Topstars
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Topstars is a Dutch adaption of Belgian children's soap Spring about a rockband rehearsing at the dance-school of the same name. Both versions are produced by Studio 100. Starting out on October 26, 2004, Topstars ran for three seasons on channel Z@PP.
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[edit] The dancers
- Peggy (Nicole Oerlemans): founded Topstars after injuring her foot as a professional dancer. Business-wise inexperienced but therefore no less enthusiastic.
- Marieke: optimistic but fickle lead-dancer.
- Anna: tends to make ill-advised decisions.
- Bo (Noi Pakon): follows her own path rather than the one mapped out by her evil Mum Marie-France.
[edit] The musicians
- Ruben (Aiko Letschert): Peggy's wisecracking, over-sexed kid-brother. Works as bartender in his spare-time.
- Tom (Marne Miesen): son of a garage-owner. Loses girlfriends to other members.
- Bas (Martijn Dijkstra): clumsy odd-job man.
- Daan (Lieuwe Roonder): Marieke's brother.
[edit] The baddies
- Marie-France (Marleen van der Loo): model-agent. Wants to see Topstars destroyed and faded into oblivion.
- Victor (Miguel Stigter): Marie-France's assistant. Fancies young blokes like Bas.
- Olivier: brings Ecstacy to the otherwise drug-free dance-school.
- Monica: looks out for No. 1. Works as spygirl for Marie-France.
- Joost: car-snatching bully. Assisted by the less wordy Bart.
- Henk (Cees Geel): covers his drug-schemes by acting as Topstars' manager.
[edit] The others
- Gerard (Joost Demmers): Daan and Marieke's policeman father. Married to reluctant housewife Liesbeth.
- Lars: Bas' cousin. Works as DJ and radio-show host.
- Robert (Roland Beer): Bo's estranged father.
- Femke: another of Bas' relatives. Becomes Daan's girlfriend.
- Wim: Topstars' first manager.
- Lorenzo: attractive decoy in one of Marie-France's schemes. Insists on being a free spirit though.
- Sophie: Henk's chip-serving daughter. Gets very friendly with new employee Bas.
[edit] Season 1
- Marieke is chosen over new arrival Bo to take the lead in a performance at the upcoming dance-contest. The lucky girl also gets herself a date with webchat-partner Dreamboy (aka Olivier). Marie-France pushes fate by committing the part-time model to photo-shoots clashing with Peggy's lessons. Marieke gets permission to do both but come the big day and she gets stranded after things already went out of schedule. Thanks to the boys she ends up doing a synchronised solo with Bo at the contest dancing Topstars to the first prize.
- Ruben fails to turn up at rehearsals; after one no-show too many he finds himself replaced with Lars. Ruben swears revenge; he teams up with Olivier and cancels meetings with record-executive Pete duBois. He probably regrets his actions by the time Peggy gives everyone an earful for keeping her uninformed on stuff ("The next time, and I hope for you lot that there won't be a next time, I'll call the police. Topstars is a drug-free place and it stays that way !").
- Lars initially adds that much-needed positivity to the band, but soon the cure turns out to be worse than the disease; skipping rehearsals, (reluctantly) buying Ecstasy from Olivier, and nicking Tom's girlfriend Anna. Tom is not too happy when he finds out why Anna dumped him; he announces his departure on a radio-show ("Topstars are looking for a new drummer because him over there couldn't keep his dirty hands off my girl") and swears never to set foot again in Topstars. With a live-performance on the way, the others manage to talk him into a return.
- Bas fancies Marieke and asks her out for a night at the cinema. Olivier stands no competition, certainly not from geeky types, and locks him up at the dance-school. Nobody believes his version of events, certainly not after his apparently stolen mobile resurfaces in a bucket of paint. But Bas gets his moments in the sun; taping the event that leads to Olivier's downfall and giving up a meet 'n greet with U2 to pick up a stranded Marieke at the photo-shoot.
[edit] Season 2
- Despite winning the dance-contest, the financial problems ain't over; Topstars are in danger of being sold at a public auction. Marie-France seizes the opportunity and steps up as financial manager. Peggy refuses to let go of the reins; she now has a relationship with Robert (who spent a few years in Thailand), and he helps her saving the dance-school from falling into his evil ex-wife's hands.
- Bo breaks her leg and takes her Dad's advice of starting a career in music (much to Marie-France's disgust). She records the self-written I'm Gonna Be A Star with Lars, but the ex-Topstars-member hands it over to the newly-arrived Monica who has no intention of giving Bo any credits. Robert steps in and suggests for the best singer to get her version released. Bo wins, and Lars loses; after all "there is no us".
- As if Lars walking out wasn't bad enough, singer/bassist Daan is sidelined by his parents because he failed graduation. Ruben agrees to return on the one condition that he becomes the singer/drummer ("The world needs to hear my beautiful voice"). Tom switches from drums to vocals/guitar and Bas from guitar to bass/keyboards. At their upcoming gig they're signed by a manager (Wim) who insists that the line-up stays the same.
- Still reeling from her break-up with Tom (who now dates Bo), Anna turns lesbian and writes an anonymous love-letter to Marieke who's far from amused with such a silly move. Ruben falls for Monica and introduces himself as head of the dance-school; a lie that catches up with him when he crashes a stolen car belonging to Tom's Dad. During a night at the disco (where Anna fails to impress Marieke with her punky image) Ruben moves on to bartender Kim.
- Daan passes his re-exams but no thanks to Joost and Bart who sold him the wrong questions; worse yet, the deal has been photographed so they can ask for more money claiming they haven't seen any. Unable to rejoin the band Daan resorts to plundering the Topstars-vault (at this point Bas works on the nightshift but Marie-France, already unimpressed with what she got on her plate, has him fired for blowing it); Femke finds out by discovering the money in his cupboard and forces him to tell the truth. Although furious the boys are willing to help him exposing the bullies' involvement in a car-thieving scheme (and consequently miss their first video-shoot). This heroic deed results in Daan's return to Topstars.
[edit] Season 3
- Peggy is excited to re-launch Topstars but a there's a dark cloud on the horizon; Robert has accepted a job in a foreign country. Meanwhile Femke thinks she's pregnant and moves in with Daan, only to see their relationship unfold
- The boys celebrate their first CD-release but the good vibes disappear once they're confronted with a huge studio-bill. They have to pay otherwise their instruments will be confiscated.
- Robert nearly signs a contract that makes Marie-France the new owner of his share in Topstars. Peggy finds out and arrives in time to rip up the contract, but her trust is irreparably damaged.
- Fresh from an ill-fated brush with web-dating Bas tries his hand at frying chips. He finds a girlfriend in his employer Sophie (who used to be Tom's summer-love); her Dad, Henk, is willing to become the band's new manager.
- Taking Victor's advice Marie-France sets up her own dance-school; up to Monica (Bo's non-rent paying housemate at Robert's place) to persuade the girls to attend and to sign a committing contract.
- Lars returns as a radio-host/agony-uncle; his former bandmates begrudge him for doing a runner to the States and seek the opportunity to tell him so.
- Peggy's world falls apart when she's tricked into attending the launch of the MF Dance Academy; stabbed in the back by her faithful pupils. The contracts turn out to be invalid as teacher Lorenzo, who handed them over, is no employee of Marie-France. Payback-time.
- The boys fall victim to Henk's weird sense of humour; recording an awful chip-advertising song (Het Frietlied) and performing it in even more awful yellow suits opposite the chip-shop. However, Henk's biggest joke has yet to come.
- Anna feels ignored now Marieke spends much more time with Femke and uses eavesdropping-equipment to drive a wedge between them. They find out and teach her a lesson.
- Lars has taped the Chip Song for heavy-rotation airplay; this results in a studio-invasion. Henk is livid when he finds out.
- Anna makes an on-radio apology, but to no avail. Persuaded by Monica telling tales about Peggy she joins the MF Dance Academy. Unsurprisingly Marie-France has other plans with "the chubby one" than mentioned.
- Henk sends the band to a non-existent festival in Salou with a bag of coke attached to their van; they end up inside at customs risking life. Luckily Daan is not there, as Tom threw him out for fancying Bo big time.
- Topstars are given a TV-performance, but Marie-France sets up a trap for the producer that could destroy his marriage.
- When Henk finds out that Sophie took the rap he immediately reports himself to the police.
- Anna learns from the blackmail-footage and on Lars' instructions she removes it from Marie-France's computer, making her the heroine of the day.
- Taking his Mum's advice too seriously, Daan follows his heart and searches for Bo who left to clear her mind. He reconciles with Lars who joins him on the trip; they get involved in a car-accident.
[edit] The lost season
In January 2007 Topstars announced its cancellation. However, the storylines for the fourth season were already written (click here to read the plot in Dutch).
- Lars contracts a concussion and a jape on his shoulder. Daan is worse off; once he regains consciousness the first thing he does is asking for Bo. She's stuck in a guilt-trip, not helped by Marieke denying access to her hospitalised brother. Tom, a free agent again, warns Daan that Bo only chose him out of pity and that their relationship will not last. Not wanting to lose the both of them, Tom eventually swallows his pride while Liesbeth puts Bo back in action.
- Femke decides that it ain't no use clinging on to an unrequited love and moves to Paris for career-opportunities.
- Henk is sentenced to a few years in prison. Bas and Sophie regularly visit him although Henk refuses to accept 'Brainy Smurf' as son-in-law material.
- After her heroic deed, Anna is rewarded with a TV-show. Marieke is given a job backstage. They're too busy to continue dancing at Topstars, so Peggy and the girls make regular appearances on the show.
- Ruben still dreams of a relationship with Monica, and suggests that Peggy gives her a lead role in future performances. Monica still has better things to think of.
- Marie-France wisens up and folds her Dance Academy. Although happy pulling the strings at her model-agency again she'll never admit that she's drawn the shortest straw.
