Johan Derksen is the viewing figure gun of SBS 6. There may also be a docuseries about the United States in addition to Today Inside. “Or that there will be? It depends on two things.”
Raymond Mens, VI’s America connoisseur, managed to prod Johan Derksen to start a documentary series together in the United States. New elections will be held there at the end of next year. “It’s not final,” Raymond admits in conversation with The Communicados. “That depends on two things.”
Which two things?
What two things then? “Whether Talpa really actually thinks it fits in with their programming. I think so, by the way. I think they think so too, but it depends. And the most important thing is whether Johan has time for it, because Johan will have the entire year VI next year.”
Johan can leave during the summer break, can’t he? “In the summer he will make De Oranjezomer, which Hélène is doing now, because there will be a European Football Championship then. It mainly depends on the latter, I must say. But if all those things fit together like puzzle pieces, then I think: well Raymond, then you haven’t done a bad job after all.”
Compromise
How did Raymond manage to get Johan to do this? “I talked to the producer about such a travel programme, and then they said: ‘Yes, you should actually do that together with Johan.’ Then I said to them: ‘I understand that you say that, because Johan is a ratings gun and I am not. But I think Johan doesn’t feel like it at all.’”
He continues: “But then we agreed as a compromise that I would ask. So then at one point, just before a broadcast, we both sat in that room for a while, waiting until we were called to report to a studio.”
“Great Idea!”
Raymond struck at that moment. “Then I said to Johan: ‘By the way, I sat down with a producer for a while, blah blah blah blah, don’t you like that?’ Then Johan said: ‘Great idea, let’s do it. If you arrange that appointment, then…” He was all for it. So yes, again, that surprises me. But yes, that’s how it goes.”
All in all, Raymond is now living his dream. “I have been a loyal viewer of VI for many years. I think it’s really cool that I’m there regularly myself now.”