New on Netflix Netherlands: Dutch Stars to Watch

Something unusual is happening on Netflix Netherlands right now: Dutch productions aren't just holding their own — they're dominating the conversation. In the last month alone, the streaming giant rolled out a Dutch dating experiment, a star-studded thriller based on one of the country's best-selling novels, and announced a true-crime drama about a case every Dutch person over forty remembers. Here's who's starring, what's worth your time, and which Dutch stars are having their moment.

Love Is Blind: Netherlands — The Dating Experiment Goes Dutch

The pods have finally crossed the border. Love is Blind: Netherlands arrived on Netflix in the first week of October as a fully Dutch-language Netflix Original, with new episodes dropping weekly — the same binge-proof format that made the American version a global obsession.

The Dutch twist is the hosting duo: Nicolette van Dam and Bas Smit, one of the Netherlands' best-known celebrity couples, are fronting the show together for the first time. Van Dam built her career as an actress and presenter before becoming one of the country's most-followed influencers; Smit moved from real estate into social media stardom. Putting a real married couple in charge of a show about getting engaged before ever seeing each other is a smart bit of casting — they've got skin in the game.

The premise is the same irresistible setup as every other edition: singles date in soundproof pods, fall in love without seeing each other, propose sight unseen, and then meet face to face. It's exactly the kind of format Dutch viewers love to watch through their fingers. If you've ever seen a single episode of the US version, you know the drill — but there's something extra fun about watching it happen in Dutch, with Dutch contestants navigating the same gloriously awkward dynamics.

The Perfect Lie — Saskia Noort's Bestseller Hits Netflix Netherlands

The biggest Dutch scripted arrival this season is The Perfect Lie, which premiered worldwide on September 10. It's based on De Dinerclub (The Dinner Club) by Saskia Noort — one of the most successful Dutch thriller writers of the past two decades, the woman who practically invented the Dutch domestic thriller genre.

The series was adapted by writer Dorien Goertzen with Jop Esmeijer as co-writer, directed by Dana Nechushtan and Margien Rogaar, and produced by Fiction Valley. That's a serious lineup of Dutch television talent behind the camera — Nechushtan alone has a track record that signals quality.

The cast reads like a who's who of Dutch acting:

• Loes Haverkort as Karen, the newcomer whose move to Bergen sets everything in motion
• Teun Luijkx and Remko Vrijdag, two reliably excellent Dutch screen presences
• Rifka Lodeizen, Charlie-Chan Dagelet, Noortje Herlaar and Edwin Jonker rounding out the dinner club circle
• Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen in a key role — a familiar face from years of Dutch film and TV

The setup: Karen relocates to the coastal town of Bergen and gets drawn into an elite circle of friends who call themselves the dinner club. Then a villa fire kills Evert, and what looked like a lifestyle of dinner parties and good wine turns out to be built on secrets nobody wants exposed. If you like your thrillers with a glossy surface and rot underneath — think Big Little Lies with Dutch directness — this one is for you.

Toos — Netflix's Next Big Dutch Original

Looking ahead, Netflix has announced Toos, a Dutch original series premiering in 2026 that dives into one of the most notorious crimes in Dutch history: the 1982 kidnapping of Toos van der Valk. The case gripped the entire country for weeks in the early eighties, and anyone who grew up in the Netherlands will remember the name.

The casting is inspired. Lies Visschedijk — best known as Roelien from Gooische Vrouwen, one of the most beloved Dutch comedy series of the last twenty years — takes on the title role in a serious dramatic turn. Opposite her, Frank Lammers (Undercover, Michiel de Ruyter) plays Gerrit van der Valk. Lammers is one of those actors who can go from menacing to warm in a single scene, and pairing him with Visschedijk is the kind of casting choice that makes you take notice.

True-crime dramatizations are having a global moment, and a Dutch story told with Dutch stars, in Dutch, about a case that shaped a generation's relationship with crime news — that's exactly the kind of local story with universal appeal that Netflix bets on. One to keep on your radar for 2026.

Beyond Netflix Netherlands: Dutch Stars in the Headlines

It's not just streaming where Dutch stars are making noise this week. Two stories worth your attention:

Amsterdam Dance Event Turns 30

The Amsterdam Dance Event celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, running October 21–25 with a staggering 3,600+ artists across more than 300 Amsterdam venues. Martin Garrix is on the lineup — no surprise there — but the scale of this year's edition is something else. Three decades in, ADE has grown from an industry conference into the week when Amsterdam becomes the undisputed capital of electronic music. If you've ever considered going, the anniversary edition is the one.

Televizier-Ring Gala Sparks Debate

The Gouden Televizier-Ring gala — the Netherlands' biggest television awards night — made headlines when reality show De Bondgenoten took home the top prize. The win drew criticism from media columnist Angela de Jong, sparking the kind of heated national debate about "quality television" that only awards shows can produce. Whether you think the right show won or not, one thing's certain: everybody was talking about it.

What to Watch First

Here's my honest take: start with The Perfect Lie. The full series is available now, the cast is stacked, and Saskia Noort's source material is genuinely gripping — it's the rare Dutch production that feels built for a global audience without losing its local flavor. Then catch up on Love is Blind: Netherlands week to week, which is honestly the better way to watch dating reality TV anyway — half the fun is the group chat. And put Toos on your 2026 watchlist the moment a release date lands.

The bigger picture is what excites me: Netflix is clearly investing in Dutch talent at every level — established stars like Lammers and Visschedijk, proven storytellers like Noort, and fresh formats that give new faces a platform. For a small country, the Netherlands keeps punching well above its weight on the global streaming stage.

FAQs

When did Love is Blind: Netherlands come out on Netflix?

Love is Blind: Netherlands premiered on Netflix in the first week of October 2026, released as a Netflix Original in Dutch with new episodes arriving weekly. It's hosted by celebrity couple Nicolette van Dam and Bas Smit.

What is The Perfect Lie on Netflix about?

The Perfect Lie is a Dutch Netflix drama series based on Saskia Noort's best-selling novel The Dinner Club (De Dinerclub). It follows Karen, who moves to Bergen and joins an elite dinner club of friends — until a villa fire kills Evert and buried secrets start surfacing. It premiered September 10, 2026.

Who stars in the Netflix series Toos?

Toos stars Lies Visschedijk (Gooische Vrouwen) as Toos van der Valk and Frank Lammers (Undercover) as Gerrit van der Valk. The series dramatizes the true 1982 kidnapping of Toos van der Valk and is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026.

When is Amsterdam Dance Event 2026?

Amsterdam Dance Event 2026 runs October 21–25, celebrating its 30th anniversary with 3,600+ artists across 300+ Amsterdam venues, including Martin Garrix on the lineup.

About the Author

Sidra Salman is the founder of Dutch Stars Daily, where she writes practical, research-backed guides on Dutch celebrity news. Every guide is tested and written in plain English for a US audience.