonder whether these kinds of TV appearances are useful, says Alex. “A little more distance between shaping and pottery with the Meilandjes doesn’t seem like much to ask for.”
Parool-critic Andre Nientied prefers to watch a celebrity interview program such as Boerderij Van Dorst. “Raven van Dorst always taps into a deeper layer there. Not so at Chateau Meiland VIPS: there every subject becomes bogged down in ambiguities and hysterical screams.”