The Best TV Shows on VPRO

In the travel series Through the heart of China photographer Ruben Terlou and director Maaik Krijgsman make their way from the far North to the Southern tip of China: from the dried-out steppes of inner Mongolia to the tropical coast of Macau-straight through the heart of China indeed.

In this third series, Ruben Terlou takes us through China again. This time he explores how Chinese people see their own, their children’s, and their country’s futures. He experiences how rapidly China is developing under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and how this is affecting the lives of ordinary individuals. Once again Ruben finds himself in exceptional situations, meets extraordinary people, and sees some dreams coming true and others being shattered.

China is playing an increasingly important role worldwide. Under President Xi Jinping, substantial investments are being made in communication and cooperation and industrious Chinese people are settling abroad in large numbers. Documentary maker and China expert Ruben Terlou visits them in the new VPRO travel series ‘The World of the Chinese’. Who are they, what do they want to achieve and what impact does their presence have on the local population?

In Amsterdam Paradise we're witnessing the development of the relationship between Adam and Eva and see how it’s continually influenced and affected by dozens of other stories set in the city. Amsterdam Paradise is a shimmering mosaic narrative of the city, life and love.

Paulien Cornelissen, who studied in Japan years ago, goes back to examine the land of the rising sun. Each episode's theme is a unique, almost translatable word from the Japanese language.

Sunday with Lubach is a satirical television program of the VPRO network that is presented by Arjen Lubach.

Tegenlicht in Dutch or Backlight in English is a series of television documentaries by the VPRO, a Dutch public broadcasting organisation. Backlight "aims to grasp the quintessence of prominent trends and developments" in the practice of critical journalism, and tries to improve understanding of the intricate inner workings of our modern society.

Margôt Ros and Maike Meijer play 40 different characters working in office tower Toren C, an office hell of eight flours, filled with a plethora of ridiculous situations.

This VPRO's ‘summer classic’ is based on an equally simple and refreshing idea that originated in 1988: When during the summer most of the channels are showing reruns, ask interesting people people to curate their ‘favorite television evening’ and let them clarify the fragments in a long-form interview/conversation. The programme was first aired in 1988. Each episode takes up an entire Sunday evening, lasting typically three hours. It consists of an in-depth studio interview with a notable Dutch, Belgian or other Dutch-speaking foreigner, interspersed with cinema or television footage selected by the guest, which is subsequently discussed. Guests include writers, scientists, television personalities, politicians or business people.

Semi-realistic comedy show.

A series of eight episodes documenting 250.000 years of history. Charles Groenhuijsen takes us along sights and locations that historically harbored various inhabitants of ‘The Lowlands’. In what today is known as The Netherland, Belgium, Germany, New York, Ghana, Surinam, and Indonesia, Charles will be looking for the stories of ‘our’ past through potsherds, bones, stones, ancient text's, drawings, paintings, pictures, radio, and tv- fragments

Media logic investigates the difference between image and reality. Media serve as a guide to get a grip on reality. But to what extent are they a reliable guide? How is public opinion formed? And what influence does this have on the actions of administrators, journalists and citizens?

By living in The Netherland, you take part in a socioeconomic system. How we live, earn our money or deal with mental health care; the options are limited and largely determined by others. Whether we like it or not. But there are people that do things differently, people that deliberately choose to live outside forementioned preconditioned systems. Who are these people, that challenge and oppose the norm?

After the holidays, do you sometimes get the feeling that you would like to change course? For example, spend more time in nature, live more sustainably, grow your own food and care more about each other? A group of people from all corners of the Netherlands didn't think about it, but decided to do it. Their ideal village had to be built in the Oosterwold district of Almere. Documentary series 'Droomdorp' followed the group for four years and shows how the residents try to uphold their ideals and dreams together.