Do you sometimes feel like watching non-American television? If you do, we would like to draw your attention to the nine popular modern series that French viewers become addicted to.
Braquo
Creator: Olivier Marchal
Major part of the crime fan communities compares Braquo to David Simon’s The Wire. I think it is closer to The SHIELD, but still the three share the same message: “Criminals have changed, so has the police”. The French series depict the lives of four police officers: Eddie Caplan, Walter Morlighem, Roxane Delgado and Theo Wachevski who hardly ever hesitate breaking the law to serve their own justice. Things become hard for the four of them after their team leader Max is unfairly accused of police brutality. Sadly, Max commits suicide. Deeply affected by the death of their boss and friend, Eddie, Walter, Theo and Roxanne decide to do everything they can to clean his name, no matter what. Braquo is a gritty French police drama. The episodes portray terrifying and vicious picture of modern-day France. If you have a thing for antihero types, you will totally love the main characters.
The Returned
Creator: Fabrice Gobert
Set in a small mountain village where people live peacefully, the series describe an unforeseen arrival of a group of dead villagers. They are ghosts in human form willing to return to their families, not knowing that they have risen from the dead. As the local people begin to accept the re-appearance of the undead, inexplicable events start to happen in the town. The unusual homecoming seems to have unleashed supernatural forces that bring about murders and death. The Returned (original title Les Revenants) is included in many Best-TV-series lists and it is strongly recommendable for those who adore the sci-fi horror genre.
Falco
Creators: Clothilde Jamin, Robert Dannenberg, and Stefan Scheich
Image source: Guillaume Bounaud
Falco is a hit crime drama that has won a tremendous success in his home country. The script is based on the German format “The Last Cop”. It stuns with thrilling moments, eye-catching action scenes, brilliant acting and verstile storyline. The series tell the story of detective Alexandre Falco. In 1991 he is a happily married man with a dream job who welcomes a baby daughter. His happiness falls appart when one day he is shot in the head during a field operation. He falls into coma only to wake up 22 years later and find the world has become a whole diffrenet place.
No limit
Creator: Luc Besson
No Limit is for the fans of action-adventure-spy fiction with light humor. The show follows the fast-paced life of Vincent Liberati who works as a spy for a secret organization called HYDRA. He performs various missions such as fighting organized crime on the French Riviera, saving people's lives. In exchange for the dangerous jobs he does, HYDRA provides him with a special treatment for a brain tumor. In the meantime, Vincent tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter and ex-wife who he is still in love with.
Spiral
Creators: Alexandra Clert, Guy-Patrick Sainderichin
Spiral (original title Engrenages) is another brilliant cop thriller series aired on Canal+ and BBC. It paints a remarkably realistic picture of the French justice system. Spiral describes numerous stories, which get darker and more complex with each episode. Fans of suspense would be pleased to watch extremely tense moments that will keep then on the edge of their seats. Each episode follows a police investigation related to a brutal murder. There are scenes that some viewers might find hard to swallow, so be prepared if you are willing to watch it. Furthermore, there is a special case of pedophilia mentioned in the first season. The principal characters, played by Caroline Proust, Audrey Fleurot and Philippe Duclos are gripping, genuine and down-to-earth.
Kaamelott
Creator: Alexandre Astier
Looking for a funny adventure fantasy foreign TV show? Then you shouldn't miss Alexandre Astier's Kaamelott. And no, this has nothing to do with 2011’s American TV drama Camelot staring Eva Green and Joseph Fiennes. Kaamelott series tell the story of King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail. Conversely to other series and movies about King Arthur, you won’t find anything serious about this one. The adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are depicted in a pleasurable and hilarious way. So far, six seasons have been released and each of them consists of a hundred episodes. Don't worry, if you don't have much time to watch them all. You can miss an episode or two and still understand the events.
Profilage
Creators: Fanny Robert and Sophie Lebarbier
Another crime French show that is worth your time. The plot revolves around the character of a criminologist Chloé Saint-Laurent. Her expertise and unusual methods help the Paris police solve complex violent crimes. Basically, the show follows standard line of police cases being solved the French way. Expectantly, there is the usual personal element knitted in the plot where each member of the police unit gradually reveals moments of his private life outside the police station which makes the characters more likeable and add certain charm to the show.
Les hommes de l’ombre
Creators: Emmanuel Daucé, Charline de Lépine, Dan Franck, Frédéric Tellier
The series start with the attempt of assassination on the French president who eventually dies after the attack. His death sets in motion new campaigns and high-level political intrigues. One of a sudden everyone becomes greedy and power-hungry. If you enjoy political TV dramas, you should watch this series. It offers versatile plot and true-to-life characters. Furthermore, the events described seem strikingly authentic and likely to happen in not very distant future.
Un Village Francais
Creators: Frédéric Krivine, Philippe Triboit and Emmanuel Daucé
The show is a good match for the fans of the history war genre. Some compare it to Band of Brothers. However, given the style and the accurate display of historic events, it reminds more of the German WWII mini-series Generation War (original title Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter). It brings no surprise the fact that the show is suggested an admirable addition to the TV war drama genre.
Most French TV series are not available abroad. However, there are other ways so people can watch them regardless of their location. You can find Braquo on Netflix. To watch Kaamelott you can check on YouTube. Most of the episodes are available there. Also, you may subscribe to various French TV channels. Sometimes they allow viewers to watch series for free after they have already been broadcasted on TV. The Returned is available on the Sundance channel.
Lastly, if you strongly desire to watch a certain French series, you can buy them on DVD from Amazon. Just make sure that English subtitles are included in the pack.
