Lili & Marleen

- Season 8

(2006)

When Ida makes fun of Jef's singing for the umpteenth time, he blows a fuse and decides to go solo. His first hit is going to be "Mexico" after Luis Mariano. The only problem is the high note, but Rikki has the solution using Riks tape recorder to playback the note. A couple of customers in the cafe hand Jef the absolute solution for his voice problem : castration.

Rikki has lost his job. Marleen thinks he should get a job with the city, and wants to use a political connection to get him a job as street sweep. Mrs Muys is of the same opinion and uses her political connection to get him a different job. The problem : two different parties, and Rik trying to balance them both to be sure of at least one job for his grandson.

The whole neighborhood is being reviewed, and derelict houses are being torn down. It is now Rik's turn to have the cafe inspected, and the inspector accuses him of willfully forcing everyone to live in the middle ages. Either install at least two modern toilets, or be disowned. Grumbling Rik accedes, but threatens to raise the rent to cover his expenses. A third rate plumber sends the costs rocketing through the roof. Rikki has found a temporary job in the theater, but no one is very happy about it, especially Mrs Muys.

Rik is dealing with a Dutchman, but is taken out by Asian flu. Rikki wants to help, and will conclude the business with Riks customer. Sadly, in his first business venture, Rikki is duped like a baby. Jef and Ida go to a Chinese restaurant, and Jef orders the hottest curry. The result will be painfully obvious and embarrassing.

Rikki has found a job as "runner for a German film company. They are shooting some scenes in Antwerp, and some of them will be shot in the cafe. Jef and Ida are hired to be extras - Ida even has a line - but the producer doesn't want to see Jef. Instead he hires crazy Raymond. Jef can be a corpse. Jef is furious and does everything he can to ruin the shooting.

According to a newspaper article, invalids and handicapped people can get free public transport. The catch is that they need a doctors' report. Jef, who loves riding the trams, absolutely wants the free subscription. He's going to pretend to be deaf, but screws up the medical test. Martin, a union rep, tells them their employer, Rik, has to pay for their transport, according to a law from 1962. They confront Rik about this, but Rik is smart enough to read the small print and has a field day when he can pull the rug from under the feet of Jef and Ida.

Nieke is back. She had run off with a skipper, but she claims he was a wife beater, and she managed to escape. Having nothing but the clothes on her back, she returns to her father. Rikki and Vicky fight about him not having a "serious" job, and the stress works havoc on Vicky's pregnancy. Firmin Muys leaves his wife Georgette, Jef gets kicked out of bed by Ida, and with Nieke back, Stavros also has to find a bed somewhere. Fortunately, Firmin's caravan is stalled in Rik's workshop. Stavros and Firmin get drunk and philosophize about women. Georgette, very upset about...

More or less forced by Rik and Firmin, Rikki has enlisted in the army. Rik once again has an opportunity for "the deal of his life". He can buy a lot of suspenders, but only wants to pay 1/3 of the price asked by Gerard Cravatte. He has a cunning plan to hypnotize Gerard, but he proves to be completely inept at hypnotizing. Strangely enough, Jef has a real talent for it, and Rik decides Jef should hypnotize Gerard. Vicky is back home, after having been in hospital. Nieke has pawned some jewelry of her mother at "Mie de Mep", and is anxious Rik would find out. She ...

Rik has gotten his hands on a genuine Chesterfield couch, and Mrs Muys absolutely wants it. Jef and Stavros have to deliver the couch, but either the door is too narrow or the couch is too wide.

Jef and Ida have been invited to a reception at city hall for the visit of Lorne Green. Unfortunately Jef's suit doesn't fit anymore. Instead of buying a new suit, Ida decides Jef has to lose weight. At the nearby museum Vleeshuis a priceless mummy has been stolen. Marleen discovers a lump in her breast. Crazy Raymond comes begging for work, but Rik is in the middle of smuggling butter to Holland, and can't afford a liability like Crazy Raymond. Jef has found an easier way to lose weight : SlumberSlim. Nieke has been lying about what has happened : she wasn't beaten ...

Mark, Marleens boyfriend, is chairman of a (rather strange) club : the Kakakullekes. They dance around dressed as cannibals, and then pretend to eat a missionary. To get funding from the province, they need at least 14 members, so he installs Rik as vice-president. In exchange for increasing the number of members, Mark will make sure Rik gets his first pick of all the inheritances that fall to the city. Rik orders Jef and Ida to find new members, but the egos of both rather drive members away than gather new ones. Vicky finally delivers a great-grandson for Rik : ...

Rikki and Vicky have found an apartment and want to move, much to the chagrin of Stavros. Aside from losing his son and daughter in law, he will - once again - be alone with Rik, who uses him as his personal housekeeper. Ida and Marleen decide Stavros needs a woman, and put an add in a local newspaper describing him as being 5.10ft, broad shouldered, with the eyes of Tony Curtis and southern temperament, and "well off". Nine women respond, but Stavros isn't very happy about 8 of them. The ninth isn't very happy when she sees the "real" Stavros. Stavros gets really ...

Mark wants Jef and Ida to play their famous Rudolf sketch for a Christmas party for the elderly. Jef, who has always played the hindquarters of Rudolph, now insists on playing father Christmas. Stavros should play the back end of Rudolf. Stavros, however, is not in the mood. So finally, Jef will be Rudolf's front, Ida will be Mrs Cringle, and Stavros...will be the back end of Rudolf. Rikki and Vicky are extremely stressed : George is crying all the while. VIcky wants to take him to a doctor, but Rikki wants to save money for a car. On top of that, Rikki has entered ...