Ellen Jens (6 October 1940 – 17 November 2023) was a Dutch television director and producer, best known for her collaboration with Wim T. Schippers on VPRO television. She produced and directed a large number of other television shows, especially on literature and art, and was referred to as a "television legend".
Early life and career edit
Ellen Jens was born in Wassenaar on 6 October 1940.[1] In the early 1970s Jens was a "scriptgirl" working for the VPRO.[2] Starting in 1972 she began working with Wim T. Schippers, producing his shows from 1972 (De Fred Hachéshow) to 1994 (We zijn weer thuis);[3] on many of the shows she is credited as a director and writer as well.[4]
Jens produced and directed Hier is Adriaan van Dis, the talk show hosted by Adriaan van Dis (which ran from 1983 to 1992),[5][6] and was the producer of the long-running VPRO TV show Jiskefet[6][7] and the Schippers series on popular science Flogiston.[8] For presenter Hanneke Groenteman, she produced the talk show on art De Plantage,[9] from 1994 to 2001.[10] From 2005 onwards she produced the TV show VPRO Boeken,[11] a program on literature hosted by Wim Brands, for which she also designed the set (modeled on the set for De Plantage, taped in the Studio Plantage in Artis,[6] in turn modeled on her own house); she was picked (as a "television legend") for her experience with literature, based in part on her work with Adriaan van Dis.[12]
Personal life edit
In the early 1970s she dated Hugo Claus, at the time when he promoted his novel Het jaar van de kreeft; Claus and Jens were photographed together as part of a campaign to promote the book, which had Claus's love life as its main topic.[2] She lived with Wim T. Schippers in the 1970s and 1980s[5][13] and later married him.[12]
Jens died in Amsterdam on 17 November 2023, at the age of 83.[1]
Select filmography edit
Entries marked with an asterisk are with Wim T. Schippers
- Zomergasten[14]
- Flogiston*
- We zijn weer thuis* (47 episodes, 1989–1994)
- De bruine jurk* (TV play, 1988)
- Sans Rancune* (TV play, 1987)
- Going to the Dogs* (TV production, 1986)
- Plafond over de vloer* (9 episodes, 1986)
- Opzoek naar Yolanda* (6 episodes, 1984)
- De lachende scheerkwast* (12 episodes, 1981–1982)
- Ramp Ahead* (TV movie, 1980)
- De dans der vierkanten waarin opgenomen Elly, of het beroemde stuk* (TV production of Holland Festival opening, 1980)
- VerhagenCadabra (5 episodes, 1979)
- Het is weer zo laat!* (10 episodes, 1978)
- Cross Now* (1977)
- Ninette de Valois (mag ik mijn grijze mapje terug)* (1976)
- Grote Genade* (1976)
- Echo's uit het alpendal* (1976)
- De ondergang van de Onan* (1976)
- Volk en vaderliefde* (1975)
- Het grote gebeuren (1975)
- Van Oekel's Discohoek* (1974)
- Barend is weer bezig* (5 episodes, 1972–1973)
- De Fred Haché Show* (1972)
References edit
- ^ a b Death notice (in Dutch)
- ^ a b Meijer, Ischa (2003). Connie Palmen (ed.). De interviewer en de schrijvers. Amsterdam: Prometheus.
- ^ Heytze, Ingmar; Tuinman, Vrouwkje (2000). Verdomd Interessant, Maar Gaat U Verder: De Taal van Wim T. Schippers (in Dutch). The Hague: Sdu. p. 59. ISBN 9057970775.
- ^ "Ellen Jens". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ a b Abrahams, Frits (22 April 2008). "Dag: Van Dis". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ a b c "VARA neemt afscheid van Studio Plantage". Broadcast Magazine (in Dutch). 23 July 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ "60 jaar documentaire: De keuze van Ellen Jens" (in Dutch). Holland Doc. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
- ^ Kubbinga, Henk. De molecularisering van het wereldbeeld. Verloren. p. 20. ISBN 9789065507310. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
- ^ "Hanneke Groenteman: 'Ik zag er uit als 'n soort Spongebob'". Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). 9 April 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
- ^ "Kunst op tv sneuvelt door slijtage bij makers". Trouw (in Dutch). 31 March 2000. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ "Boeken - televisie" (in Dutch). VPRO. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ a b Helder, Carel (25 May 2012). "Boeken kijk je zo". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ Heytze, Ingmar; Tuinman, Vrouwkje (2000). Verdomd Interessant, Maar Gaat U Verder: De Taal van Wim T. Schippers. The Hague: Sdu. p. 59. ISBN 9057970775.
- ^ Verbraak, Coen. "Anil Ramdas, kleine professor uit Nickerie". Vrij Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
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External links edit
- Ellen Jens at IMDb
- Ellen Jens discography at Discogs