Het Blok

Het Blok is a Dutch reality series running since 2004 on NET 5. The program is based on the Australian series The Block. The program shows 4 couples who have 77 days to build and model an apartment. The construction happens while the couples hold their regular day jobs, so only evenings and weekends are available to the couples. They are each given a € 30,000 budget with which to buy supplies, such as paint and lighting supplies. Every two weeks, the couples must have one room of their apartment ready for judgement. A jury reviews the rooms that are finished and the winner of each judging get an extra prize. After 77 days, each apartment is judged as a whole, and the apartments are valuated. The couples win the difference between this value and the start-value, which the apartment had, before they started the renovation. The couple who has the apartment that has risen the most in value wins an extra € 50,000. The end values are determined by an auction.

Directed by —, Het Blok leans on a strong ensemble — Dennis van der Geest, Harm Edens, Bianca Stok — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about reality titles of 2004.