ABOUT

Concept:
Straten van Toen (Streets of the Past) is a 10-episode short-form history series commissioned by Hearst Networks for The History Channel (Benelux). The series follows Dutch historical investigator, author and television presenter Corjan Mol as he explores some of the Netherlands' most famous streets, squares and canal sides — uncovering the extraordinary stories hidden beneath modern-day life.
The insight driving the series: history isn't remote or abstract. It's literally under our feet. Every street in Amsterdam and Utrecht has a story to tell — from Roman outposts and Golden Age fortunes to wartime resistance and the birth of capitalism. The creative challenge was to make those stories visceral and immediate, transporting audiences from the street as it is today to the street as it once was.

Execution:
Particle6 produced the series through its AI-powered pipeline, marking the company's first series where AI was deployed significantly on screen. In each episode, Corjan Mol begins on location in the present-day street. As the historical story unfolds, AI transports him back in time to join the action in immersive reconstructions of each location.
Accuracy was central to the production approach. Historical scenes were grounded in archival materials — paintings, engravings and photographs — with both real historical figures and imagined characters used to convey key facts through authentic storytelling. The AI served the history, not the other way around.
Hearst committed from the outset to full transparency with audiences, clearly signalling within each episode when they are watching AI-generated content.

Results:
Straten van Toen aired on The HISTORY Channel (Benelux) and on YouTube in early 2026, completing its run as Particle6's first series with AI deployed on screen — and one of the first of its kind commissioned by a major broadcast network.
Hearst's decision to commission the series was explicitly tied to Particle6's ethical and transparent approach to AI production. In the words of Hearst's Head of Short Form Commissioning, the series "promises to immerse our audience in historical scenes and stories at the heart of history." The broadcaster has stated its intention to continue exploring AI's potential with Particle6, signalling that the series has strengthened rather than concluded that relationship.