I think I speak for a lot of Dutchies when I say this show is a delicious guilty pleasure to watch. The very first Desperate Housewifes / Real Housewives type series made in Holland. It's about four housewives who live and/or work in 'The Gooi' - A wealthy, luxurious and green area in the center of Holland.
A lot of things hit the right mark: First of all, the whole idea of following these "gooische" women's lives is entertaining, and I believe this is done quite realistically. Furthermore, the opening tune, the music, the beautiful scenes shot in nature, great humor, and a bunch of great actors and actresses put together all contribute to great quality.
The show is outright funny (lots of laugh out loud moments) and can be incredibly realistic and dramatic at times. It gives some commentary on social relations between rich people and rich vs. poor people. Also, the family situations and interactions are well written. Some of the characters are really recognizable, either for ourselves or those we know and love or encounter in life. For me Claire, Willemijn and her husband, and Martin Morero stand out as funny and believable characters.
Other characters and story lines however, are not realistic AT ALL and this is what keeps the show from spreading its wings and flying.
The evil maid, and most of the child actors (sorry) really diminish the genius-factor by a lot. Their acting is just not natural, and the writers haven't given them much to work with: There are a lot of flat characters walking around in 'Gooische vrouwen' (Anouk & Vlinder, Tipi-Wan) Their story lines and/or acting are just not up to the standard of some of the other characters and are just not believable enough to get emotionally involved, it just becomes annoying to watch.
Too bad - but nonetheless an entertaining and funny show to watch. Worth your time! Especially if you like Sex and the City- and Desperate Housewives-type shows.
