Everyone has an annoying task at work from time to time. Sometimes you go to review television, you see that there is a program on which balloon animals are folded, blow upand you think with some tiredness of all the other programs in which hobbies and industry have already been elevated to competitions – Lego, model trains, baking, dominoes, flower arranging – but well, you snuggle on the couch, sometimes you have chores and it can still be not that bad .
Also presenters Martijn Krabbé and Chantal Janzen, the best show animals of the RTL stable, also seem to have a job. ‘Say honestly what you thought’, Krabbé says to Janzen about the moment they were asked: ‘Aren’t these the last convulsions of what was once a wonderful television career?’ Krabbé takes a safe distance from what is happening here, but not too much of course: ‘But then it turns out to be a prestigious Friday show about a fantasy world that you didn’t know existed.’
It is indeed an unexpected fantasy world, in episode 3. Pauline, a professional balloon fairy at fairs, parties and markets, works together with Frank, owner of koi carp and an event agency. They build a monkey that flies after an owl. Actor Lesley and street artist Denise create a hot air balloon full of monkeys who have stolen an egg from a dragon. And balloon artist Marjolein and sports masseur Jeroen a space carousel full of cockatoos.
I absolutely do not want to diminish the art of balloon folding, because it is beautiful what is made and what is folded and tied is a delight. Great for the privacy and security of your own home and fireplace, event halls, company parties and fairs. But there’s a reason it doesn’t lend itself to a TV competition: because few viewers feel at home with balloon animals, like they do with Lego or baking cakes. In fact, it seems to me that almost the entire Dutch balloon scene is already in the studio tonight.
Of course the tension is pumped up. ‘The time pressure is enormous!’ Krabbé shouts now and then, and he is gone again. Perhaps the presenters have stipulated that they only have to come and watch once a day. Meanwhile, the balloon artists toil. Jeroen has made a cockatoo that is too big. Lesley and Denise also struggle with time constraints: ‘The difficult thing now is the combination of time and balloons.’
Five more minutes, one more, the clock on the wall ticks back inexorably, the presenters poke their heads around the corner again. Another international balloon grandmaster has flown in as an honorary jury member. This makes Pauline cry. But long before all this has to come to a dazzling show finale (forgive me this metaphor, I’m just doing my job) the whipped air has already bubbled out of this balloon. Everyone is relieved that this task is over.