Totally hooked on The Smartest Person

I have always found it a fun program, but it was a bit drenched in a advocaat with whipped cream, shall I say. A bit stale, but tasty. And charming Philip and grumbling Maarten make a royal couple, so I did watch regularly (and even participated once). But this season is different. Maybe it's the lockdown that makes us crave family entertainment. Because I'm not the only one watching: De Slimste Mens is consistently in the top 5 of most-watched programs. Why is that? Definitely due to the amazing line-up of candidates.

Guus Meeuwis, Frank Evenblij, Anna Nooshin, Daphne Bunskoek, Kaj Gorgels, Liesbeth Rasker, Maik de Boer, Fien Vermeulen, Rob Kemps, Helga van Leur, Alex Klaassen, Tijl Beckand… It seems like everyone thought: what does it matter, I’m just going. And that results in delightful TV.

Maarten van Rossem actually got the giggles (his version of the giggles, that is) and Emma Wortelboer told Philip that the only way to bring a woman to orgasm can be through fingering. She confidently and briskly raised two fingers in the air. And that our Liesbeth, who is really a travel journalist, didn’t know where the Andes Mountains were, has now become a hilarious gif.

Furthermore, Maarten van Rossem's catchphrase is still ‘wonderful’, the sweaters are still black, and the grunting and complaining levels remain high. And well, maybe I have captured the essence of the success there. De Slimste is something from the old world that seems unchanged in this new period. Except for the screens that stand between the candidates, but the candidates are so fun that I immediately forget and forgive those strange shadows produced by the screens.

Tonight again at 20:40, NPO 2.

Image: Stijn Ghijsen