Are there too many crime comedies on TV? | EUROtoday
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LWould the police comedy be the brand new (and solely) deadly weapon to combat in opposition to the erosion of audiences, this crime of cathodic lèse-majesté? In any case, it’s the one which the channels at the moment are (ab)utilizing to get viewers again on the correct path… from their antennas. With a sure success, notably for TF1, which is releasing the sequence this Monday, May 6 The recruit, his newest avatar of the style…
The story ? A gruff and principled cop (Thierry Neuvic) unwillingly turns into the mentor of a mischievous younger conman (Ethann Isidore, revealed within the final Indiana Jones) determined to atone for his conduct by becoming a member of the ranks of the police. The inflexible captain is all of the extra reluctant to welcome this whimsical recruit as she reminds him of the unexplained disappearance of his son years earlier. Two rooms, two atmospheres for an clearly explosive collaboration between these two males who’re clearly utterly opposed.
READ ALSO “HPI”: the French sequence, export championNothing new right here below the solar of police comedies, of which this sequence scrupulously respects the specs – investigations accomplished in every episode, a typical thread working via the season and final however not least, a seemingly antagonistic duo -, taking part in with kind of effectiveness (to not point out creativity) the rivalry of the heroes to be able to arouse laughter, which has turn out to be the most effective good friend of the thriller. If it stays comparatively entertaining, the formulation might nonetheless turn out to be boring. Because since 2021, and the large field ofHPImannequin of the style, it’s declined at will, however generally with out nice talent, within the majority of recent fictions.
When HPI makes (many) little ones
The French police comedy didn’t watch for Morgane Alvaro (Audrey Fleurot), her leopard leggings, her necklines and her extravagant IQ to draw the viewer into its internet. Before her, Candice Renoir (2013), Captain Marleau (2015) and even Astrid and Raphaëlle (2019) had labored on France Télévisions and started their mission of infiltration into the hearts of the general public, already received over by The Little Murders of Agatha Christie (2009). But the whimsical redhead completely made him fall in love together with her 11.5 million followers for her first investigations. Unheard of in 20 years and The depend of Monte Cristo : “Obviously, it leaves an impression and it also arouses desires and references,” acknowledges Anne Didier, the creative director of French fiction for the TF1 group. Both amongst broadcasters, but additionally amongst authors and producers…”
READ ALSO Why is the sequence “Astrid and Raphaëlle” such a success on France 2? Cyrielle Mottin, the producer of Miss Holmes, the police comedy just lately broadcast on the entrance web page, doesn’t say the other: “When we see that a series has so many audiences, it questions everyone about the reasons for its success. We would be wrong to deprive ourselves of it”… even when it means exposing ourselves to comparability or providing pale copies: “We receive a lot of proposals, and some may resemble HPI, but in this case, we do not select them. We are looking for different projects, each with their own uniqueness,” assures Anne Didier.
Still! The channels, which dream of reaching the identical heights, logically favor police comedies of their programming. On TF1, eight of the 13 new sequence for the 2023-2014 season can thus boast the style. We will cite specifically Panda, Master Crimes, The Negotiator or Mercato…
The police comedy as a response to the gloom
“It’s a photograph at a given moment,” feedback Anne Didier. We just lately carried out a significant mission to resume our franchises to create new appointments. And amongst these, there are various police comedies arriving on the air immediately,” she admits earlier than stating the range inside this supply: “But that doesn’t forestall the range of the heroes, themes and arenas. Master Crimes facilities on a criminology trainer and her college students with spectacular and mysterious homicide scenes. With The Negotiatorwe’re extra on the coronary heart of the household, within the mild and The recruit explores the intergenerational relationship and transmission within the Basque Country…” To the point that these last two series are broadcast on Mondays instead of Thursdays, a slot usually reserved for thrillers but today a little cluttered by the influx of… police comedies.
READ ALSO “Mercato”: should you watch the new police comedy from TF1? The trend is the same, although less pronounced, on public channels which have offered numerous variations on the same theme in recent years, including Face to face, Grilled chickens, Simon Coleman Or Family flair. It must be said that by combining crime fiction, which has always been popular with the French, and humor, the police comedy has what it takes to seduce viewers hungry for suspense and lightness: “We are here to respond to the aspirations of the Company. However, in a rather gloomy context, the public today has a strong appetite for feel good and therefore the police comedy,” confirms Anne Didier.
Another advantage, according to her, of the genre: its characters, not necessarily from the ranks of the police, with whom the audience can identify: “They have more freedom than a classic cop. This atypical side is both a promise of entertainment but also of projection. Because on a daily basis, they have the same struggles as our viewers. Morgane Alvaro is a bit like the representation of CSPs – these mothers who are struggling to make ends meet. » And continues: “But despite the difficulties, these inspirational heroes get through it, which can inspire the public and build their loyalty. »
The police comedy will still be the star next school year
But by consuming too many detective comedies, could he not border on indigestion… and end up sulking? “The audiences show us that there is no weariness,” says Anne Didier. If she insists on “the range of genres in TF1's providing which makes its richness” with the continued developments and the very completely different sequence which is able to arrive initially of the varsity 12 months (Cat's Eyes, Nothing erases you, tailored from the novel by Michel Bussi, Brocéliande…), it additionally confirms the reign of this register on TF1 throughout subsequent season: “Our new franchises have found their audience. And viewers will find the heroes they appreciated…” After Master Crimes And Panda, Miss Holmes has simply been formally renewed. In quick, we haven't stopped laughing about it…
https://www.lepoint.fr/pop-culture/la-recrue-sur-tf1-y-a-t-il-trop-de-comedies-policieres-a-la-tele-06-05-2024-2559512_2920.php