Best Belgian documentary series

In this documentary series, interspersed with historical reconstructions, Tom Waes investigates what has happened since the arrival of the first Homo sapiens, on the 14,000 square kilometers that we today call Flanders.

This docuseries follows the high-profile case of Belgian politician Bernard Wesphael, who was accused of murdering his wife in 2013.

Arnout Hauben travels through the Netherlands and Belgium with Philippe Niclaes and Ruben Callens. In his own unique way, he speaks to people he meets along the way and looks for stories that have given color to our regions.

Philippe Geubels searches for the limits of his humor. He goes on an adventure for a week with people who you shouldn't laugh with.

Andy Peelman is not only an actor, but also a real police officer. In Andy on Patrol he visits foreign colleagues.

Average Rob embarks on a six-month journey to complete an Ironman triathlon, undergoing rigorous training and meeting with world champions Luc and Frederik Van Lierde. Alongside his brother Arno, Rob faces both physical and mental challenges to achieve their ultimate goal.

Documentary series aimed at understanding the jobs of the "Ice Rangers": these men and women who manage the practical aspects of the Princess Elisabeth polar station on a daily basis. What drives them to the idea of coming to isolate themselves on this basis? How do they manage to manage their emotions and their private lives? This daily life will be juxtaposed with scientific missions and challenges and, therefore, more universal questions to understand why it is important to continue research in this white continent and what challenges for tomorrow this represents at the planetary and climatic level.

Pat has been an icon in the Flemish music world for more than 35 years. From major successes with groups such as Leopold 3, 2Fabiola and Nunca to popular discos and their own music label. Pat has seen and experienced everything. The documentary takes the viewer through his notable highlights, including the wild 90s and decadent parties during his sabbatical years in Ibiza, but also shows his perseverance to become a permanent fixture in the Flemish music scene again after that break. The series contains unique images, surprising stories and candid interviews

Gen Z through the eyes of Gen Z. In 'NO CAP' a young journalist investigates within her own generation. What are her peers doing? What do they emulate on social media? What questions are they looking for answers to? With an open mind and without judgement, NO CAP goes undercover in the world of Gen Z. And above all: she undergoes herself.

Every episode, one interesting Belgian visits "The House" ("Het huis") for 24 hours. In this imposing house with a pool, surrounded by a forest, in an unknown location, the visitor is "locked away" from the rest of the world for 24 hours. They are interviewed, dissected, confronted by the interviewer.

Nearly half of all murders in our country are committed within relationships. People who, driven by jealousy, fear of abandonment, sheer hatred, or a combination of all of these, kill their (ex-)partner. Most victims are women, occasionally men. Perpetrators often invoke arguments like love and passion to explain their heinous act. But love is never an alibi for murder. In "Murder Cases: Love is Not an Alibi," crime journalist José Masschelin, along with relatives, lawyers, criminologists, and clinical psychologists, reconstructs eight cases in which the perpetrators were convicted by a jury of the murder or manslaughter of a (ex-)partner. The focus is not only on the murder itself but also on the background. In many cases, alarm bells were already ringing, but no one considered it possible that it would ever actually happen...

Alloo follows the Police through Belgium.

Jeroen Meus searches for local dishes, special cooking techniques, unprecedented ingredients and special culinary stories from all over the world.

Gilles De Coster invites a new professional group to his discussion table: the war reporters. In times of war at the European borders with rampant propaganda, their work becomes increasingly complex and crucial. Eight war reporters testify candidly about their special job. Special attention is paid to, among other things, the myths surrounding war reporting, the moral dilemmas of the profession and the impact of the journalistic mission on one's own life. Gilles De Coster delves into people and professions with Rudi Vranckx, Robin Ramaekers, Daphne Wesdorp, Dirk Draulans, Hans Jaap Melissen, Daniel Demoustier, Eddy van Wessel and Marleen Daniëls.​

25 years ago, the case of child molester Marc Dutroux shook the Kingdom of Belgium to its core. The process of confronting and coming to terms with the cruel fate of the missing children left people stunned. The four-part documentary portrays, with unique openness and using previously unpublished material, the struggle of the survivors and the victims’ parents. Thanks to their persistent efforts, not only Belgium’s police and judicial authorities, but society as a whole, underwent lasting change.

Welcome On Board takes viewers on a unique journey through the fascinating world of aviation. From business class, the cockpit and hidden places in the plane to unexpected twists during the flight and personal anecdotes: the people of Brussels Airlines provide an exclusive insight into their job, their life and their passion for aviation. Viewers fly with the pilots who prepare their flights down to the last detail, follow the cabin crew who pamper their travelers and meet the ground staff who ensure a smooth journey behind the scenes.

In the Paris of the 80's, a group of young idealists, sensing an ecological catastrophe to come, want to show that another world is possible. Guided by a mysterious Amerindian shaman, they practice veganism, set up organic stores and live in teepees in the middle of buildings. Quickly accused by their families and the press of being manipulated, they start a long ecological march through Europe. A chase begins between the members of this community and those who accuse them of being under their control. After 10 years of wandering, the "Tribe" finally settles in Finland, in the extreme conditions of the Great North, to live its Utopia of a tribal life in harmony with nature: how far are they willing to save "Gaïaland"? Thanks to unique archives and rare testimonies of former followers, the "Gaïaland" series dives into the fascinating true story of this community and its demons.

Otto-Jan Ham makes a program about drugs. Because drugs have fascinated him all his life, but also and perhaps especially because he has three young daughters of his own. He also watches 'The News'. He knows how ubiquitous drugs are. It's only a matter of time before the apple of his eye is offered MDMA, or at least a hastily rolled joint. And so, because his sleep is dear to him, he wants to look the enemy straight in the eye. Objective and with an open mind. 'Drugs', a sober look at mind-expanding shit.

Belga Sports is a documentary television series that tries to concieve Flemish Belgian sports history in portraits. The program shows in depth excerpts from the VRT sports archive with testimonies and sheds new light on 'known' facts.

Basisschool Balder is a hyperrealistic and often moving dipslay of running a school in Brussels. It's a four-part documentary series in which the school staff opens their hearts to Brussels youth and the parents involved, displaying great openness and vulnerability to the VRT Canvas camera, which followed them for a year as a fly-on-the-wall.

Real Life in the ZOO follows life in the oldest zoo in Belgium and also one of the oldest zoos in the world: the Antwerp ZOO. Not like an ordinary wildlife report series, but viewed and told from the point of view of the animals themselves. They provide a unique insight behind the doors of the Antwerp ZOO.

Captain Kevin Van Den Bosch and sailor Dieter Coppens cross Flanders with their homemade boat.

Belgian reality soap around court cases.

'Our Nature' is an ambitious nature documentary about nature in our backyard. Beautiful stories about known and unknown animals that arouse wonder and increase love and respect for our nature. This is the story of the victors, the opportunists, the spendthrifts, the fighters, the smart ones, the bosses. But also that of the losers, the species that we may not encounter again in a few years... Survival of the fittest, in its most cruel and fascinating form, in a country where at first glance there seems to be no room for wild nature .

'The Heizeldrama' highlights one of the biggest scars in Belgian history. 40 years after the disaster, director Jan Verheyen looks back on the events.