Now that the Meilandjes have finally settled in Italy for good, we have to bond with a new reality family: the Hanslers. In The Hanslers: from the Piste to the Playa (SBS6), this family leaves Austria to start a tapas bar in Spain. It’s exciting that they haven’t found a house yet. Restless expats, foreign adventures – as in I’m leavingjust like with the Meilandjes.
First about the Meilandjes. Martien Meiland and his family started their TV career in 2007 I’m leaving. In 2019 they got their own program, Chateau Meiland. They opened a B&B in France. But they soon returned to the Netherlands, after which an endless wandering began that kept filling new reality shows. The very last broadcast was last Monday.
Fortunately, the follow-up was already ready. Monique Hansler and her family became known from the dating program Winter full of Love. It was actually supposed to revolve around her son Mike, who was looking for a wife. But the bossy mother Mo turned out to rule his entire life and therefore also his love life. The candidates had to find her way above all. That dynamic made the Hanslers so popular that they now have their own reality show.
Bullying daughter-in-law
The reality show mainly revolves around the dogged way in which Monique treats her new daughter-in-law Denise. In the first episode she makes fun of Denise’s melodious way of speaking. She forbids her daughter-in-law to ‘sing’ like that. Denise is also punished for cutting the onions too small. When the moving van arrives, Monique decides that Denise’s belongings are not allowed to go. Otherwise, Monique’s fifty Buddha statues would not fit in. Denise bravely gets through it, tries to make a joke of it: “Your mother-in-law is what you need, boys.”
Is that fun to watch? A little. There is no better entertainment than schadenfreude. And harboring hatred towards TV personalities from the couch is part of watching TV. Martien Meiland was also one man you love to hate. But that stress chicken was not only impossible, but also touching, clumsy and witty. Besides, he wasn’t the boss. He could scream all he wanted, his down-to-earth wife Erica called the shots, so he remained somewhat of the underdog.
Monique Hansler is not witty or touching. She’s just terrible. So I wonder whether the Hanslers are suitable to succeed the Meilandjes. In addition, Denise appeared in the weekly magazine last week Story already came with a big spoiler: she has now been put aside by Mike and Monique. In RTL Boulevard on Thursday you saw tears glistening in her big blue eyes. Mother-in-law Monique responded harshly on Friday The Telegraph: “She can let her tears flow quite quickly, so to speak.” Pleasant. And then the program had to start.
The Meilandjes will return to TV one more time in December for the Christmas special. And given their devotion to moving, renovating and appearing on TV, a glorious comeback is certainly not out of the question.
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