Jan Brugman
Number of series hours per week: “As a partially retired person, I am fortunate to watch an average of three hours a day.“
First series ever watched: “People of my respectable age probably can't remember that, please forgive me.“
Best series ever: “Several, but if I have to name one, it would be House of Cards (2013). That's not just because of the series but also because of the memories of that time. I watched it on a tablet while I was in a hospital bed after a major knee surgery.“
Best series at the moment: “At the moment, we are halfway through Dexter: Resurrection, what a fantastic series that is again! Dexter is truly ‘the gift that keeps on giving,’ whatever they make, it is consistently of an exceptionally high level. Especially due to the excellent acting of Michael C. Hall.”
Series planned to watch: “A characteristic of addiction is that there must always be enough stock. Looking at my Trakt lists, I see series like The Wire, the last season of Billions and The Boys, Crossfire, Gangs of London, House of the Dragon, The Last Ship, Mr. Robot, and so on. In addition, I am a re-watcher.“
Jan Brugman, his username is Neptunus1122, 3 years and 7 months a member of MijnSerie.nl: “My name is Jan Brugman. I am 62 years old and, I will confess once more, I am a series addict. I have been watching series since my youth. I can still remember series like Floris and Catweazle from my childhood. And I was afraid of Eucalypta, the mean witch in Paulus de Boskabouter. After I married my wife, whom I consistently refer to as my lovely spouse in reviews, the serious series watching began. Our menu includes many sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory now and in the past Married... with Children and Family Ties. Furthermore, we watch together shows like Criminal Minds, the Chicago series by Dick Wolf, and gems like Dexter, Prison Break, The Americans, etc. Series like Star Trek, Black Mirror, and Fargo I watch alone“
If you had to create a personal top 5 of the best series you've ever seen, what would this top 5 look like and why is this your top 5?: “There's a series at number 1 for me that you don't often see at the top: Mad Men. A beautiful depiction of the 1960s. Also, the usual suspects Breaking Bad, Dexter, and Game of Thrones are in the top five. Furthermore, almost all series by Taylor Sheridan are in the top with special mention of Yellowstone (2018), 1923, and Landman. I have written many positive reviews about these series.“
What do you think is the worst series you have ever seen? Why?: "That's a difficult question to answer for the simple reason that we simply don't finish watching those kinds of series. It often happens that after a few episodes, we look at each other and conclude that the series doesn't grab us. That happened recently after the first episode of the latest season of The Last of Us. Strange, because we enjoyed the first season. Often the cause is that there's too much time between the seasons. Sometimes a series slowly drifts away from us. An example of this is New Amsterdam (2018), which went completely woke after a strong start. Sometimes a series just becomes boring, which we recently experienced with How to Get Away with Murder.“
Which series are you currently following?: “Besides the previously mentioned Dexter: Resurrection, we are watching Countdown with Jensen Ackles, about which I will soon write a review. For the column 'Undeservedly Unwatched,' I recently started Hannibal. Furthermore, and don't laugh, guilty pleasure B&B Vol Liefde is on our daily menu. Today I finished the entertaining series Poker Face“
In the world of series, there are many genres. If you could choose one genre, what is your favorite genre and why?: “I have a broad interest, but two genres stand out: historical series and science fiction. Examples are Babylon Berlin and Kleo in the historical genre, and regarding science fiction, I can suffice with the statement that I am a Trekkie“ Do you have a preference for a country where the series should come from? Do you prefer watching American, Scandinavian (Swedish, Danish, etc.), Asian (Japanese, Chinese, etc.), European (French, British, Dutch, German) series, etc.?: “Most series come from America. British series, except for the detectives, are also on the menu. Examples are the great Peaky Blinders and The Crown. German examples are the previously mentioned Babylon Berlin and Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter. The Netherlands is also keeping up with series like KLEM, Gooische vrouwen, and Hollands Hoop“ Series are made by producers with a whole team behind them. The actors then bring the story to life. Do you have a favorite actor and/or actress or director/producer? Why?: "I don't have a specific preference, but I do want to mention two names: Billy Bob Thornton as an actor and Taylor Sheridan as a director/producer. Furthermore, I often find that children in series act wonderfully, especially in the US. There are very few actors or actresses that I find annoying“
Have you ever been addicted to a series, or have you ever binge-watched a long-running series in one go? How did that happen and how did you deal with it?: “No, not that. But there are series that I've watched more than once. For example, Peaky Blinders, Mad Men, Nashville, and many others“
What do series mean to you? Is it a form of relaxation or something else?: “Let's not exaggerate and call it a basic necessity of life, but if you watch an average of three hours a day, then series play an important role in my daily life. If you watch so much from the comfortable lounge couch, you have to be careful not to become a couch potato. Fortunately, we have our lively Schapendoes Bobby with whom I walk through the woods, usually with a podcast (like the MijnSerie podcast) in my ears. Furthermore, I read a lot and, surprisingly, I've been playing World of Warcraft with a guild for years“
Would you describe for us how you watch series? Where are you and how are you sitting (and with whom)?: “Lying on the couch, with or without my lovely wife. Big screen and great sound system“
Do you wait until your series' episodes are broadcast on Dutch television or do you stream? Or both? And do you have an account on Netflix/Videoland/Amazon or another paid channel or streaming service?: “Almost everything is streamed. I am a subscription shopper. It's quite expensive to be subscribed to all available streaming services. Unfortunately, there is no Spotify for series. I prefer to wait until everything has been broadcast before I start watching“
What score would you give yourself as a series fanatic? (on a scale of 1 to 10!) And why and how does MijnSerie fit into that, and do you write for MijnSerie, or do you do something else?: “If you're addicted to series, you have to give yourself a solid ten! For MySeries regularly write reviews and columns“
Jan Brugman (Neptunus1122) is no longer The Unknown Series Viewer. We now know what he likes to watch and where. Soon another series fan will be featured.
For now, with many thanks to Jan, until next time.
With kind regards,
Mandy
* Interview date: August 20, 2025
Welcome and thanks for your reviews :-)