French TV show recommendations :
L' Art du Crime (2017- en production) :
-> A policeman teams up with an art expert to investigate art related crimes.
Each episode is about a specific artist. The policeman knows nothing about art and the art expert (who works in the Louvre) often imagines herself having conversation with famous (dead) artists.
One of my favorite shows ! If you like dark/light academia you might like this show !
✅ : Art History, casual everyday French, ART HISTORY !
(Bonus point : The main actor)
❌ : The episodes are very long !
Fais pas ci, fais pas ça (2007-2020)
-> If you want to have a good idea of what French everyday life is like, this is the TV show for you ! The show follows the lives of two completely different French families.
The show started like Modern Family with the characters speaking to the camera before becoming a more "regular" show.
✅: Casual everyday French, really good insight on French culture, really funny, you see all the characters grow and evolve, the theme song is fantastic. (You also get to see the evolution of France between 2007 and 2020 which is interesting)
❌ : Nothing extraordinary is really happening, you get an idea of French life, so it might be a bit boring.
Kaamelott (2005) :
-> "Based on the Arthurian legends, it followed the daily lives of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table in Camelot."
This is a comedic show, I feel like French people either HATE or ADORE this show, there is no in between.
One of my favorite shows !
✅ : Hilarious + knowing this show will make you sound extremely cultured to French people.
❌ : Not only do you need a good French level for this one (a lot of Knight related vocabulary I guess) but also some ...French humor ? I don't know if foreigners might like this one ...
Bref. (2011) :
-> Web-serie, the episodes are super short. During each episode the narrator, a Parisian guy tells you about specific events in his life.
The way it's shot is really interesting.
✅ : Casual French + slang, very short episodes
❌ : The main character is, in my opinion, kind of annoying
Le Visiteur du Futur (2009) :
-> A man coming from the Futur, trying to save the world from terrible things, classic right ? Well, his way of saving the world involves stuff like "stopping Clément from buying a sandwich at the bakery because he's going to fall in love with the Baker's daughter, and live a happy life and have a child BUT the child is going to join a far right extremist movement and become the new face of the neonazi movement and cause WW3 and..."
This show was first made with the lowest quality imaginable, the makeup is NASTY, but the plot...the plot is fantastic.
✅ : Casual French + slang , you get to see the quality of the show increase
❌: The quality of the set is questionnable in the beginning and the humour is a bit ..."pipi caca" as we say in French.
Very Bad Blagues (2011) :
-> Web-serie, sketches and parodies of French shows, (or French people)
✅ : Some episodes are hilarious, (some are maybe a bit cringy)
❌: Some parodies might be a bit hard to get for foreigners as you might not know the original shows or characters.
Bloqués (2015) :
-> Web-serie, super short episodes. Two friends and a couch, each episode is about a different subject like "Si j'étais riche" (If I was rich)
✅ : Casual French + a lot of slang
❌: They make a lot of references to popular French culture -
But on the bright side, if you look up every cultural references that they make you might be able to get a Master in French popular culture
(I personnaly get only a third of their references).
L'Effondrement (2019) :
-> During each episode you get to see a family or group of people trying to survive after the collapse of the society. No electricity, little to no petrol, shortage of food...
✅ : Casual French + Really interesting !
❌: A bit "anxiogène" as we say in French (anxiety-provoking) because ...well... it could happenned exactly as it's portrayed in the show.
La Flamme (2020) :
-> a parody of the Bachelor
✅ : Casual French + slang , the main character is played by Jonathan Cohen who is hilarous
❌: Warning : French humour
Family Business (2019) :
-> "The plot revolves around a failed entrepreneur, Joseph, who finds out that cannabis is about to be legalized in France. He consequently decides to change the family kosher butcher shop into the first marijuana coffeeshop in France"
✅ : Casual French + a lot of slang , extremely funny , Jonathan Cohen again
❌: Warning : French humour
BONUS : La Demoiselle d'Avignon (1972)
-> Koba, from Kurland meets, François Fonsalette, a French diplomat. They fall in love in France but Koba has to go back to her country. Missing Koba, François manages to get a job as ambassador in Kurland and Koba, missing François, manages to find a job as an AuPair in France...
✅ : Formal French ( French from the 70 sounds sooooo nice), really cute story + you get to see France in the 70s
❌: Nobody speaks French like this anymore, (unfortunately)
(Some of thoses shows are on Youtube in France, but I don't know if the videos are visible outside the country) (feel free to ask me for links)
origamiaround
gracieabrams
prguitarman
dailybridgerton
turnnoffyourmind
romaincrisis
titsay
