Max, please, put Martine and André together in Heel Holland Bakt!

A preview of Heel Holland Bakt in February? Isn't that a bit premature? Well no, because the deadline for potential bakers is already 1 March and filming starts in April. So we have to be quick.

First, let's clear up the misconception that this broadcaster MAX programme would be for the elderly. Heel Holland Bakt grew into a cult hit from 2013 onwards, also among people in their twenties and thirties. Who made weekly statements on Twitter about Menno's beard, Emma's smile (you were either for it or against it) or Evert's sausage roll.

Manuela's opera tail is to Vienna. #heelhollandbakt

- Bruun (@bruniversum) September 25, 2016

Annemarie is the type of person who used to say after an exam that she totally screwed up, but then scored a 9 anyway. Yuck. #hhb

- Janneke (@JannesJanneke) September 11, 2016

This is bound to be another cake record. #hhb

- Merijn© (@MerijnAAA) September 18, 2016

The gay scene in particular regrets that #HeelHollandBakt is over. It is not that often that flourporn is broadcast on primetime.

- Coen van Beelen (@coenvanbeelen) October 26, 2016

Martine Bijl 2.0

Presenter of the first hour, Martine Bijl, was best known to anyone under forty from the vegetable pot commercials. She was rediscovered as the amiable and vile comedienne that she is. Consequently, her brain haemorrhage in 2015 caused panic among viewers, who could only breathe a little bit of relief again in 2016. It was then that André van Duin also turned out to be quite capable of putting down the bruising and bullying you need to have in the house.

https://twitter.com/PaulinevLintel/status/790276448393232384

Too bad I was for #francis #heelhollandbakt

- boris, chronically depressed (@duijstbelinda) October 23, 2016

Long live the duos!

In England, they had at The Great British Bake Off Mel&Sue, who performed a phenomenal duo. The Dutch Spin off  could well use such a change of direction. Because let's face it, every season has been cast essentially the same. You have the folksy man, the chaotic older woman, the gay man, the foreigner, the young thing, the stressed-out housemother, the handsome straight man, the contestant who throws booze in everything and the sul who totally unexpectedly evolves into 'baker of the week' in the bread broadcast.

And oh yes, you have the oh, so Dutch judges. Robert, with the vocabulary of a ... a. politician, talks with flour in his mouth, as if he doesn't want to lose voters. Janny, whose personal stylist last season finally realised that crisp jackets don't the way to go are!

After four successful years, there is only one right direction against habituation and boredom for viewers. Put Martine Bijl and André van Duin in the tent together! To dance, mop up and speak encouraging words to everyone: the contestant and the viewer.