Dirty Lines is the latest in a wave of recent shows that dramatize real-life entrepreneurship, especially of the kind that was either a) built around some illicit idea or industry or b) included some amount of illegality. If a show can be c) both of the above, then it’s probably going to prove popular. From Inventing Anna on Netflix to The Dropout on Hulu to WeCrashed on Apple TV+, this is a theme that we’re seeing play out over and over again, and Dirty Lines fits neatly into the subgenre.
Created by Pieter Bart Korthuis and based on the first-ever erotic telephone line, this six-part saga details the formation, growth, collapse, and rebuilding of Teledutch from the perspectives of both Frank and Ramon Stigter, the brothers behind the company, and Marly Solomon, a promising but prudish psychology student who ends up being immersed in the affair despite some initial reservations.
Unfortunately for the show, it released alongside the latest season of Elite, one of Netflix’s international heavy-hitters that includes its own fair share of soapy sexuality. So, it might take a while for Dirty Lines to really enter the streaming consciousness, but it’s a good show worthy of an audience. If it finds one, the question is inevitably going to turn to the likelihood of renewal. So, what do we know about Dirty Lines Season 2?
Renewed or Cancelled status – Will there be a Dirty Lines Season 2?
Status: TBC
As of right now, it’s difficult to say. There hasn’t been any official word, but the show has also only just debuted. It’ll certainly be worth keeping an eye on the Non-English TV section of Netflix Top 10 to see how Dirty Lines performs in terms of viewership. Social media chatter thus far seems promising, though, and critically the show has been well received, including by us.
What is Dirty Lines?
A dramatization of a real-life story, Dirty Lines shows how the first erotic sex line became a huge success in the Netherlands during the tumultuous ‘80s when the Cold War had ended, the Berlin Wall was coming down, technology was rapidly developing, and ecstasy, house music, and AIDs were all sweeping the world. (The first season actually touches on several of these things and explores how their impact helped to shape the future of the company.) Given the show’s basis in real history, there’s a chance that the story it’s trying to tell has been completely told now, but the final episode did leave a few details and questions unanswered.
Who is in it?
The three main characters in Dirty Lines are Frank (Minne Koole) and Ramon (Chris Peters), who run Teledutch, and Marly (Joy Delima), the psychology student who eventually becomes its sexpert. All three seem to still be involved in the company at the end of the season, so a follow-up would doubtlessly include them.
Other characters who are likely to return include Ramon’s wife Natasja (Charlie Chan Dagelet), who is pregnant with either Ramon or Frank’s baby, Marly’s best friend Janna (Julia Akkermans), and Ramon’s secret boyfriend Alexander (Michael Muller).
