Catherine Keyl is done with the doubts about Matthijs van Nieuwkerk’s TV comeback on SBS 6. And also with the opinion of former channel boss Tina Nijkamp about it. “It really doesn’t matter!”
Matthijs van Nieuwkerk returns to television at SBS 6, where he will create a musical series about Aretha Franklin together with Shirma Rouse. And Catherine Keyl, who has followed him on television all these years, is enthusiastic about it. She catches up in the Weekend big shout out to anyone who questions his comeback. With Tina Nijkamp in the lead.
Tina critical
Tina was the channel manager of SBS 6 for years and sees no match. “SBS 6 is the channel of Frans Bauer and Gerard Joling. Singing along, fun and recognisability. Queen and ABBA. Nothing wrong with that. On the contrary. But Matthijs comes from a completely different world,” she says.
According to her, when you think of Matthijs, you think of the cultural elite. “SBS 6 was often dismissed as the camping channel by the same elite.”
Top woman
Catherine Keyl is very enthusiastic. “I think it’s great that he’s returning. And especially with Shirma. I was one of the first to interview her and I immediately thought she was a great woman. He’s lucky with that too,” she says in the magazine.
She expects a very good combination with Matthijs. “Shirma is a very loving friend, which will also be nice for Matthijs, I think.”
“Sorry, Tina.”
That Tina is completely wrong, Catherine thinks. “Well, sorry, I love Tina, but in this case I think she’s thinking anciently. If a show is good, the viewer doesn’t care what channel it’s on.”
Isn’t it true that SBS 6 viewers prefer to hear folksy types? Catherine: “No, Matthijs has always managed to score one and a half million viewers in an evening and there must have been SBS members among them. So what is it about? This program is not going to flop at all.”
Not live
According to Catherine, it is also very convenient that Matthijs’ TV comeback is not live. “If you’re live and you fall out or are rude, then it’s just there. While you can of course cut that out when you’re traveling.”
“But I never really think Matthijs has been unkind in the studio. I think he is an incredibly good program maker and a very good interviewer. So I am completely ready for it.”