Television Fiction: A Domain of Memory

Abstract

The most remarkable Dutch television event in 2001 was the top-listed production Wilhelmina, on the present queen’s grandmother. A conventional historical drama series in four parts, it traces the story of the queen’s life until her abdication in 1948. The series focuses especially on her role during the Second World War, reflecting the ongoing public debate on the question whether her decision to leave the country (for England) was well chosen. Its number-one ranking can be explained by the way this series brings together the two main points of reference in Dutch national history: the relationship between the state and the monarchy, and the Second World War. This series demonstrated how Wilhelmina wanted to stay to help her people, but could not due to the circumstances. Moreover, the series showed how tough her struggle was against the male politicians around her and how she demanded the utmost of her self to really become the motherly symbol of her country in the times of occupation. The popularity of the series can also be found in the way it celebrates the nation’s unity in post-modern times. It stresses the importance of historical drama in telling and retelling the stories of the recent past, from different points of view, including its controversies and its changes.