Although the title "Het Is Weer Zo Laat" is displayed at the beginning and end of each episode, this series is better known by the name 'Waldolala', referring to the nightclub where most of the proceedings take place. Even better known is the title song U.O.ME (you owe me aka Welcome to Waldolala) performed by leggy girl-band Luv' (their first hit in fact). Truth be told, most people who are familiar with this song from the radio will not even be aware of it's connection to the TV show, despite the prominent use of the word 'Waldolala'.
The production team of Gied Jaspars, Wim T. Schippers, Wim van der Linden & Ellen Jens (working together in this combination for the final time) already knew from their previous shows (De Fred Haché Show, Barend Is Weer Bezig & Van Oekel's Discohoek) that sex sells. All of these programs had gotten high ratings (not to mention controversy) for the VPRO by making use of strippers and nude dance acts found in nightclubs. Therefore it was only natural that after leaving their staple characters (Haché, Barend Servet & Sjef van Oekel) behind, they would continue the trend by situating their next program inside a (fictional) nightclub.
However, despite the fact that many viewers would be tuning in simply for the nudity (and indeed there were some full frontal close-ups that are still eyebrow raising 30 years later), "Het Is Weer Zo Laat" happened to be a hilarious sitcom as well. Former Van Oekel Dolf Brouwers now played Waldo van Dungen and instead of an undefined character, Van Dungen actually has a history (including 5 marriages, a daughter out of wedlock and a time spend as an entertainer on the Holland-America line). Over the course of 10 episodes, we really start to care about this pathetic dreamer, despite all of his misgivings.
Helping to ground this series in reality more so than any other Schippers scripts (save perhaps We Zijn Weer Thuis) is a cast of supporting characters led by Mimi Kok as Waldo's wealthy wife Gé Braadslee and Rob van Houten as the club's m.c. Boy Bensdorp. The fact that none of these characters ever breaks out into a song (apart from one exception on the Waldolala stage) also sets this series apart from other entries in the Schippers pantheon. There are several story lines that play out over the course of the series, such as the rise and fall of Waldolala, Gé's insatiable appetite for adultery and the way Van Dungen's German psychiatrist Dr. Karlheinz Lindt (Cor Beurskens) is selfishly using poor Waldo to get a bestselling book out of his life story.
The only reason I cannot give a full 10 marks to this forgotten gem from 1978 is because of the depressing final episodes. When Waldolala eventually burns to the ground, without being ensured and taking all of Waldo's savings with it, we actually feel sorry for him. Something that never could have happened with Haché, Servet or Van Oekel. Now usually I can appreciate an unexpeted dramatic ending and it wouldn't have been so bad if the series had ended there, but the burning happens in episode 8, meaning there are yet another two episodes filled with misery to go. In the penultimate episode Gé leaves him and the final episode seams to lead up to his pitiful and lonely death. But when, in the final scene, daughter Petra (Katelijne Hoorweg) visits Waldo's grave, he suddenly appears, having apparently returned from heaven above.
This absurd ending would set the tone for sitcoms Schippers would write in the Eighties such as "De Lachende Scheerkwast" and "Opzoek Naar Yolanda". In both of these series Gé Braadstee and Boy Bensdorp once again had prominent roles, though they had both become much more of a caricature than before. Of course Dolf Brouwers also appeared, looking and acting like Sjef van Oekel again, but in a strange twist also referring to his years as owner of Waldolala and his marriage to Gé. So it turns out that Waldo and Sjef were the same character after all. It really didn't appear that way in "Het Is Weer Zo Laat", and I for one prefer to think of them as separate characters: crazy cartoonish Sjef and poor unfortunate Waldo.
9 out of 10
The production team of Gied Jaspars, Wim T. Schippers, Wim van der Linden & Ellen Jens (working together in this combination for the final time) already knew from their previous shows (De Fred Haché Show, Barend Is Weer Bezig & Van Oekel's Discohoek) that sex sells. All of these programs had gotten high ratings (not to mention controversy) for the VPRO by making use of strippers and nude dance acts found in nightclubs. Therefore it was only natural that after leaving their staple characters (Haché, Barend Servet & Sjef van Oekel) behind, they would continue the trend by situating their next program inside a (fictional) nightclub.
However, despite the fact that many viewers would be tuning in simply for the nudity (and indeed there were some full frontal close-ups that are still eyebrow raising 30 years later), "Het Is Weer Zo Laat" happened to be a hilarious sitcom as well. Former Van Oekel Dolf Brouwers now played Waldo van Dungen and instead of an undefined character, Van Dungen actually has a history (including 5 marriages, a daughter out of wedlock and a time spend as an entertainer on the Holland-America line). Over the course of 10 episodes, we really start to care about this pathetic dreamer, despite all of his misgivings.
Helping to ground this series in reality more so than any other Schippers scripts (save perhaps We Zijn Weer Thuis) is a cast of supporting characters led by Mimi Kok as Waldo's wealthy wife Gé Braadslee and Rob van Houten as the club's m.c. Boy Bensdorp. The fact that none of these characters ever breaks out into a song (apart from one exception on the Waldolala stage) also sets this series apart from other entries in the Schippers pantheon. There are several story lines that play out over the course of the series, such as the rise and fall of Waldolala, Gé's insatiable appetite for adultery and the way Van Dungen's German psychiatrist Dr. Karlheinz Lindt (Cor Beurskens) is selfishly using poor Waldo to get a bestselling book out of his life story.
The only reason I cannot give a full 10 marks to this forgotten gem from 1978 is because of the depressing final episodes. When Waldolala eventually burns to the ground, without being ensured and taking all of Waldo's savings with it, we actually feel sorry for him. Something that never could have happened with Haché, Servet or Van Oekel. Now usually I can appreciate an unexpeted dramatic ending and it wouldn't have been so bad if the series had ended there, but the burning happens in episode 8, meaning there are yet another two episodes filled with misery to go. In the penultimate episode Gé leaves him and the final episode seams to lead up to his pitiful and lonely death. But when, in the final scene, daughter Petra (Katelijne Hoorweg) visits Waldo's grave, he suddenly appears, having apparently returned from heaven above.
This absurd ending would set the tone for sitcoms Schippers would write in the Eighties such as "De Lachende Scheerkwast" and "Opzoek Naar Yolanda". In both of these series Gé Braadstee and Boy Bensdorp once again had prominent roles, though they had both become much more of a caricature than before. Of course Dolf Brouwers also appeared, looking and acting like Sjef van Oekel again, but in a strange twist also referring to his years as owner of Waldolala and his marriage to Gé. So it turns out that Waldo and Sjef were the same character after all. It really didn't appear that way in "Het Is Weer Zo Laat", and I for one prefer to think of them as separate characters: crazy cartoonish Sjef and poor unfortunate Waldo.
9 out of 10
