As a Belgian child, I was lucky enough to grow up during a golden era for children's entertainment on television. On the Flemish side, there were television series like "Kapitein Zeppos" or, especially, the splendid "Fabian van Fallada". The Walloons were no slouches either, witness the hugely popular "Les galapiats". "Les galapiats" tells a rousing adventure story about a group of teenagers who find a large amount of gold. They think they've discovered a fabled treasure hidden since the Middle Ages, but in fact they've discovered the loot of a very recent hold-up. Will these brave teenagers be able to outwit the bandits ? The answer, of course, is yes, after many a daring and enterprising stunt.
The series makes excellent use of the many charms of Wallonia, such as its Ardennes forest, its ancient castles and abbeys, its rich traditions. The finale, for instance, is pretty much a hymn to the town of Stavelot, its folklore and its devotion to patron saint Saint-Remacle. The passage of time has endowed the various episodes with an additional time capsule charm, highlighting machines and uniforms now lost to oblivion.
I suppose that "Les galapiats" will strike young viewers and adults very differently. As a child you sit there and think : "Oh, nice, these guys get to do all kinds of cool stuff without pesky adults interfering. Organizing a duel, driving a fast motorcycle, climbing a castle tower, carrying a gun - what fun". As an adult you sit there and think : "Sweet Jesus, where are these guys' parents ? Or where are the grown-ups supposed to act in loco parentis ? You might as well confide your offspring to a blind and deaf baboon !".
I must be pretty ancient, because I felt the little hairs on my neck rise at the sight of a group of youngsters entering an extensive cave system without taking the most basic precautions, such as telling an outsider of their plans or posting their way with a variety of unmistakable signs. Good people, never ever do this - Belgium may be a small country, but it still holds caves large enough to swallow the unwary...
Indeed, the series might be of particular interest to persons teaching law. Just show the first four or five episodes to your class and ask questions on the theme of "If person X got blinded / bitten / paralyzed / flattened / burned to a crisp / etcetera, which person(s) would be deemed liable or accountable under the law ?" Normally you'd get enough material for a whole semester.
The series makes excellent use of the many charms of Wallonia, such as its Ardennes forest, its ancient castles and abbeys, its rich traditions. The finale, for instance, is pretty much a hymn to the town of Stavelot, its folklore and its devotion to patron saint Saint-Remacle. The passage of time has endowed the various episodes with an additional time capsule charm, highlighting machines and uniforms now lost to oblivion.
I suppose that "Les galapiats" will strike young viewers and adults very differently. As a child you sit there and think : "Oh, nice, these guys get to do all kinds of cool stuff without pesky adults interfering. Organizing a duel, driving a fast motorcycle, climbing a castle tower, carrying a gun - what fun". As an adult you sit there and think : "Sweet Jesus, where are these guys' parents ? Or where are the grown-ups supposed to act in loco parentis ? You might as well confide your offspring to a blind and deaf baboon !".
I must be pretty ancient, because I felt the little hairs on my neck rise at the sight of a group of youngsters entering an extensive cave system without taking the most basic precautions, such as telling an outsider of their plans or posting their way with a variety of unmistakable signs. Good people, never ever do this - Belgium may be a small country, but it still holds caves large enough to swallow the unwary...
Indeed, the series might be of particular interest to persons teaching law. Just show the first four or five episodes to your class and ask questions on the theme of "If person X got blinded / bitten / paralyzed / flattened / burned to a crisp / etcetera, which person(s) would be deemed liable or accountable under the law ?" Normally you'd get enough material for a whole semester.