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- Certification
- Sex & Nudity (1)
- Profanity (1)
- Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking (6)
- Frightening & Intense Scenes (4)
- Spoilers (4)
Certification
| Certification |
Sex & Nudity
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- Nudity isn't really worth mentioning because it can't be seen. Sex as a subject, on the other hand, gets subtily referenced in many titles using expressions or puns starting from the show's pilot, when the "Dimitri" character asks the "Carmen" character: "Did Xavier shift to third gear again when you honked?" The "Boma" character and the "Carmen" "character" take a patent on referencing sex.
Violence & Gore
Profanity
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- Quite a few damns (in Flemish either "verdomme", "godverdomme" or "miljaarde") or but mostly other common Flemish foul language throughout the show's full run.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
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- The show features heavy drinking at times, for example before or after a soccer match. The character Xavier Waterslaeghers, in particular, goes completely over the edge most of the times sending the wrong message to young children in doing so. One character, Carmen, is addicted to small cigars and drinks port wine regularly. Balthazar Boma regularly drinks a strong beer. Of course, within the setting, it can be expected.
- Drugs, neither hard nor soft, are not an issue at all. They are only referenced a few times. Alcohol is a major issue, smoking a minor (the first seasons in particular). The show aired in an era where smoking was allowed in public places, such as a clubhouse of a soccer team like it is the case here. All of its titles are from that era. On June 30, 2011 smoking in public places was banned. The last title aired in February 2011 and filming concluded in 2010. Note: this deals with the situation for Belgium.
- In one episode, the title character Oscar Crucke takes it personal that he can not coach the soccer team properly on his own, and can not stand a moral psychologist should improve the team's poor results. He turns to alcohol and did the same thing when told he cannot drink. The character gets pushed into drinking alcohol. There is an urge to prove others that he can drink.
- An episode revolves around characters tasting beers which culminates in getting drunk together (quite late in the show's run).
- An episode deals with two husbands escape a sermon from their wives by getting drunk together and quietly spend the night at a character's place without his knowledge (burglary by law, basically). The booze is responsible for the deeds committed.
- An episode sees a woman collapsing from alcohol abuse when persuaded into drinking further, or the other way around, not being stopped doing it by four male characters who had the opportunity to do just that. This includes the title character, the pub owner. The reason they do not tell her is they want to fool a man she is to have a date with.
Frightening & Intense Scenes
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- In recent times, the show has been discussed in several Flemish media reports, over some content being banned for being offensive as it would no longer meet the current zeitgeist despite the show remaining rather popular ten years after the series finale. In the fall of 2022 all but two of the conscious titles ("Rode vlekjes" and "De enquête") were put online again as VRT received fierce backlash from fans and the actors.
- Nineteen of the show's episodes have been controversially banned by the broadcasting company which is also the production company behind the show. Notably this is due to violating any current affair on sexual offense (featuring a convicted actor or actress) or due to racist comments and any type of stigmatization or comments that are considered such. These 19 episodes won't be made legally available to the public until an official statement is released that they become available.
- An entire episode covers large-scale sexism of male characters towards a female supporting character who takes apprenticeship in car mechanics. The woman must stand her ground, which takes effort from her. In said episode, a man is also quoted as saying "I ask for a free work force and they send me an Italian who doesn't want to work" in thinking a character named Sylvia is named Silvio at first. which may be sensitive to those residents or migrants who'd ever watch. Also, another episode is subject to sexism in the sense that women's soccer gets ridiculed, which is no longer appreciated in current times.
- The show walks on a tight rope at times, pertaining to socio-cultural themes but also seems progressive when characters are punished for statements or actions. So most of the times such things can be taken with a grain of salt.
Spoilers
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
- In one episode, three main characters must kick their addiction in order to win a holiday two other main characters give away since they can not go themselves due to a case of force majeure. The characters Xavier (alcohol) and Carmen (smoking) take part but they both fail to complete the task. They turn out to be too addicted.
- In one episode, a character drunkenly dances on a table in a cafe after tasting beers, a degustation, in an abbey. The (male) character is not used to drinking beers since he usually drinks orange juice or lemonade. His drunk condition looks fairly advanced.
Frightening & Intense Scenes
- The show exceptionally contains intense content. The most infamous exception being an imminent hanging considered by the character Xavier Waterslaeghers - halfway through - which is nipped in the bud by the other characters. In one scene, from the early stages, the character Dimitri De Tremmerie has a rope around his neck but it isn't tied up. He doesn't want to commit suicide, meaning the character isn't on a chair either. However, he gets electrocuted still wearing the rope. The character Doortje Coppens-Van Hoeck finds him on the floor, believing he's dying and calls an ambulance.
- The episode "Verliefd" (season 2, episode 13) is rather toe curling regarding the theme of racial inclusion established for more than three decades. Other episodes may seem guilty of stigmatization of minority groups or at least susceptible enough to feel uncomfortable with while it remains a matter of interpretation. It should also be noted that the decision to ban certain titles, including "Verliefd", was made by VRT before any viewer input submitted or any public debate held.
