F.C. De Kampioenen

FC de kampioenen is a Belgian sitcom about a couple of amateur soccer players who lose a lot because they suck.

FC de Kampioenen is truly a typical Belgian sitcom which really can't be compared with any American sitcoms. American sitcoms are mostly about speedy one-liners and well, humorous content, whereas the usually slow-paced Belgian sitcoms are mostly trying to give you that "you're always welcome"-feeling, using stereotype characters (dominant wives,the smart man, the drunk, the clumsy guy who breaks vases etc.) It does have one thing in common with most American sitcoms: it doesn't age very well, not only because of the poor jokes and story lines, but also because of the pathetic attempts to make the show "younger" by making the 50 year-old characters drink Red Bull and use cell phones and by bringing in a "rebellious" son (he grew to the age of 16 in 12 years), whose dialogues consist entirely of things along the lines of: "I don't want to visit grandma. I'm going to listen to rock music and share a beer with my equally rebellious girlfriend". Stereotypes indeed. I would still buy it if they showed more soccer, but they don't even do that anymore. Probably because the actors played like they had their shoes on backwards even when they were supposed to win.

But despite wretched, repetitive, and predictable, FC de Kampioenen is still a very popular sitcom that is being watched by 1,5 million people every week (even the countless reruns are still a success) and it will probably go on till the writers say it's enough. Like that will ever happen. FC de Kampioenen is a nice childhood memory that is being worn out way too long, but I can't blame them with the success they still have.