Salamander
GenreCrime drama
Created byBavo Dhooge
Written byWard Hulselmans
Directed byFrank van Mechelen
StarringFilip Peeters
Violet Braeckman
Tine Reymer
Koen Van Impe
Wim Opbrouck
Emilie Van Nieuwenhuyze
Leah Thys
ComposerSteve Willaert
Country of originBelgium
Original languagesFlemish
French
No. of series2
No. of episodes22 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
  • Corinne Appelmans
  • Jan Theys
  • Eric Wirix
CinematographyLou Berghmans
EditorPieter Smet
Running time50 minutes
Production companySkyline Entertainment
Original release
NetworkEén
Release30 December 2012 (2012-12-30) –
11 March 2018 (2018-03-11)

Salamander is a Belgian crime drama television series, created by and based upon the novel by Bavo Dhooge, that was first broadcast on Eén on 30 December 2012.[1] The twelve-part series, produced by Skyline Entertainment and written by Ward Hulselmans, stars Filip Peeters as Inspector Paul Gerardi,[2] a Belgian detective who investigates the theft of sixty-six safety deposit boxes belonging to prominent Belgian figures. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Four from 8 February 2014.[3] Following the success of the first series, a second series was commissioned by Eén but production did not begin until five years later. The second series is subtitled Blood Diamonds and was first broadcast on 7 January 2018. BBC Four broadcast from 14 April 2018.

Plot

Series 1

Jonkhere, a small private bank in Brussels, is robbed and 66 safe deposit boxes belonging to a number of the most prominent public figures in Belgium are cleaned out. The owners want to keep the thefts under wraps, presumably to avoid scandal. Police Inspector Paul Gerardi (Filip Peeters) carries out the investigation. He discovers the connection; that the victims are members of a secret organisation called Salamander. This is a cabal of the country's industrial, financial, judicial and political elite; the safe-deposit boxes contained secrets as far back as World War II. Gerardi becomes the target of both the criminals and the authorities.

Series 2

Chief Inspector Gerardi opens an investigation after political refugee Léon Tchité is murdered. He becomes entangled in a blood diamonds network.

Production

Filming began in Brussels in May 2011.[4] Filming locations include Brussels Park, Egmont Park, the exterior of the Belgian Federal Parliament, Cinquantenaire, Law Courts of Brussels, Brussels-South railway station and Hotel Metropole.[4] Funding was provided by Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie and the Belgian Tax Shelter.[5]

BBC Four acquired Salamander in 2013 and first broadcast commenced from 8 February 2014.[6] Sue Deeks, head of acquisition for the BBC said, "'Salamander' is a gripping, edge-of-the seat thriller. It will make a fantastic addition to our Saturday nights on BBC4".[6] The series was also acquired by RTBF and later by Netflix.[5] The first series was later released on DVD in the United Kingdom via Arrow Films on 17 March 2014.[7]

Salamander was set for an English-language remake, as an international co-production between Cite Amerique and the British Artist Studio,[5] but later, production switched to ABC Studios, where a pilot for a potential 2017-2018 series was ordered on 31 January 2017.[8]

Cast

Main cast

  • Filip Peeters as Inspector Paul Gerardi
  • Violet Braeckman as Sofie Gerardi
  • Tine Reymer as Patricia Wolfs
  • Koen Van Impe as Vic Adams
  • Wim Opbrouck as Marc De Coutere
  • Emilie Van Nieuwenhuyze as Nicola Wolfs
  • Leah Thys as Martine Callier

Supporting cast

Series 1 (2012—2013)

  • Koen De Bouw as Joachim Klaus
  • Mike Verdrengh as Raymond Jonkhere
  • Lucas Van den Eynde as Carl Cassimon
  • Jo De Meyere as Armand Persigal
  • Warre Borgmans as Commissaris Martin Colla
  • Vic De Wachter as Gil Wolfs
  • Kevin Janssens as Vincent Noël
  • Tom De Hoog as Patrick Dejonghe
  • An Miller as Sarah Debruycker
  • Els Olaerts as Yolande
  • Jan Van den Bosch as Vic's Assistant
  • Bart Hollanders as Victor

Series 2: Blood Diamonds (2018)

  • Vera Van Dooren as Commissaris Monda
  • Jeroen Van der Ven as Antony Minnebach
  • Boris Van Severen as Jamie Capelle
  • Michael Vergauwen as Jokke De Moor
  • Peter Van De Velde as René Kroneborg
  • Govert Deploige as Alain
  • Tom Van Bauwel as Roger Roppe
  • Herbert Flack as Jonatan Bury
  • Kadèr Gürbüz as Sabine Kroneborg

Episodes

Series 1 (2012—2013)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byBritish air dateUK viewers
(million)[9]
1"Episode 1"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans8 February 2014 (2014-02-08)1.34
2"Episode 2"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans8 February 2014 (2014-02-08)1.25
3"Episode 3"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans15 February 2014 (2014-02-15)1.16
4"Episode 4"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans15 February 2014 (2014-02-15)1.10
5"Episode 5"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans22 February 2014 (2014-02-22)1.10
6"Episode 6"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans22 February 2014 (2014-02-22)1.10
7"Episode 7"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans1 March 2014 (2014-03-01)1.16
8"Episode 8"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans1 March 2014 (2014-03-01)1.11
9"Episode 9"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans8 March 2014 (2014-03-08)1.17
10"Episode 10"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans8 March 2014 (2014-03-08)1.13
11"Episode 11"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans15 March 2014 (2014-03-15)1.20
12"Episode 12"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans15 March 2014 (2014-03-15)1.17
Reception

Ben Lawrence of The Daily Telegraph gave the first two episodes three stars out of five and called its plot "compelling".[10]

Series 2: Blood Diamonds (2018)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byBritish air dateUK viewers
(million)
1"Episode 1"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans14 April 2018 (2018-04-14)N/A
2"Episode 2"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans14 April 2018 (2018-04-14)N/A
3"Episode 3"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans21 April 2018 (2018-04-21)N/A
4"Episode 4"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans21 April 2018 (2018-04-21)N/A
5"Episode 5"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans28 April 2018 (2018-04-28)N/A
6"Episode 6"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans28 April 2018 (2018-04-28)N/A
7"Episode 7"Frank van MechelenWard Hulselmans5 May 2018 (2018-05-05)N/A
8"Episode 8"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans5 May 2018 (2018-05-05)N/A
9"Episode 9"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans12 May 2018 (2018-05-12)N/A
10"Episode 10"Frank Van MechelenWard Hulselmans12 May 2018 (2018-05-12)N/A

References

  1. ↑ Plunkett, John (7 February 2014). "Salamander: BBC4 heads out of the dark with Belgian thriller". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. ↑ Webdale, Jonathan (23 May 2013). "BBC4 bags Belgian crime thriller". C21 Media. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "BBC Four acquires Belgian thriller Salamander". BBC. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Salamander: nieuwe prestigieuze fictie voor Eén met een heuse topcast". TV Corner. 3 May 2011. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "BBC Four acquires Flemish TV-series Salamander". Flanders Image. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 Jeffery, Morgan (23 May 2013). "'Salamander': Belgian thriller series to air on BBC Four". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Salamander: The Complete Season One". Amazon UK. 17 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "ABC Picks up Toni Collette Spy Dramedy 'Unit Zero' & 'Salamander' Drama to Pilot". February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Weekly top 10 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018) | BARB".
  10. ↑ Lawrence, Ben (8 February 2014). "Salamander review series 1 episodes 1 and 2". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
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