Luxembourg pokes fun at itself in new sitcom

(JB) Life in a typical Luxembourg home comes under the spotlight in the coming weeks when a film crew films the country's first ever soap opera.

Filming began today on Weemseesdet or “Who are you talking to?”, a series of 24 episodes lasting around 30 minutes and exploring the dramas in a typical Luxembourg family home.

Love affairs, work dramas and the odd shock storyline are common fodder for soap operas but Luxembourg producers Deal Productions, which won a competition to produce the series, is giving away no secrets.

The only plot information it has released was to suggest that the series was a parody of a typical, middle-class Luxembourgish family: the Wampachs, living in a multicultural society.

The show is being directed by Désirée Nosbusch, who is well- known as a presenter and actress and is expected to bring her worldly experience to the fore in this Luxembourg Premier.

She said: “We're extremely happy and proud to be able to make this first ever production in Luxembourgish. It's a chance to do something for the country which remains close to my heart. I love our language, our humour and our particularities. To be able to make a sitcom out of this is simply a wonderful challenge.”

Ms Nosbusch will play the femme fatale neighbour of the Wampachs, while other cast members include Fernand Fox, Guy Helminger, Mickey Hardt and Nicole Max.

Filming will continue until September 25 and the series is expected to reach TV screens this autumn when it will be screened every Friday on RTL from 7pm.

The sit com is being brought to life thanks to a partnership between RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg and the Luxembourg Film Fund.