Dragon Ball Z on Kanaal 2 in Belgium

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

It has been said that the French dub of Dragon Ball aired on Club RTL between 1995 and 1996, but what about after that?

Belgian fans I've spoken to have said that in the early 2000s Dragon Ball Z was broadcast in English on the DPG Media-owned channel Kanaal 2 (now VTM2, although towards the end of the series run it was known as KALAALTWEE).

As with other European countries that showed Dragon Ball Z in English they aired the Saban dub from episodes 1-53, the Funimation inhouse dub from episodes 54-107 and then the Westwood dub for the remainder of the series, but unlike the UK, Ireland, Netherlands and Finland stopped airing the show by the end of the Cell arc.

The show began on December 17 2001. When I asked at what point each arc was broadcast I got the following response:

Akinto6 wrote on January 11, 2023:
Logically it would be Saiyan in 2001, Namek in 2002 and Android/Cell in 2003. But I remember there being repeats so it's possible that the Saiyan and Namek Saga aired back to back and then repeated once more before airing the Android/Cell saga.

The timeskip never happened on Kanaal 2 because I don't remember watching the Buu saga in English. Only remember it in French from Club Dorothée back in the day

Evidently some fans got frustrated by the constant reruns and jumps back to the start of the series:

JelDeRebel wrote on January 11, 2023:
Every time a saga ended, they'd start from the very beginning, get to the new saga, end new saga, go back to beginning, repeat.

I couldn't stand it anymore and quit around the android saga.

As we can see from this forum the series was rerun a lot.

Aerival posted on September 7, 2004:
*Kicks Kanaal2*
GVD, we zaten nog niet es aan de Great Saiyamen saga ><
Voor de Nederlanders wat het niet snappen: Kanaal2 is de zender waarop DBZ komt in België. Toen de Cell saga voorbij was gingen ze terug naar de Saiyan Saga, en bleven ze maar herhalen, herhalen, herhalen, en nog es herhalen...

Which can be translated as:

Aerival posted on September 7, 2004:
*Kicks Kanaal2*
GVD, we weren't at the Great Saiyamen saga yet ><
For the Dutch what don't get it: Kanaal2 is the channel on which DBZ comes in Belgium. When the Cell saga was over, they went back to the Saiyan Saga, and they kept repeating, repeating, repeating, and repeating again...

From a post on Reddit it seems there may have been a brief break at the start of the Cell arc, but then they eventually wrapped it up.

aikhibba wrote on January 11, 2023:

The last episode that I can remember is that gohan transforms in saiyan 2. They never ended that saga and would just repeat the whole cell saga again.

Just reading right now that I guess they did finish it.

Dragon Ball Z was broadcast on the Cake programming block alongside Digimon, Flemish comedies like Family Backeljau, American sitcoms like That 70s Show and later Gundam Wing.

The latest Dragon Ball Z was shown seems to have been September 2004, as we can see from these quoted listings:

SuperVegetto posted on September 8th, 2004:
Volgens hun site zenden ze het nog wel uit, hier is het schema:

I CELL GAMES SAGA: THE UNSTOPPABLE GOHAN : vr 10 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: AWAKENING/THE UNLEASHING : do 9 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: A HERO'S FAREWELL : di 14 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: CELL'S BREAK DOWN : ma 13 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: SAVE THE WORLD : vr 17 september om 07.10

https://www.kanaaltwee.be/TV-GIDS/serie ... m?serie=31

SuperVegetto posted on September 8th, 2004:
According to their site they will still broadcast it, here is the schedule:

I CELL GAMES SAGA: THE UNSTOPPABLE GOHAN : vr 10 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: AWAKENING/THE UNLEASHING : do 9 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: A HERO'S FAREWELL : di 14 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: CELL'S BREAK DOWN : ma 13 september om 07.10
I CELL GAMES SAGA: SAVE THE WORLD : vr 17 september om 07.10

https://www.kanaaltwee.be/TV-GIDS/serie ... m?serie=31

Fans at the time were frustrated that the series didn't continue past the Cell Games, and contacted KANAALTWEE but they were told the following:

Dag DragonballZ-fan,

Bedankt voor je mailtje en je interesse voor KANAALTWEE.

We beschikken nog niet over de uitzendrechten van de nieuwe afleveringen. Van zodra dit geweten is, zal je dit tijdig kunnen vernemen via de gebruikelijke kanalen: het scherm, tv-gidsen, text,...

And in English:

Hello DragonballZ fan,

Thank you for your email and your interest in KANAALTWEE.

We do not yet have the broadcasting rights for the new episodes. As soon as this is known, you will be able to find out in good time through the usual channels: the screen, TV guides, text,...

Did anyone grow up with these broadcasts? Would love to hear your stories. Did they use the same Dutch subtitles as the Netherlands?

[Mister_Popo]

In the 1980s, Dragon Ball was broadcast on the French channel TF1 as part of a children's program called Club Dorothée, which also featured other anime like Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, City Hunter and Ronin Warriors. It was one of the first programs to introduce anime to Europe. The series was aired in its entirety, from the beginning of the original Dragon Ball up to the Buu Saga. A portion of the DB/DBZ movies were also shown. Dragon Ball GT was never aired on TF1. Dragon Ball may have also been aired on Club RTL in the 1990s, but I personally don't remember it.

In 2001, Dragon Ball Z was broadcast for the first time on Belgian television (Kanaal 2). However, it never progressed beyond the middle of the Freeza Saga. I believe the broadcast stopped before Goku transformed into Super Saiyan 1 (around the time the Spirit Bomb fell on Freeza), possibly due to changes in broadcasting rights. The Cell and Buu Sagas were never aired on Belgian TV. As others have mentioned, there were reruns that always restarted at the Saiyan Saga but once again stopped in the middle of the Freeza Saga. I do believe it was shown in Japanese with Dutch subtitles, not the English dubbed version, which I actually thought was quite authentic at the time, given that it was shown in its original language.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Dragon Ball may have also been aired on Club RTL in the 1990s, but I personally don't remember it.

I heard that too. Apparently it was the mid-90s.

In Belgium, the first broadcast took place on Club RTL from 1995 to 1996.

I do believe it was shown in Japanese with Dutch subtitles, not the English dubbed version, which I actually thought was quite authentic at the time, given that it was shown in its original language.

Oh wow Kanaal 2 aired the Japanese version?

I know a regular on the Toonzone forums said on at least two occasions they aired the Ocean dub:

Red Arrow wrote on June 27, 2017:

"We got the first 150 episodes of Dragon Ball Z on CN NL with the Ocean dub XD It was HUGE. It made Cartoon Network the most popular kids channel (I think?) in the Netherlands in 2000 and 2001. It was an insane mistake to give us the pan-European feed. The ratings dropped and most Dutch analog providers ditched the channel.

DBZ immediately moved to Yorin in the Netherlands and Kanaal 2 in Flanders. They also aired the Ocean dub."

Red Arrow wrote on June 24, 2016:

"I don't know about the UK, but the Netherlands and Flanders got the Ocean dub. Here is proof.
The Netherlands got DBZ on Yorin and Cartoon Network, we got it on Kanaal 2 and Cartoon Network."

On a side note I messaged this person to ask if they received "the later Ocean dub" (which we know here as the "Westwood dub") and he said they did get it, which was interesting as it's been well documented that dub aired in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands and Canada but less is known about other countries it was shown in (Finland being another example).

[sangofe]

In the 1980s, Dragon Ball was broadcast on the French channel TF1 as part of a children's program called Club Dorothée, which also featured other anime like Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, City Hunter and Ronin Warriors. It was one of the first programs to introduce anime to Europe. The series was aired in its entirety, from the beginning of the original Dragon Ball up to the Buu Saga. A portion of the DB/DBZ movies were also shown. Dragon Ball GT was never aired on TF1. Dragon Ball may have also been aired on Club RTL in the 1990s, but I personally don't remember it.

In 2001, Dragon Ball Z was broadcast for the first time on Belgian television (Kanaal 2). However, it never progressed beyond the middle of the Freeza Saga. I believe the broadcast stopped before Goku transformed into Super Saiyan 1 (around the time the Spirit Bomb fell on Freeza), possibly due to changes in broadcasting rights. The Cell and Buu Sagas were never aired on Belgian TV. As others have mentioned, there were reruns that always restarted at the Saiyan Saga but once again stopped in the middle of the Freeza Saga. I do believe it was shown in Japanese with Dutch subtitles, not the English dubbed version, which I actually thought was quite authentic at the time, given that it was shown in its original language.

You're a bit wrong. TF1 didn't air all of DBZ - they stopped in fight with Vegetto for some reason. I remember buying VHS' to get the complete story.

[Mister_Popo]

In the 1980s, Dragon Ball was broadcast on the French channel TF1 as part of a children's program called Club Dorothée, which also featured other anime like Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, City Hunter and Ronin Warriors. It was one of the first programs to introduce anime to Europe. The series was aired in its entirety, from the beginning of the original Dragon Ball up to the Buu Saga. A portion of the DB/DBZ movies were also shown. Dragon Ball GT was never aired on TF1. Dragon Ball may have also been aired on Club RTL in the 1990s, but I personally don't remember it.

In 2001, Dragon Ball Z was broadcast for the first time on Belgian television (Kanaal 2). However, it never progressed beyond the middle of the Freeza Saga. I believe the broadcast stopped before Goku transformed into Super Saiyan 1 (around the time the Spirit Bomb fell on Freeza), possibly due to changes in broadcasting rights. The Cell and Buu Sagas were never aired on Belgian TV. As others have mentioned, there were reruns that always restarted at the Saiyan Saga but once again stopped in the middle of the Freeza Saga. I do believe it was shown in Japanese with Dutch subtitles, not the English dubbed version, which I actually thought was quite authentic at the time, given that it was shown in its original language.

You're a bit wrong. TF1 didn't air all of DBZ - they stopped in fight with Vegetto for some reason. I remember buying VHS' to get the complete story.

I myself watched a large part of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z as a child, but not all the episodes. I clearly remember that they aired parts of the Majin Buu saga. It's 30 years ago, i don't remember if it watched it till the very last episode. It was only when I got the complete series on DVD that I was finally able to watch it in full.

[sangofe]

In the 1980s, Dragon Ball was broadcast on the French channel TF1 as part of a children's program called Club Dorothée, which also featured other anime like Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, City Hunter and Ronin Warriors. It was one of the first programs to introduce anime to Europe. The series was aired in its entirety, from the beginning of the original Dragon Ball up to the Buu Saga. A portion of the DB/DBZ movies were also shown. Dragon Ball GT was never aired on TF1. Dragon Ball may have also been aired on Club RTL in the 1990s, but I personally don't remember it.

In 2001, Dragon Ball Z was broadcast for the first time on Belgian television (Kanaal 2). However, it never progressed beyond the middle of the Freeza Saga. I believe the broadcast stopped before Goku transformed into Super Saiyan 1 (around the time the Spirit Bomb fell on Freeza), possibly due to changes in broadcasting rights. The Cell and Buu Sagas were never aired on Belgian TV. As others have mentioned, there were reruns that always restarted at the Saiyan Saga but once again stopped in the middle of the Freeza Saga. I do believe it was shown in Japanese with Dutch subtitles, not the English dubbed version, which I actually thought was quite authentic at the time, given that it was shown in its original language.

You're a bit wrong. TF1 didn't air all of DBZ - they stopped in fight with Vegetto for some reason. I remember buying VHS' to get the complete story.

I myself watched a large part of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z as a child, but not all the episodes. I clearly remember that they aired parts of the Majin Buu saga. It's 30 years ago, i don't remember if it watched it till the very last episode. It was only when I got the complete series on DVD that I was finally able to watch it in full.

Then we agree except they released on VHS first.