Zembla (1995) | Couchpile

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Zembla (1995) | Couchpile

Season 2026 poster

Season 2026

7 Episodes

2026

The living experiment

E01

The living experiment

1/15/2026·35m

It seemed like the ideal solution for the housing shortage and simultaneously the integration of refugees. One hundred and twenty-five young people and one hundred and twenty-five refugees, together under one roof: the mixed housing project Stek Oost in Amsterdam. The young people act as buddies for the refugees. Together they form a 'community.' But in practice, things are less rosy. We received various internal documents and were given access to the residents' WhatsApp groups. What signals, reports, and evaluations did the housing association and the municipality receive? Why didn't they intervene? And who are the victims of this housing experiment?

Seed without borders

E02

Seed without borders

12/29/2025·36m

To protect children's rights, strict regulations have been introduced in the Netherlands to prevent children from later turning out to be the offspring of a mass donor. But does this legislation help if most sperm comes from Danish companies? Every year, more than a thousand Dutch children are conceived using foreign donor sperm. In online catalogs, prospective parents can choose from hundreds of profiles of men who donate their sperm. This sperm from Denmark is then shipped worldwide. Zembla investigates the consequences of this global sperm trade and speaks with donors, prospective parents, and the Danish CEO of the world's largest sperm bank.

The Pain epidemic

E03

The Pain epidemic

1/12/2026·40m

One in four Dutch people suffer from chronic pain. Many of them use highly addictive painkillers, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, to alleviate their symptoms. But strikingly, this actually leads to more pain, and they become addicted. Treating pain is extremely complex. What works for one patient is completely ineffective for another. Renowned pain specialists speak candidly about the feeling of helplessness they experience when confronted with yet another desperate patient. Nearly all experts warn of the devastating consequences of long-term opioid use.

Gas in de gevel

E04

Gas in de gevel

1/26/2026·45m

Tens of thousands of homes each year are insulated with UF foam sprayed into cavity walls. The material is considered sustainable and is subsidized for its energy savings and climate benefits. At the same time, residents across the country are reporting serious health problems after installation, including headaches, shortness of breath, and eczema. In some cases, the symptoms are so severe that residents are forced to leave their homes. Experts are raising concerns about the carcinogenic formaldehyde in the foam. Zembla is documenting the complaints and investigating the health risks of this insulation method.

Gegijzeld tijdens de nachtdienst

E05

Gegijzeld tijdens de nachtdienst

3/12/2026·40m

Insults, threats, and even fights with patients. Three out of four healthcare workers experience workplace aggression. What happens if they are physically or mentally injured? Who cares for them when the fear persists and the nightmares persist? Nurses who were strangled and held hostage by patients share their stories. Trapped by this workplace aggression, they feel not only unsafe but also abandoned. Good aftercare seems to depend on individual managers, and financial support is often lacking. This lack of support creates new trauma.

Kinderen die niemand wil

E06

Kinderen die niemand wil

3/26/2026·34m

In the Netherlands, there are hundreds of children and young people for whom agencies seem to have no solution; they are suicidal, violent, or labeled as unmanageable and are shuffled from one crisis placement to another. Now that closed youth care is being phased out at an accelerated pace and suitable alternatives are lacking, care providers are increasingly resorting to expensive emergency solutions such as long-term one-on-one supervision in remote locations. 17-year-old Lex, who has already been transferred more than ten times, shows how a system grinds to a halt when the most severe care needs can no longer find a place.

E07

Episode 7

4/9/2026

Season 2025 poster

Season 2025

14 Episodes

2025

Campingterreur

E01

Campingterreur

2/16/2025·41m

Existing recreational parks and campsites are a popular investment project for project developers. If such a park is taken over by a new owner, existing residents will have to move. People who have been holidaying there for generations, but also people and families who are forced to live in such a park permanently in times of housing shortage. In Zembla we follow the residents of the Westeinder campsite in Rijsenhout. This campsite was bought last year. Since then, the new owner has been dismantling the park piece by piece. In the broadcast we reconstruct the year in which the residents had to deal with intense conflict situations, threats and intimidation, based on unique source material. Zembla investigates the force field of conflicting interests. Who will help the vulnerable residents who have been living on the campsite for years? And why doesn't the government intervene before things get out of hand?

Gods lobbyisten

E02

Gods lobbyisten

3/2/2025·40m

Conservative Christian organizations worldwide are fighting for traditional family values, even if that comes at the expense of basic democratic rights. For example, President Trump draws on a detailed strategic plan to transform America into a Christian conservative state: Project 2025. Key organizations behind Project 2025 are also active in Europe, where they support like-minded people with lawsuits, political influence and millions of dollars in financial support. In ‘God’s lobbyists’, Zembla journalists map international money flows and track down Dutch members of a network that wants to restore the ‘natural order’ by introducing strict anti-gay laws and banning divorce.

Gevlucht en verwaarloosd

E03

Gevlucht en verwaarloosd

3/16/2025·40m

The number of asylum applications in the Netherlands has risen sharply in recent years. It is not only about adults and families who flee their country because of war or poverty, but also about thousands of minors who travel to the Netherlands without a family. These young people come directly under the authority of the reception organization Stichting Nidos. From that moment on, a youth protector must help young people in their development towards independence and monitor their well-being. But what care and guidance can these young people really count on? We asked that question to those involved in the reception. They paint a staggering picture.

Einde van de rashond: 15 jaar later

E04

Einde van de rashond: 15 jaar later

3/30/2025·39m

Fifteen years ago, Zembla journalists discovered that the health of pedigree dogs was very poor. They were bred to meet certain aesthetic requirements, which gave them external characteristics that were very harmful: from flat snouts that made it difficult for them to breathe, to chronic headaches due to skulls that were too small. After this research, new legislation was passed to improve the welfare of pedigree dogs. What has this legislation achieved? Has health now become a priority within pedigree dog breeding? Zembla is once again investigating whether pedigree dogs have a future.

Operatie Trump

E05

Operatie Trump

4/13/2025·45m

The world has watched as President Trump weakens NATO, disparages European allies and hands Ukraine over to Russia since taking office. Trump calls Putin a “reliable future business partner” who wants to end a “nasty war” and has a right to parts of Ukraine. It is a radical change of course in the White House. How much influence does Putin have over Trump? Could the radical change of course in the White House be linked to an operation that was started forty years ago by Russian intelligence? Operation Trump: How the Kremlin got a foot in the door of the White House.

Het PFAS-spoor

E06

Het PFAS-spoor

4/27/2025·41m

Two years ago, Zembla revealed how PFAS producer Chemours (formerly Dupont) has known for decades that the PFAS they use is dangerous to humans and the environment. The commotion is huge: hearings follow in both the House of Representatives and the Provincial States, thousands of local residents file a mass complaint and the Public Prosecution Service starts a criminal investigation. Zembla follows the PFAS trail and ends up at a factory in Helmond. Zembla investigates how the pollution in Helmond could get so out of hand and why supervisors did not intervene. When the trail leads back to Chemours, sensational discoveries follow.

Diagnose dyslexie

E07

Diagnose dyslexie

5/18/2025·41m

More and more children in the Netherlands are being given a dyslexia certificate. These are children who have a serious deficit in reading and spelling. From group 3 in primary school, the language development of children is closely monitored. If dyslexia is suspected, strict protocols are then followed. Before this diagnosis can be issued, the school must first demonstrate that the pupil has received extra help for a longer period. But how are these diagnoses made in practice? Do we measure dyslexia or inadequate education? Zembla investigates the diagnosis of dyslexia.

Black box Tesla

E08

Black box Tesla

6/1/2025·42m

Elon Musk has been promising self-driving cars that drive more safely than people for years. Tesla took the first step ten years ago with the introduction of the Autopilot system. The cars were considered green and innovative, but were involved in serious accidents in the United States and Europe. This led to sharp criticism, investigations and lawsuits. Nevertheless, Musk perseveres and he hopes to receive approval for the introduction of Full Self Driving in Europe this year. Zembla investigates how it is possible that Tesla's Autopilot system has been linked to accidents for years, and what role the Dutch National Road Traffic Service plays in this.

Dealers op het schoolplein

E09

Dealers op het schoolplein

9/14/2025·41m

For a long time, the number of young people smoking was declining, and a nicotine-free generation seemed within reach. Until vaping arrived. Vaping is becoming increasingly popular, and nicotine use among young people is rising again. Experts are calling it a vaping epidemic that must be stopped as quickly as possible. Young people are ending up in the hospital with symptoms such as shortness of breath, pulmonary hemorrhages, and collapsed lungs from excessive vaping. Zembla delves into the current vaping culture and discovers a new type of vape that is gaining popularity among schoolchildren. This vape is causing significant concern among schools, parents, and addiction treatment centers.

Het therapietrauma

E10

Het therapietrauma

9/28/2025·42m

A new treatment method for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become incredibly popular in a short time: high-intensity trauma therapy. Over a period of just a few days, patients are guided through various exercises to revisit their worst memories: sexual abuse, physical assault, neglect, or other shocking events. The creators of the therapy claim remarkably good results: almost ninety percent of patients reportedly feel better after the treatment. But is this true? We investigate the claims of providers of high-intensity trauma therapy.

Ziek maar gezond verklaard

E11

Ziek maar gezond verklaard

10/12/2025·50m

In the Netherlands, approximately 420,000 people have long-term complaints after a Covid infection. When entrepreneurs and self-employed people turn to their disability insurance due to long Covid complaints, things often go wrong. We see how dozens of patients end up in a battle with their insurer. According to the insurers, the disease is between the ears. How do insurers deal with long Covid, a new disease with a wide variety of symptoms? And do the insurance doctors who examine these patients know enough about it? We investigate the battle between long Covid patients and their insurer.

Sadisten in de chat

E12

Sadisten in de chat

10/19/2025·40m

In protected areas of the internet, a shadowy network is growing. Online chat groups where young people incite sadistic violence. Vulnerable children are being abused and mistreated, sometimes driven to suicide. Zembla shows that the network has also reached the Netherlands. But who is behind it?

Het afslankexperiment

E13

Het afslankexperiment

11/9/2025·42m

Fast food on every street corner, supermarkets full of processed food and candy machines in every canteen. Due to the enormous range of unhealthy food, many Dutch people continue to thrive. By 2050, more than 60 percent of the population will be too heavy, the RIVM expects. But stopping the obesity epidemic suddenly seems within reach due to a new generation of medicines. A weekly injection affects the endocrine balance of users. They feel satisfied more quickly, are barely hungry anymore and therefore eat less. We investigate the consequences of the slimming injection. Is it indeed as spectacular a breakthrough as it seems?

Nederland Agressieland

E14

Nederland Agressieland

11/23/2025·55m

Healthcare workers, conductors, and customer service representatives: they all face intimidation, aggression, and violence on a daily basis. As a result, frontline workers are threatening to quit. For over fifteen years, politicians have been calling for "Hands off our healthcare workers." Perpetrators were supposed to be punished more severely and cases prioritized. Yet, aggression rates are historically high. At the Dutch Railways (NS), Rijnstate Hospital, and housing association Woonstad, the limit has been reached: violence there is now reaching disruptive levels. What impact is this aggression having? And how are employees and organizations coping with increasingly serious incidents?

Season 2024 poster

Season 2024

14 Episodes

2024

Arbeid op bestelling

E01

Arbeid op bestelling

1/14/2024·41m

What is the position of migrant workers in the Netherlands? The research into the answer to this question started last summer in Boxtel, Brabant. There, angry citizens are diametrically opposed to their municipal council, because a migrant hotel for 400 migrant workers is planned on the edge of the village. The civil protest is increasing and the migrant workers themselves appear to be living and working under dubious conditions a few neighborhoods away. The situation is symbolic for many municipalities in the Netherlands. There are calls for a change of course, but which interests have ensured that the call for change has been ignored for years?

Opgebrand

E02

Opgebrand

2/11/2024·40m

The fire brigade responds hundreds of times a day to incidents: entrapments in traffic accidents, drownings, suicides and many resuscitations. The almost daily confrontation with death is a psychological wear and tear for firefighters, which can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. As early as 2015, the Dutch fire brigade top promised to conduct research and made plans to better support firefighters. What became of these plans?

De pekingeenden van Gelderland

E03

De pekingeenden van Gelderland

2/10/2024·39m

Every year, millions of Peking ducks are slaughtered at the duck slaughterhouse in Ermelo, a slaughterhouse that is part of a headache file for the Gelderland municipality: odor nuisance, haggling over permits and ducks that suffer needlessly during the slaughter process. Animal welfare organizations also monitor duck farms. There too, the natural needs of ducks are not met. Traditionally, there have been duck farms mainly in Gelderland, partly along the Veluwe. What does the ammonia emission from the ducks mean for the province's nitrogen policy?

Glyfosaat, de goedkeuring van gif

E04

Glyfosaat, de goedkeuring van gif

4/14/2024·42m

Many farmers say they cannot do without glyphosate. The pesticide is very effective and therefore the most used weed killer in the world. But how safe is glyphosate? Scientists who examined the pesticide on behalf of the World Health Organization concluded that it is probably carcinogenic to humans. However, its use has recently been permitted again for 10 years by the European and national pesticide authorities. How is it possible that different independent scientists come to a different conclusion than the admission authorities? Zembla is investigating the approval of the poison.

De ATM-route

E05

De ATM-route

5/26/2024·44m

Zembla receives a tip at the end of 2023. In a drug district in Copenhagen where a gang war is raging, an ATM with a Dutch link has been spotted. In Denmark there are concerns that the ATM could be used for money laundering. International investigation services appear to have been warning about this for some time.

Adoptiebedrog, het einde?

E06

Adoptiebedrog, het einde?

6/23/2024·50m

Research into intercountry adoption led to revelations of falsified files, large-scale fraud and even the existence of baby farms. In 2021, researchers indicated in a report that they doubted whether an adoption system without abuses could exist. They therefore recommended temporarily stopping adoptions. Minister Weerwind has now decided to permanently end intercountry adoption in the future. Can adoption still be done safely in the meantime? And what is the situation in Bulgaria, where Roma children are more often removed from their homes and put up for adoption due to deep-rooted discrimination?

De wraak van Trump

E07

De wraak van Trump

9/15/2024·44m

Trump has never made it a secret that he plans to take revenge on his opponents during his possible second term. A complete plan is already ready for the implementation of that presidency: the controversial Project 2025. Australian investigative journalists speak to unique sources around Trump and thus outline what awaits the world if he is re-elected. Insiders talk revealingly about his first term in the White House. Fanatical and influential advocates indicate how they will carry out all of Trump's orders and wishes in the future.

Glyfosaat, de pr-machine van de pesticide-industrie

E08

Glyfosaat, de pr-machine van de pesticide-industrie

9/29/2024·42m

After approval of glyphosate in the pesticide industry in Europe, the controversial weedkiller is being investigated. Scientists' concerns about cancer and Parkinson's disease are discussed. In the United States, chemical giant Bayer is being sued by cancer patients after exposure to glyphosate. Court documents show that the chemical giant continues to keep their profitable products on the market. An American scientist, whose name appears in the European glyphosate dossier, appears to have previously questioned the dangers of diesel smoke and asbestos on behalf of the industry.

De schaduwvloot

E09

De schaduwvloot

10/13/2024·39m

Rusty oil tankers full of Russian oil sail through the North Sea. Their owners and insurance are unclear, even as they transport millions of tons of sanctioned merchandise. Putin's war economy depends on this export, which continues through Dutch waters despite sanctions. Zembla maps this shadow fleet and spends months investigating questionable ship movements. The maritime and ecological risks for the Netherlands and surrounding countries are discussed. Through data research and experts, Zembla follows the oil and money trail and shows how Dutch companies continue to indirectly fill Putin's war chest.

Het cannabisbedrog (1/2): de fraude

E10

Het cannabisbedrog (1/2): de fraude

10/27/2024·42m

From 2020 onwards, large groups of investors will invest in JuicyFields, an online platform that promises high profits on medicinal cannabis. E-growers buy plants from behind their computers and share in the profits after the harvest. The platform attracts a lot of attention with parties and golden sports cars, but in the summer of 2022 panic sets in: JuicyFields disappears and 185,000 investors together lose 645 million euros. In a diptych, Zembla, together with international journalists, investigates how the Netherlands played a prominent role in this large-scale fraud. Where did the loot go and how could the scammers operate undisturbed?

Het cannabisbedrog (2/2): de Russen

E11

Het cannabisbedrog (2/2): de Russen

11/10/2024·42m

Journalists from Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands reveal one of the biggest online frauds: JuicyFields. This platform lured investors with high returns from medicinal cannabis, but disappeared with almost 650 million euros. In part one, Zembla shows how cunning the scam was set up, with a mysterious Dutchman in a leading role. In part two, the international network behind the fraud is exposed. The trail ultimately leads to Russia via a whistleblower within the organization.

De onverzekerden

E12

De onverzekerden

11/24/2024·39m

The Cabinet wants to make significant cuts in care for the uninsured, while the number is increasing. Many uninsured people are migrant workers without work and housing, undocumented migrants, or Dutch people who have become homeless. Who will help them in the event of illness or an accident? Medical care is a basic right, even without insurance. Street doctor Michelle van Tongerloo is committed to providing help to this vulnerable group from the Pauluskerk in Rotterdam. Zembla investigates whether uninsured people receive the care they are entitled to or whether they are denied access to hospitals.

Mijn kind is geen pakketje

E13

Mijn kind is geen pakketje

12/8/2024·39m

Transporting children to special education has been difficult for years. Children are picked up late or not at all, drivers change often and travel times are sometimes very long. A government study shows that 1 in 5 children are late for school as a result. This year things got out of hand in the Utrecht region. Due to procedural errors, there was hardly any transport for months, and an emergency solution with a coach for thirty children caused extra stress. The problem may lie with the tender that turns everything upside down every few years.

Beroepsziekte niet erkend

E14

Beroepsziekte niet erkend

12/22/2024·41m

Every year, around 3,000 people die in the Netherlands due to exposure to hazardous substances at work. Many become ill and have to struggle for years for recognition. Employers are obliged to record exposure data and keep it for 40 years, but this often does not happen. This makes it difficult to link an illness to work. Experts say the protection system is failing. Victims and relatives seek recognition. A new institute should ensure faster compensation, but this will take years. At the same time, calls are being made in The Hague for rules to be relaxed.