Belgian eight-episode series “The Big Fuck-Up” is based on a true story – as much as possible.
Set in the 1980s, it follows Belgian Gendarmes who, led by an American CIA agent, are supposed to catch drug dealers. Instead, they turn into criminals themselves. That includes Jan Laureys (Willem De Schryver), who never wanted to be a gendarme in the first place.
“Although – and I’ll go on the record here – not all cops were corrupt, the gendarmerie was infested with scandals and crime. There was a lot of nepotism and it had a mob-like structure: if you made a mistake, they would cover it up for you,” says director Wim Geudens at Mipcom. But the team never wanted to make a factual show.
“They really started selling drugs and there really was an American agent who came over to teach them everything. In the end, there was a trial too, but there has never been any real proof,” notes Philippe De Schepper, who wrote and created it with Bas Adriaensen.
“That’s why we opted for a lighter tone – we don’t really know what happened. Wim pushed for that; for that fun side. There are so many dark shows already.”
What they are doing in the show is dark – “They have no moral compass,” says Geudens. But he also liked the idea of having a protagonist who’a crook and also loves life.
“It’s like Spielberg’s ‘Catch Me If You Can’ with Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s lying to everyone but he’s so charismatic. Later, he realizes it’s not fun and games anymore. He goes: ‘How can I get myself out of this big fuck-up’?”
At first, the show had a more respectable title.
“It was called ‘The Years of Lead’ because that’s how they used to describe that period,” smiles De Schepper. “The problem was, people would see it and assume it was a serious drama.”
Geudens adds: “When they suggested ‘The Big Fuck-Up’ I was like: ‘Whoa, that’s bold. Man, am I really doing this?’ But there are so many fuck-ups here, on so many levels. Even when it comes to Jan’s family, because they’ve been lying for so many years.”
De Schryver, who plays Jan Laureys, needed some time to warm up to him.
“I was very nervous that I had to be someone who’s so full of himself. Jan sees himself as this top-notch guy: good-looking, narcissistic. I was only 22 when we started filming and doubting everything in my life. Jan ended up being my savior, in a way. Playing him gave me the confidence I needed.”
At first, Jan doesn’t notice what’s happening around him – “until he’s already in too deep to get out.” But he also matures over the course of the show.
“Jan puts on a façade. He looks like he’s ready to conquer the world but he’s actually running away from a lot of problems. The reason why he’s abroad is because he doesn’t feel at home in his own family. Willem was able to show it: you wouldn’t want to follow someone who’s just shallow. With Jan, you want to get to know him better,” adds Geudens.
Tom Vermeir, Tibo Vandenborre, Cathy Serclaes, Koen De Bouw, Koen De Graeve, Natalie Broods, Rob Van der Auwera, Tom Van Dyck, Dempsey Bovell and Felix Vroman also star.
In order to make the kind of show they wanted, they needed to be resourceful, underlines De Schepper.
“When you are making a period show, you can say ‘I need this exact table’ and it will cost you a lot of money, or you can say ‘fuck it, we’re gonna create our own universe.’ It’s still the 1980s, but it’s Wim’s version of the 1980s. Wim is a bit like Peter Jackson – when he first started out in New Zealand, making his own props. Together with his partner in crime [cinematographer] Piet Deyaert, they found ways to make things cheaper.”
The goal with the show was to “entertain people,” says the director.
“We have all these guys ‘doing their jobs’ but it’s also so dumb. It’s one big fuck-up after another, because they are making stupid decisions and applauding each other for them. Comedy is one of my go-to genres but I’m not interested unless it communicates something.”
“We’re portraying this ridiculous situation where you have cops who totally lost their way and they don’t even realize it. Like, what the fuck?! Apparently, some potential financiers said there were too many male roles in the series, but the only smart character is a woman. It’s not always good to have all this testosterone in a room,” laughs De Schryver.
“You can’t compare it to anything else made in Belgium,” he observes. “It has a very different color.”
“Color is a right word,” deadpans Geudens. “We actually have color.”
The series – sold by jonnydepony and backed by Streamz and Amazon Prime Video NL – will premiere on Oct. 30, 2025.
