The production standards are sky high - and the cast remarkable. How many coursework projects can boast an appearance by an actor of the reputation of Senne Rouffaer? Or a star turn by Bert Struys, the very man who had made so many of those youth-series that had proven so inspirational? Rouffaer reprised his role as Captain Zeppos in a cameo sequence in the video, where he speaks on the telephone to his old friend, Ben Kurrel. Struys' role was, however, more central to the story - as 'Opa' (grandfather), the old man who is abducted and interrogated by the art thieves. There is also a lovely touch in the script, where he is mentioned in dialogue as a fictitious Flemish painter - "Struys, the well-known Flemish avant-garde painter". Kurrel & Co. proved to be one of the last professional engagements for Bert Struys, who sadly died in 2000 aged 80. He simply shines in the role and Kurrel & Co. is undoubtedly a tribute to him as much as it is to Kapitain Zeppos. A fitting epitaph.

The other nods to the heritage of Kapitein Zeppos are the extensive use of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek windmill as the Mill Cottage (now the home of Dr. Ben Kurrel, his niece Annemie and Jeroen, a young criminology student, since Zeppos' departure for Crete), the return of Zeppos' famed Amphicar and the use of Bert Kaempfert's Living It Up, equally well-known as the Kapitein Zeppos theme tune. Fans of the series in Belgium were no doubt as delighted as I was to see and hear these inclusions, which were delightful, authentic flourishes on the canvas of this affectionate revival.

That's the past dealt with, so what about the new elements? For a start, the central cast of Steph Baeyens (Ben Kurrel), Mathias Sercu (Jeroen Winters) and Tine Reymer (Annemie Mees) are excellent. I imagine the role of Ben was recast to allow for a younger actor than Raymond Bossaerts (the original Ben), who was 61 at the time. Steph Baeyens does a splendid job and within minutes of being introduced to him, the viewer can easily accept this new Ben. He is perhaps harder-edged than Bossaerts' portrayal, but this is an older Ben, one who has changed subtly with the years. In a way, it has a nice logic to it. Captain Zeppos has gone away and now Ben assumes his role in the story.

Those looking for the modern equivalent of the youthful enthusiasm and bravado of the Sixties' Ben Kurrel need look no further than Jeroen Winters, the young criminology student, played by the excellent Mathias Sercu. Although Jeroen is clearly Number 2 in the pecking order at the Mill Cottage, learning - often the hard way - from the master about all manner of sporting and investigative disciplines, Sercu makes the part his own and is as much the star of Kurrel & Co. as Ben Kurrel himself. Tine Reymer, as Ben's niece Annemie, is both convincing and engaging. Despite the short screen time she is given, Reymer's confident performance makes her character memorable.The three new leads are all exceptionally well cast and would easily have been capable of carrying a full series of Kurrel & Co.. The remainder of the programme's cast are equally effective.

Possibly the biggest difference between this and the original Kapitein Zeppos series is that this production was made on videotape rather than on film. This is initially a little off-putting - it all seems a little too immediate compared to the original - but the direction and camerawork is so slick that it is quickly put to the back of the viewer's mind as they sit back and enjoy the ride.