Unfortunately for the fans. Samson and Gert is finished.
On Saturday evening, the duo of the Flemish children’s television series said their final goodbyes after 32 years. In the farewell performance they played their greatest hits, including morning gymnastics where the public – mostly fans who are now adults – wore a mask with Gert’s face, reports the Flemish newspaper The last news† In The very last song Gert and Samson sing in succession: „Even if an hour ago the whole place was turned upside down. We are tired and very satisfied but unfortunately – everything is gone.”
Gert Verhulst (54), co-creator of Samson and owner of children’s media empire Studio 100, already announced two years ago that he would stop as a character in the program. But due to the corona pandemic, the farewell performance was always postponed. Fortunately, that gave Gert Verhulst some extra time “to get used to the idea” that Samson gets a new owner. His daughter, Marie Verhulst (26), will now take responsibility for the talking dog.
The bell doesn’t work
Samson and Gert first appeared on television together on December 6, 1989. The show, which totaled nearly eight hundred episodes, became extremely popular. At its peak, 150 episodes were produced annually. The duo played ten thousand shows and sold more than 50 million boxes of Samson and Gert cookies. The success earned Verhulst the ownership of Studio 100. He became one of the richest people in Flanders.
The duo and their music – like the number The world is beautiful – are indispensable in Dutch and Flemish popular culture, as is also apparent from the large attendance of adults and children for the farewell tour. The first day of ticket sales, 25,000 tickets were sold immediately.
According to Verhulst, the success of the series lies in “recognizability”† The recurring elements, such as the living room at the Dorpsstraat 101, the broken doorbell and the regularly appearing characters Joop Mengelmoes (Stef Bos), mister de Burgemeester (Walter De Donder) and Alberto Vermicelli (Koen Crucke) remain with many fans.
Although Marie actually became Samson’s co-owner two years ago, she was initially afraid that the public would not be able to get used to her as the new owner. To her relief, she now sees that “people are with them”, she said against the Flemish newspaper Newspaper† In August, Samson and Marie will be in Plopsaland for three weeks, for which bookings are already coming in.
Also read: Gert in 25 years Samson: of course they were idiots in that village