As it happens to me more often, I am late to the party. While gazillion - more like a few 100 million - subscribers stream their butts off, I was able to stay far away from this platform. But somehow the vortex became too strong, and I was sucked in. This happened somewhere during the summer of 2025, our last one. Damit!

Since Netflix wheeled me in, I've been watching several great series such as Stranger Things, Ripley and Kaos. It took me quite a bit of time to go from A to Z, watching mostly 1 or 2 episodes in a row, with binge-light mode here and there.

and then

...I discovered this Dutch series: TOON

Two seasons.
Sixteen episodes.
Eight-hour binge trip!

...and I wanted MORRRRRRRE
...but, there are no more episodes, there will be no more episodes 😥

A series recorded back in 2016/17. Not for or by Netflix. A series paid for by a telecom company. Who would've thought such a type of company knows what great comedy is?! But sure as hell they delivered!

They made me Giggle and Laugh a Lot!

And they made me a binger! And they made me fall in love (again) with Dutch productions!

Am pretty pleased with the way Netflix pushes the big ass US dramas and Scandi-Noir thrillers. Tried quite a few, but most weren't worth the time. Not sure how it is with you, but Netflix pushes same same same to us. Being fed up with their algorithms, I started to explore the big wide and mostly open Internet for recommendations and stumbled on a Reddit post [click].

"'theRudeStar': you made me so happy with your shout-out!"

Plot

Sorry, you have to watch the series. Am not gonna tell you. Uhm. Ok Ok. I give you this. Toon - protagonist - is a guy who lives a simple life, who wants to play games, who is socially awkward. A guy who can make music, but creates cringy jingles for adverts. At his - unwanted - birthday party, under a lot of pressure, he sings a little while playing the guitar. His sister records it. The vid goes viral. The more Toon doesn't want to become famous, the more famous he becomes.

In one word: HILARIOUS!

Tune In, Cringe Out

Toon is one of those rare little gems: sharp as a tack but soft enough that it doesn’t stab you outright. No wild theatrics, no big showy chaos — just the deliciously awkward jitters of everyday life and the slow, painful squeeze of social expectations. It’s basically a series about a guy who wants to make the music, not be dragged onstage to answer for it.

The whole thing started small, looks unassuming, and yet the comedy hits with this smart, sneaky precision. And the message? That fame is mostly just stress with better lighting.

And on that note… I’m off to drown myself in some ambient synth and pretend civilisation is optional. Highly recommend you do likewise.

Resources

TOON on Netflix
TOON in IMDB
TOON with a Dutch Newspaper
TOON at KPN the mobile network operator

an original
^{all images by edje unless stated otherwise!}