Caroline van der Plas thinks that Jan Versteegh makes a very dismal program and confronted him about it live on television. “There are psychologists as a precaution. Weird, right?”
Just now that there is so much to do about the psyche of TV candidates, such as the riot surrounding Temptation Island, Jan Versteegh is coming up with a new show on SBS 6 that brings out the worst in people. The concept of his show De Allies? First let people bond for a month (!) and then play them off against each other strictly.
‘Really terrible!’
Jan was given the opportunity to give a promotional talk on Friday afternoon Time for MAX. “Suppose the four of us are on a team and we say, ‘We’re going to compete, we like each other and you can trust me.’ Until the moment that only one of the four of us can win that million. Yes, then it is rather me than you.”
Host Sybrand Niessen finds this unsympathetic television. “Terrible! It’s terrible, isn’t it? First you’re going to bond with each other and then you’re going to force them to destroy each other. Terrible!”
Team of psychologists
Jan defends his reprehensible TV child. “I think destroying goes a long way. Everyone is also under observation by a team of psychologists.”
Sybrand: “See! Psychologists need to be involved now! Isn’t that too sad?”
Table guest Caroline van der Plas agrees. “It’s strange when you make a program… Yes, I’m an old woman. Well, 56, not that old, but a different generation… That you create a program in which you have to ensure in advance that there are psychologists so that people are not damaged. Isn’t that very strange?”
‘Works like this everywhere’
Jan states that you need psychologists for all reality shows. “That is actually not surprising at all with reality programs. With all the reality programs I have worked on, such as Expedition Robinson and Wie is de Mol…”
Sybrand: “Yes, but she doesn’t say that. She actually says, ‘That’s weird too.’”
Caroline: “The concept: we have a program and we need psychologists to guide it in the right direction… That is very strange.”
Jan: “It is actually very good to take care: guys, whatever happens, we are going to take good care of these people.”
Not too smart
The not very bright Jan appears not to understand Caroline’s message. She is not criticizing the fact that psychologists are hired for this specific program, but that television is being made at all that apparently requires psychologists.
TV makers should think twice, Caroline thinks. “I think the thinking of television makers nowadays is crazy by saying: we are going to make a really nice program, but we have to provide some kind of safety net for people, because people may get damaged.”
‘That is good, right’
Jan does not understand the message and says in surprise: “That’s good, isn’t it? You can’t do it and then you get people who say years later: I would have liked more guidance.”
Sigh. For those who want to see John de Mol’s new bullying program: De Allies starts tonight at 9:30 PM and can then be seen every working day at 7:45 PM on SBS 6.