Bingewatcher extraordinaire Charlotte knows Netflix by heart, is fluent in 'internet' and thinks in memes. In her column 'Bingewatch Bitch' she discusses the valuable, useless, hilarious and deadly serious things that pass on her screen. This time: a hymn to the youth series 'wtFOCK'.

You've undoubtedly read about it in recent weeks: 'wtFOCK' is conquering the screens of young people all over Flanders. With more than 2.5 million online views in the first two weeks of its current season, the program leaves other youth series far behind. All because of the series' captivating storylines and genius online strategy. And in addition to a well thought out and implemented concept, it's also socially relevant. More than enough reasons to follow this series very closely for three seasons.

'wtFOCK' is a Flemish remake of the Norwegian 'SKAM', the brainchild of director Julie Andem, who traveled through Norway for six months to talk to young people about their dreams and fears. This resulted in four seasons of stories that adolescents could really empathize with. With its broadcasting style, the series ignored the unwritten television laws: the various scenes were put online in 'real time' - if the main character experienced something at 2.05am, the clip was released at 2.05am. At the end of the week, the videos were bundled into one episode. The series had an unprecedented success in Norway, and became a worldwide phenomenon with remakes in Spain, the United States and Germany, among others.

"In addition to a well thought out and implemented concept, 'wtFOCK' is also socially relevant."

These remakes remain true to the real-time concept and the main lines of the story, but often give their own interpretation. For example, the German version 'Druck' introduced a transgender character (played by a trans actor!). And the Spanish 'SKAM' has a storyline about two girls falling in love, whereas in other versions it's two boys. 'wtFOCK' also adapt the scenario, to make it fit into its Antwerp setting. Like the original version, it's very close to the world of young people. And it isn't a copy-paste situation.

The scenarios of the Flemish remake are presented to a group of young people, who filter out the unrealistic elements. Do they think a character's reaction is exaggerated? Then it'll be rewritten. And the actors are allowed to adjust their dialogue if certain formulations sound crazy or forced to them. The series really keeps the voice of their youth in its episodes - unfortunately something you'll hardly find in Flanders.

As in the original, each season of 'wtFOCK' follows a different character and the problems and feelings that accompany them. In season 1, we see everything through the perspective of Jana Ackermans (Femke Van der Steen), who argues with her boyfriend and finds it difficult to make friends at her new school. It's about loneliness, friendship and finding yourself.

Season 2 is about Zoë Loockx (Veerle Dejaeger) and her relationship with bad boy Senne. Zoë is a feminist and is happy to put others in their place when she sees fit. In its season, 'wtFOCK' touched on a few serious themes, such as eating disorders and sexual violence. But the makers did that incredibly well. Not only were the subjects in the series tackled without taboo and discussed between the characters, at the end of each fragment reference was made to watwat.be. There, answers were provided to questions the series could evoke in viewers - without flinching or disguising the truth. WAT WAT speaks at the level of the young people (the site even asks how old you are to adjust the information to your age) and refers to organizations where readers can go for a chat or guidance.

"The story of Sander and Robbe is already by far the best coming out story I ever saw on Flemish television."

This collaboration with WAT WAT continues during the current season. Robbe IJzermans (Willem Herbots) is in a knot with his feelings for Sander Driesen (Willem De Schryver) and has a hard time accepting himself. 'wtFOCK' deals with internalized homophobia, and portrays it much more explicitly than the original. But it also beautifully portrays the relationship between the two boys. And the fans are totally into it - Twitter just about exploded when Robbe and Sander kissed for the first time, and especially after yesterday's episode, where the boys got together and Robbe dared to admit his feelings for Sander. The story is still developing, but it's already one of the best coming out stories I ever saw on Flemish television. No, make that the best coming out story by far.

Besides the differences in the scenario, 'wtFOCK' also stands out from the other remakes by its superior social media strategy. SKAM and its international counterparts extend the stories into the world of fans by giving the various characters an Instagram account. And the Flemish remake does that like no other. The characters not only post photos, but their Instagram stories are also adapted to the content of the episodes. For example, during an episode Zoë said something about a concert - and her story showed live images of that concert that evening. International fans agree that 'wtFOCK' goes a few steps further than any other remake.

"I can't express how this series could have helped me ten years ago."

'wtFOCK' works. Because it is based on a beautiful series, but also because the makers understand and consult their audience to make the right adjustments. To fit the story seamlessly into the Antwerp setting, the prevailing youth language and the themes the audience is dealing with today. It works because the creators dare to go a step further in discussing some difficult topics, while also referring them to organizations that can help viewers if they experienced something similar. I cannot express how this series could have helped me ten years ago. But don't conclude that it's just a series for fourteen-year-olds. Because me and many of my peers are glued to the screen with every update.

'wtFOCK' is broadcasted on VIJF. All episodes are online at wtfock.be before they're broadcasted on television. You can also follow via www.instagram.com/wtfock.

Text: © Charlotte Wollaert