Jes Van Gaever — Creator, Executive Producer
Jes Van Gaever is a Belgian television producer, format creator, showrunner and entrepreneur. She is co-founder and owner of De Filistijnen, the production company she established in 2004 together with Bruno Wyndaele.
For more than two decades, Jes has worked across format creation, editorial development, production, casting and international development, building a broad track record in Belgian television and beyond. Her work includes some of Belgium’s most successful long-running entertainment formats, as well as original formats, scripted projects and international format development.
Jes co-created and produced Best Friends (Beste Vrienden), Bounty Hunters (De Premiejagers) and Eternal Glory (Eeuwige Roem), three long-running successes in Belgian television.
Best Friends was one of the major television successes of its time, running for ten years. Jes served as editor-in-chief and producer, overseeing its editorial development, casting and production. She travelled to more than 50 locations to follow contestants and build the stories at the heart of the programme. The format became a major audience success in Belgium and was subsequently adapted in the Netherlands.
Bounty Hunters ran for seven years and became another major success on Eén, regularly achieving market shares of more than 50%. Jes was closely involved in the format’s casting and production, helping shape the programme and its distinctive mix of competition, humour and human stories.
Eternal Glory subsequently developed into an international format success, with adaptations across Europe including Germany, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland and Poland. Jes continues to be closely involved in its international creative development, working with local producers to guide the format’s evolution while safeguarding its original vision and emotional core.
Jes was also a co-founder of Primitives, the international format distribution company established by De Filistijnen, De Mensen and Woestijnvis. She played an active role in building its commercial activities through international industry relationships, sales strategy and format pitches, gaining extensive experience in taking formats from creative development into international markets and understanding the commercial side of format creation and distribution.
Jes created and produced The Stronger Sex (Het Sterke Geslacht), an entertainment format exploring gender dynamics through physical and mental challenges. The format was subsequently adapted by TV 2 Norway.
In 2010, Jes developed The Monday Show (De Maandagshow) for commercial broadcaster VTM. She co-created the format and served as editor-in-chief, identifying stories, developing talent and shaping the programme’s editorial direction. Her work included discovering and developing on-screen talent and turning the daily flow of material into a distinctive and successful television format.
More recently, Jes was responsible for the casting of the Belgian version of The Floor, selecting 100 contestants for the first Belgian season.
Her wider television credits include creative contributions to The Smartest Person in the World (De Slimste Mens ter Wereld), The Latest Show (De Laatste Show) and Summer Vibes (Het Zomert Met).
Alongside unscripted television, Jes has developed original scripted projects, including the VAF-supported drama Lena, which she co-wrote, and Flight to Vladivostok (Vlucht naar Vladivostok). She has also created, hosted and produced radio programmes for FM Brussels, 4FM and Radio 1.
She is currently editing Two Girls (Twee Meisjes), a documentary podcast exploring the emotional aftermath of a tragic accident that claimed the life of her childhood best friend.
Jes combines creative development, editorial judgement, hands-on production, talent development and international business experience. Her career spans successful entertainment formats, international development, scripted storytelling and documentary audio.
