French tv series

[Ilovejacketpotatoes]

I am looking for recommendations for french tv series as trying to improve my french. Less keen on dubbed but if you know any that are done well do say. I am gutted that Call My Agent is bo longer on netflix as hadn't finished it . I have usual netflix/ i player etc

"Don't call me Big Nose!" We watched that at school for French GCSE!

God, I feel old.

Sorry, I went around saying it in a French accent for ages. I do have a slightly large hooter.

I enjoyed the Furies (Netflix) as an easy watch. Also, not a series but if you can find Jeux d'Enfants (Love Me If You Dare english title) it's one of my favourite films ever. Young Marion Cotillard from 2003.

L’agency on Netflix, reality family run estate agency. Less drama and bitchy than selling sunset etc.

I propose the following: I don't think they have been named yet:

On Prime: Maigret (the one with Depardieu), LOL: qui rit, sort!, Eiffel, Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (super cheesy comedy).
ITVX: the Line.
Channel 4: Bellefond, I killed my husband, What Pauline is not telling you, Visions, All this I will give to you, The Wagner Method,
Netflix: Family Pack, Nothing to Hide, Stuck Together, Asterix & Obelix the middle kingdom, I am not an easy man, Bad Seeds, Under a dark sun, Vortex, The 7 lives of Lea, The Forest, Woman at war, Notre Dame, The perfect mother.
If you have access I would recommend all the 'the little murders of Agatha Christie' and Zone Blanche. Of the ones mentioned: one that was amazing but went under the radar: The Mantis. It was sooo good.

The Mantis is now on Channel 4 streaming. Walter Presents picked it up as they have done with a few titles that have left Netflix.

I enjoyed The Mantis but it was fairly silly in some ways.

Films:
Un Petit Truc en Plus
Aurore
Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan
Les Petites Victoires
La Boum!

If you’re enjoying Astrid I’m sure you’ll enjoy Lupin too.

I’m a sucker for European drama. These are mostly crime and thriller with the odd crime themed comedy. Most have been on BBC4 or Walter Presents but they move around services so its worth rechecking the catalogues from time to time:

Spiral
Lupin
Les Petit Meutres d'Agatha Christie
Astrid and Raphaelle
Paris Police 1905 & 1910
Balthazar
Sambre
The Bureau
Braquo
Revenants

As PP say, try Walter Presents and iPlayer then when you have used up what is there try a StudioCanal trial membership.

I also remember a long running soapy drama in French called “the Village” or similar which has been on and off iPlayer.

If you want to try a different language, the Montalbano series *(classic and "Young") were pretty good. Also the Inspector Luca series set in wartime Italy.

Originally shown on BBC - no idea where you can get them now.

I love Montalbano (with and without hair) but not seen Inspector Luca - thank you.

I originally started watching Euro dramas to help retain my dubious language skills and found the points of difference just added interest even to ordinary crime dramas or thrillers. Crimes set in industrial estates in the arse end of Finland or Spain are just somehow more exotic than their counterparts in the UK 😀

It's fun comparing the subtitles and the actual language !

I’m mostly not good enough at the language but sometimes I do pick up oddities in French or German and I agree it can be a lot of fun.

Since the advent of multi language broadcasts (thanks Netflix!) I’ve also found whilst dubbing is still bad, the accent/style of the voice can be quite a useful shorthand to the character. I think I first found this with an episode of Borgen which change my understanding of a couple of characters. I’ll never prefer dubbed to subs but I now watch a little of each new character in the dubbed version.

I appreciate the non US “furrin” content on terrestrial but the advent of streaming has really increased available content.

Definitely agree that dubbing changes things. The way words are spoken can definitely affect their interpretation and even if I don’t understand them, hearing the emotion and inflection helps you to understand what’s going on. I just find dubbing makes a drama feel quite flat.

When "Narcos" was airing, there was quite a lively debate on the various accents in the Spanish sections.

Apparently the actor playing Pablo had completely the wrong accent which spoiled it for some South American viewers.

"Cor blimey, Mary Poppins" springs to mind.

I think Braquo is possibly the best series I've ever watched. Absolutely brilliant.

It is one of the most wonderful series ever but some of the French might be difficult to understand. The Judge speaks very clearly though and probably other people in court scenes.

I enjoyed Mixte but I don't know if it's still available anywhere (about a small-time school going co-ed in the early 60s - a tiny bit soapy).

It’s true that the subtitles don’t seem always to reflect what’s actually being said - but it could be (I’ve always presumed!) that the actual language/words being used are much more reflective of the way French is spoken these days.

Dark Hearts on BBC 4

in French with English subtitles that you can probably switch off.

Another shout out for The Line on ITVx which has been renamed from Un Village Francais. Starts in the Jura from 1940 during the Nazi occupation and its aftermath.
Brilliant! And seven series! I did French A-level many decades ago so I really enjoyed the language aspect as well as the drama.

the accent/style of the voice can be quite a useful shorthand to the character. I think I first found this with an episode of Borgen which change my understanding of a couple of characters.
Do you mean the dubbed voice can be a useful shorthand to the character? Surely the actual actor's voice, even if you don't understand the language, is better shorthand – after all, they're acting and embodying the character.

Personally I can't bear watching dubbed things; it creates a distance and an artificiality that makes it hard to suspend disbelief.

Lupin is great but I wouldn't recommend it as a language training exercise. It's full of slang and they talk SO fast! I could barely understand a word, whereas with Call My Agent I could almost watch without subtitles.

Enjoying this thread, it's given me lots of ideas for things to watch.

A French film I enjoyed a few years ago was Petite Maman - now on channel 4 catch up