A shot of panache, a hint of voyeurism, and lots of commitment: the ingredients of the successful 'Knokke Off' recipe

“When I saw the finished episodes, I knew this was going to be big in Flanders. I didn’t know what to expect from the Netherlands, but Knokke Off nearly caused mass hysteria over there. We weren’t expecting this sort of international success on Netflix at all! And yet. It became obvious pretty quickly that it was really happening. Every day, I checked Netflix’s hit list, and Knokke Off was worldwide on number five for a long time. This was a complete surprise”, states Luk Wyns. Together with Nele Vandael he wrote the script for the first season, and has already finished season 2 as well. 

The basic idea for Knokke Off came from producer Anthony Van Biervliet at production house Dingie. “He was already envisaging a whole world with characters, settings, and scenes. A bit like the atmosphere in series such as Big Little Lies, Euphoria and Succession. He knocked on my door to write the script”, says Luk. “Anthony’s constantly keeping his finger on the pulse, and has an incredible nose for success. The next step is finding those people who can develop it further: the scriptwriter, the director, the cast, the music compiler, and so on. These people are part of a big network. All these links need to be equally strong, and Anthony has a nose for that too: people who are willing to go the extra mile to make the project a success.” 

One of these links is Mounir Hathout at Sonhouse. As music compiler he was looking for music that perfectly fits the atmosphere of Knokke Off, together with editor Bart Cautaerts and Tom Goris, the first season’s director. “The soundtrack’s made up of two key components”, says Mounir. “I look for a composer to give a certain identity to a series: instrumental music which is made especially for the series, or the ‘score’ as it is professionally known. Knokke Off led us to Patricia Vanneste (artist name: Sonar). Her style is totally what we’re looking for. Then I’m also looking for existing music, which fits the atmosphere and our budget. The four of us made a mood board based on the script and the first edits. We wanted a clean and young look. Young people are at the centre of Knokke Off. There’s also a neoclassical aspect to capture Knokke’s sophisticated feel, and to give the series a more serious aspect. It was fine to be dreamy sometimes, because these teenagers are living in a luxury world. Yet also daring and edgy, as that typifies the series as well.”  

Soul full of scars 

Even though there are plenty of well-known and beloved actors in Knokke Off, Luk thinks it’s not the only reason why the series is so popular. “Pommelien Thijs, Anna Drijver are names we know in Flanders and the Netherlands, and you can’t deny that they, and other members of the cast, are playing their roles on a very high level. But even in the rest of the world, where the actors are unknown, the series does well. It’s the characters who appeal to the viewers.”  

This is also the view of Laura Van Haecke, director of season 2. Last summer, she watched the first season, when she wasn’t involved in the project yet. “Knokke Off really stood out. This was what I had been waiting for as a Flemish viewer. It’s got a fast pace, it’s not too clean, with good humour and some drama, and real cliffhangers which make it impossible to drop out. The love story draws you in, but there is so much more underneath. I also like the fact that the series appeals to both young and older people. This shows you don’t have to regard these two target groups separately. The young people are the main characters, but their parents play an important part in their lives, and in the series.” 

Knokke Off proves that certain topics don’t need to be avoided for young people. Laura: “For example, Louise’s mental health, played by Pommelien Thijs. This is a topic that deserves more attention in other series. The role of Alex (played by Willem De Schryver), who is suppressed and even abused by his father, is a topic which doesn’t often feature in Flemish fiction. Yet, this makes clear where the behaviour of these young people comes from.”   

Luk Wyns totally agrees. “Rich and upper-class youngsters appear to be getting away with everything. Bullying, parties, drugs, sex. When you look a little deeper, their soul is scarred. They have been hurt. Combining this with luxury, beauty and wealth has a big impact. At the same time, Knokke Off has a sunny and airy backdrop by the seaside, which makes you dreamy.”’ 

Indie, violins and a big, bad wolf

Guts are also an important ingredient for Knokke Off ‘s success. “You’re watching fiction to escape from everyday grayness. Seeing extremes does something to us. That’s why I think it’s so important to write scenes as the one with the big bad wolf. That party scene really caught a lot of attention. I felt the script had to be a bit risky. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind, in order to push your limits”, says Luk. For Laura the daring aspect also stands out. “Unexpected scenes, not too sweet... this makes Knokke Off refreshing and innovative in Flanders. You keep watching, because you’re curious to find out what’s next.” 

Being daring is also an important part of the music, says Mounir. You can tell when listening to the soundtrack of the series. “It’s not because the series was made for young people, that we automatically picked Billie Eilish or Angèle, music which is very people with them today.” Mounir thinks it’s important to not underestimate young people. “We did choose many Belgian artists, and often young musicians. Our country has a lot of talent.” The score, with plenty of strings, doesn’t seem to directly appeal to musical tastes of young people. “We knew in advance that with this score, we would balance on the edge op pop and indie music. Knokke Off could use the seriousness of the strings. Together with the music we’re using now, such as Glints, Sylvie Kreusch and Brutus, it provided an interesting combination. Patricia turned it all into a coherent whole.” 

Mounir thinks Brutus’s song at the beginning of the final episode really emphasises the dramatic scene of Louise in the sea. “That worked really well. The Haunted Youth’s music also fits perfectly with this atmosphere. I’m sure the music has played an important part in the success of the series. It’s was already a strong story, but the music made some scenes even stronger”, says Mounir. Did the series also make viewers appreciate certain music? “When you have a compelling story such as Knokke Off, viewers are open to lots of different music”, confirms Mounir. Is he allowed to tell us something about the music for the second season? “Hmm... At a party scene in the new season, somebody will be singing a cover. That’s all I’m allowed to say.” (smiles) 

A glance into a closed world  

Director Laura wasn’t familiar with Knokke. It was just a place where she worked during the holidays. However, she feels the setting is part of its success: “The luxury world from Knokke Off is a micro-society, yet it defines an awful lot of our society. It’s an environment we might be aware of, but to which we don’t really have access. Being able to look in is interesting. 

Luk on the other hand, knows the world from Knokke Off very well. “For me, the series was a bit like coming home. I know the Knokke youth from I was a kid myself, because I was friends with the boys who went there. I was a working-class kid, but went to school with the local elite. They made me see that world in a different way. I went to their houses, and they came to ours. That way, I quickly noticed not everything was smelling of roses for them. I told Anthony I’m somewhat ambiguous about the ‘rich kids’. Knokke Off came at just the right time, because I had been wanting to do something with these experiences. One of the first rules for a good script is: write what you know. You can go deeper and do more with the world you know.” 

The secret weapon 

The shooting of the long awaited second season is taking place now. Does the enormous (international) success stress-out the makers? Laura: “When Anthony asked me to direct the second season, I thought: Wow! A wonderful offer, even though there was some initial pressure. More so because I really enjoyed watching the first season. The pressure eased off pretty quickly when reading the first takes of the scripts, while being surrounded by a fun team. I entered a small world which was already created for Knokke Off, and everything’s running smoothly. It’s the first time I’ve enjoyed a production process on a set so much. The energy is great, and the actors are wonderful. They’re very familiar with their roles by now.” How difficult is it to take over a series from another director? “It’s not too bad,” says Laura. “The first season’s style suits Knokke Off so well, I’m just continuing it. Of course, there are new characters and different settings. There’s no previous blueprint for them yet, so it’s good to get together with the actors to see how we can develop their parts in the series.” 

Luk found writing season 2 easier than the first one. “As a scriptwriter, you know the characters even better. The doubts are gone, and that feels great. The success has given us more confidence, but at the same time also some pressure and fear of failure. But then, not everything should be easy, should it?” he laughs. 

At home, Luk has a secret weapon. He tries out his scripts on his teenage children. “My 17-year-old daughter is the first reader of my Knokke Off scripts. I test them on her to avoid using “boomer expressions”. And to hear what she likes most. Her response is always very clear”, he smiles.