Dutch media network RTL Nederland presented its plans for the 2023-2024 season during the RTL Content Event at the Amsterdamse Bos on September 27th. One of the projects was very surprising and ambitious. RTL announced the launch of "PATTY", a series with five episodes based on Patty Brard's life, broadcast on its OTT online service provider "Videoland". The broadcast date has yet to be revealed.
Will Koopman directs "PATTY". She is the woman who created the successful series "Gooische Vrouwen" with Linda de Mol and who is also responsible for directing "Oogappels", an NPO series which has a chance to win a Golden Televizier Ring (Dutch TV award).
Holly Mae Brood plays the role of the young Patty, and Eva van de Wijdeven portrays the mature Patty.
Holly Mae Brood as Young Patty
Eva van de Wijdeven as Older Patty
La Brard was present at the RTL Content Event and expressed joy and gratitude for the miniseries about her. Once again, the larger-than-life media personality is in the spotlight. The announcement of this Videoland project generated lots of publicity in the Dutch media.
Holly Mae Brood & Patty Brard at the RTL Content Event
RTL 4's high-rated infotainment news show "RTL Boulevard" mentioned this new series in its September 27th edition. Click here to watch the video.
Will Koopman, Patty Brard and Holly Mae Brood on RTL Boulevard
"It's such an honour. We already had a book, a reality show and a documentary. But a series is so different. That's dope!" Patty told RTL Boulevard. The diva knows Holly Mae Brood, whose mother is the stylist Xandra Jansen and her father, though not her biological father, was the late musician and singer Herman Brood. "I had a bond with Xandra (Jansen) and Herman (Brood). She (Holly Mae) plays my role in this bond. It's weird and creepy," Patty added. Holly Mae expressed satisfaction in playing Patty's role. "She had her ups and downs. She always bounces back. I love to play her in the 70s and 80s. It was such a great era," Holly Mae asserted.
The series will deal with Patty's debut with Luv' and the bad periods in her life (including her bankruptcy and weight gain). "Patty had bad moments in her life when she was lonely. We're going to show this painful time of her existence. But she also has another side," Director Will Koopman explained.
Patty's speech at the RTL Content Event in front of media professionals
Just after the RTL Content Event, Patty appeared as a showbiz expert on SBS6's infotainment program "Shownieuws" during its September 27th broadcast. One of the subjects she discussed was her series. "I've been writing the series script based on my life with Will Koopman's team for a year. I want to put the record straight. It's not a documentary about my life. It's different from what people have already read in a book or watched in a reality show. It's a drama series. Will Koopman accepted to direct it because I've bounced back more than I've fallen down. She always pays me compliments on my strength. Holly Mae Brood plays the young Patty Brard. She's fantastic. She does the Luv' period and the Playboy period. Eva van de Wijdeven, who wanted to stop acting, plays the "plus size and older" Patty. They started to film two weeks ago. Tomorrow they will shoot in my former house. The series will be broadcast in March or April," Patty explained.
The September 28th edition of Holland's most-read newspaper "De Telegraaf" featured an article about Patty's series in its "Cultuur & Media" section. Click here to read the online version of this article.
De Telegraaf - September 28th, 2023
José & Marga's reaction
Miss Brard's ex-Luv' colleagues, José Hoebee and Marga Scheide, reacted to the announcement of the Videoland series in yesterday's edition of De Telegraaf.
De Telegraaf - September 29th, 2023
Patty, Marga and José were part of Luv', Holland's most successful girl group in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Patty suddenly left the trio in July 1980 and was rapidly replaced by Ria Thielsch. The original line-up reunited in 1988, 1993,2005 and 2006. In 2015, Peter Boonstra published the photo book entitled "The Story of Luv'". Marga and José supported this initiative. Patty Brard wanted to ban the book. Shortly afterwards, the author was obliged to stop the book's sale due to copyright issues about some photographs. This cruel decision led to a great disappointment and provoked (once again) a feud between Patty and the other ex-Luv' members. In her best-selling biography, which came out on her 65th birthday in 2020, Patty dissed José and Marga: "They still behave like they are the stars from 1978. It's like the movie "Sunset Boulevard". Many of those pop groups like Luv' come together again because it's the only thing they can do. That's why I'm so happy that I have a contract on TV."
Luv's original trio (José, Marga & Patty) backstage at the Museum Square in Amsterdam for Queen's Day (Koninginnedag) on April 29th, 2006
José was surprised that actress Eva van de Wijdeven, who has the same maiden name as hers and who has an uncanny resemblance to her, played the role of older Patty. "There is no other way that Eva must be related to me. All Van de Wijdevens are related to each other. We must find out how far away she is from me in the family tree!" José wondered. Two years ago, the singer already mentioned Eva in an interview for Privé magazine.
José said about Patty's forthcoming series: "Patty will do anything to remain in the spotlight. She can't live without attention. I wonder what kind of lies she will come up with next. I don't think I'll watch the series. However, if I hear scandalous things being said about me again, I will watch it and respond appropriately. A few weeks ago, she talked about me. She was on "Khalid & Sophie" (NPO 1's talk show) and discussed the early days with Luv'. As a girl group, we dressed pretty sexy on the Waldolala TV show. Patty said: "José was the only one who had a problem with that because she was quite prudish". I think that's styleless. Why does she say something like that? Moreover, it is not true at all. Patty makes fun of me all the time. She is always negative about me. What is her problem?"
While she was in Spain, Marga reacted noticeably more mildly: "My former colleague didn't inform me about this news. I am currently in Ibiza. I could not watch Dutch TV for some time as the set-top box connected to my satellite dish was out of order. Today handy men are going to replace the box. The only thing I want to say about the series is: great! I have other things on my mind".
For the first time since the death of her partner, Michiel Gunning, in late June, Marga was back in her second home in Spain. “I didn't dare to do it at first, but you have to take that step again. To make it a bit bearable, I had my sister, a friend and a niece fly in. Next week, I will return to the Netherlands, and then I'll go to Ghent, Belgium, where a special book presentation will take place. This is an edition in which, among other things, a chapter is dedicated to my dear Michiel!” Marga explained.
Luv' is just one chapter in Patty's illustrious career full of ups and downs. Her personal life offers plenty of inspiration. Her glamourous weddings with the TV star Ron Brandsteder and the Italian Fiat heir Carlo Nasi, several flings with famous names and her most successful marriage with architect Antoine van de Vijver, guarantee spectacular scenes. Her difficult bond with her daughter Priscilla will be shown too.
Patty's darkest period was her bankruptcy in late 1993, more than thirty years before the series will be aired on Videoland next spring. "It is also shot in the house in The Hague where it all took place at the time. I can still see how I closed the door behind me and had to leave everything, absolutely everything, behind because the whole mess was auctioned off. What a painful display it was! So I'll be going back to that house soon when the filming takes place there. I'd like to see it again. And that also applies to the apartment in Amsterdam where I later moved, which people still remember from my reality show. The current residents are happy that we are going to play there. I already saw the photos, and the kitchen is exactly the same! However, we are not going to America. The house where I lived there with Carlo is being recreated in Spain. But of course, you don't notice that as a viewer. Soon, it will be as if I am watching my own life pass me by. When I see how well Holly Mae and Eva portray me, I wonder, how is this possible?!" Patty said.
In addition to the article about José and Marga's reaction to Patty's series, the September 29th edition of De Telegraaf included a column written by Tina Nijkamp, a TV viewing figures expert and former SBS6 director. Click here to read the column online.
"Patty has lived so many different lives: Luv' singer, TV program maker, magazine publisher and presenter. In the meantime, she's been married a few times, had family issues and went bankrupt. Will the series be a success? Yes absolutely. With the "Gooische Vrouwen" and "Oogappels" director Will Koopman, it simply cannot go wrong. Will approached Patty because "not only has she fallen four times and gotten back up four times, but also because she is a real feminist before the term was invented." I think Patty is the Dutch Madonna. All-rounder, afraid of nothing, metamorphosis after metamorphosis and always full of energy. Remarkably, they are only three years apart and keep going. For example, Patty already receives a state pension but is still working, and Madonna will tour the world at the end of this year at the age of 65," Nijkamp wrote.
"I can't wait for the series. I am not neutral about it. I have known Patty since 2007 after she participated in "Dancing Stars on Ice". Then she started working on "Shownieuws", where she immediately stole the show. But she stole my heart when she proved to be an enormous support when my sister became terminally ill," the media expert added.
Moreover, Patty's Shownieuws colleague and Privé's editor-in-chief, Evert Santegoeds, discussed the series in the September 28th episode of the "Strikt Privé" podcast for De Telegraaf. Click here to listen to it. Privé's gossip columnist Jan Uriot also mentioned the series in yesterday's episode of his entertainment news show for De Telegraaf, "Wat vindt Jan?". Click here to watch it.
Jan Uriot (on the right) discussing Patty's series on "Wat vindt Jan?" (De Telegraaf, September 29th)
According to Uriot, Rick Brandsteder, Ron Brandsteder's son, would be perfect to play his father's role in the series as he looked the same.
The production of PATTY is still looking for extras for the filming of the series. So, do you want to appear on the show as a wedding guest, taxi driver or journalist? Then register quickly via this site: https://bit.ly/46cAAoJ
Source: Patty Brard on social media (Instagram, Facebook), RTL Nederland, Videoland, RTL Boulevard, Shownieuws, Mediacourant, De Telegraaf, Veronica Superguide, TV Gids, Beau Monde, Linda, RoddelPraat, Story, Party, Grazia, Nouveau, Blue Circle Casting...