The story of Dirty Lines starts in 1987’s Amsterdam, at a time when Dutch society was changing rapidly. Psychology student Marly Salomon takes on a side job working for a brand new firm: Teledutch – a company started by two brothers, Frank and Ramon Stigter, who established Europe’s first erotic telephone lines. Frank and Ramon become rich overnight and Marly finds herself immersed in this wild and rapid transformation. The final years of the Cold War sparked a sense of hope and inspired a new generation to celebrate life to its fullest. Amsterdam became the center of that cultural revolution with a radically new form of music: house and a new love drug: XTC. The erotic phone lines offer the opportunity to experience anonymous sex in a new way, changing the morality of its consumers, but also very much the people creating it.

Hartenstraat is set in the Nine Streets district of Amsterdam. It is a village in a big town and everyone seems to be looking for love. As the womanizer Bas, seniors Bep and Aart and the couple Rein and Jacob. The only one who is not looking for love is Daan. He lives here with his daughter Saar in Hartenstraat, where he has his own business as a caterer. Then Katje appears in his life. The pretty fashion designer opens a fashion boutique next door to Daan. When her catering unexpectedly cancels just before opening her shop Katje must appeal to Daan. That is asking for trouble since the two opposite each other in everything. Yet Katje also secretly has an eye on her neighbor, especially now that her current relationship with Thomas is not going strong.