Karel Baetens

In the 1890s, Father Adolf Daens goes to Aalst, a textile town where child labor is rife, pay and working conditions are horrible, the poor have no vote, and the Catholic church backs the petite bourgeoisie in oppressing workers. He writes a few columns for the Catholic paper, and soon workers are listening and the powerful are in an uproar. He's expelled from the Catholic party, so he starts the Christian Democrats and is elected to Parliament. After Rome disciplines him, he must choose between two callings, as priest and as champion of workers. In subplots, a courageous young woman falls in love with a socialist and survives a shop foreman's rape; children die; prelates play billiards.

Buiten De Zone (translated as "Out of the Zone") is a Flemish youth series (1994-1996) about five volunteers at the Jongerenfoon, a helpline that rarely receives calls. Out of boredom, they fantasize about absurd and humorous situations, where reality and fiction constantly blur. Each episode revolves around a theme such as love, fear, or fame. The series is known for its humor, satire, and social criticism and has become a cult classic.