MADEMOISELLE HOLMES - SEASON 1, EPISODES 5 & 6: - 20 DEGRÉS & LE DERNIER PROBLÈME (TF1)

[Favourite of the Month][Spoiler-free review] After HPI and Panda, French private channel TF1 adds another jewel to its thursday night crime/mystery drama line-up with Mademoiselle Holmes. This 6 x 52-minute series was created by Victoria Spennato (Face à Face) and Laëtitia Kügler with Laure Mentzel and Mélusine Laura Raynaud.

 

Mademoiselle Holmes is loosely based on the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, from the stories written by author Arthur Conan Doyle (totally in the public domain since 2023).

The bottom line: HPI meets Elementary.

Episodes 3 and 4: https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/04/mademoiselle-holmes-season-1-episodes-3.html
Episodes 1 and 2: https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/04/mademoiselle-holmes-season-1-episodes-1.html

Mademoiselle Holmes stars Lola Dewaere (Astrid et Raphaëlle, Crimes à...) as Charlie Holmes, a discrete and unassuming young woman who's none other than the great granddaughter of the famous Sherlock Holmes. She lives in an old manor in Loire-Atlantique with her grandfather Georges, plays the violin, gets around by bike and works for the police in the  squad of Commissaire Florence Billon. When Charlie Holmes is hit by a car, her personality changes completely and her extraordinary intelligence is unleashed. Assisted by the sympathetic Dr. Samy Vatel,  a trainee in forensic medicine and a fan of Sherlock Holmes, the unpredictable Mademoiselle Holmes investigates in Nantes and its region. Much to the irritation of macho cop Commandant Chris Hervieu.

In the shadows loom Charlie's own weaknesses, family secrets and the descendants of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis Professor Moriarty. Comedian, actor and TV personality Tom Villa (Munch) co-stars as Samy. French national treasure Daniel Prévost is the quiet but mysterious Georges Holmes. Commandant Hervieu, the "Inspector Lestrade" of Charlie Holmes, is played by Thomas Jouannet (Sophie Cross). Alika Del Sol (Simon Coleman) plays Commissaire Billon. Also starring Armelle Abibou (Jess), Oscar Berthe (Loïc), Valentin du Peuty (Simon), Éric Naggar (Dr. Alfred Camus), etc. In - 20 degrés, Mademoiselle Holmes is called to the shop of an artisan ice-cream maker. A young Korean woman who worked there was found dead in a deep freezer.

Samy tries to have a conversation with Charlie about what happened in London. This rather spectacular episode was written by Chloé Devicq, Simon Rocheman, Laure Mentzel, Mélusine Laura Raynaud, Louise Collaray and Léonor Varone. Charlie Holmes has now a rank, she's a captain. Guest starring Chloé Guillot (Angèle Yvrard), Stéphane Brel (Vincent Yvrard), Caroline Ferrus (Eléna Yvrard), Ji Su Jeong (Ji Young Park), Mounir Kateb (Sofiane Tomal), etc. The amazing season finale of Mademoiselle Holmes is called Le dernier problème, which is of course a reference to the short story The Final Problem (Le dernier problème in French) by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Le dernier problème was penned by Chloé Glachant and Sven Jacquet. Someone tried to kill Georges Holmes and all the clues lead to... Charlie. Captain Charlie Holmes and Dr. Samy Vatel race against time and their colleagues to find the true culprit while officially working on a case of parcel thefts. They learn who drove the car that hit Charlie (see Episode 1) and Mademoiselle Holmes has another meeting with April Moriarty. Roxane Mesquida returns as April. Grégoire Champion (Demain nous appartient) guest stars as Léo Perret. Also with Évelyne Poiraud (Léo's mother), Erwan Maillot (Boss of the parcel delivery company), Christophe Hamon (Mr. Brocat), Jean-Pierre Morice (President of the hunting association), etc.

Produced by Marysol (Newen Group) with TF1 and RTL tvi. Filmed between March and June 2023 with the support of Région des Pays de la Loire and the help of the Bureau d'accueil des tournages des Pays de la Loire. Cyrielle Mottin and Paloma Martin y Prada are the producers. Music  by François Liétout (Les Combattantes). Cinematography by Christophe Legal. Editing by Bertrand Maillard and Pascal Jauffrès (Episodes 5 and 6). Main title sequence by François Basset and Jules Maillard. The manor of Georges and Charlie Holmes is in fact the Château du Docteur Daguin in Sion-les-Mines. Story arc by Victoria Spennato and Laëtitia Kügler.

Episodes  5 and 6  directed by  François Ryckelynck (Astrid et Raphaëlle). Mademoiselle Holmes is distributed by Newen Connect.

https://tvmag.lefigaro.fr/programme-tv/series/d-astrid-et-raphaelle-a-mademoiselle-holmes-lola-dewaere-une-actrice-enquete-de-soi-20231117

See also:

https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/sion-les-mines-44590/le-docteur-daguin-et-mlle-holmes-marquent-lhistoire-du-chateau-neogothique-de-sion-les-mines-f330d51e-d302-11ed-9078-c96e51806d43 (Château du Docteur Daguin)

MADEMOISELLE HOLMES - SEASON 1, EPISODES 3 & 4: SORTIE DE ROUTE & BAKER STREET (TF1)

[Favourite of the Month][Spoiler-free review] After HPI and Panda, French private channel TF1 adds another gem to its thursday night crime/detective drama line-up with Mademoiselle Holmes. This 6 x 52-minute series was created by Victoria Spennato (Face à Face) and Laëtitia Kügler with Laure Mentzel and Mélusine Laura Raynaud.

 

Mademoiselle Holmes is loosely based on the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, from the stories written by author Arthur Conan Doyle (fully in the public domain since last year).

The bottom line: HPI meets Elementary.

Episodes 1 and 2: https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2024/04/mademoiselle-holmes-season-1-episodes-1.html

Mademoiselle Holmes stars Lola Dewaere (Astrid et Raphaëlle, Crimes à...) as Charlie Holmes, a discrete and unassuming young woman who's none other than the great granddaughter of the famous Sherlock Holmes. She lives in an old manor in Loire-Atlantique with her grandfather Georges, plays the violin, gets around by bike and works for the police in the  squad of Commissaire Florence Billon. When Charlie Holmes is hit by a car, her personality changes completely and her extraordinary intelligence is unleashed. Assisted by Dr. Samy Vatel,  a sympathetic trainee in forensic medicine and a fan of Sherlock Holmes, the unpredictable Mademoiselle Holmes investigates in Nantes and its region. Much to the annoyance of macho cop Commandant Chris Hervieu.

In the shadows loom Charlie's own weaknesses, family secrets and the descendants of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis Professor Moriarty. Comedian, actor and TV personality Tom Villa (Munch) co-stars as Samy. French national treasure Daniel Prévost is the quiet but mysterious Georges Holmes. Commandant Hervieu, the "Inspector Lestrade" of Charlie Holmes, is played by Thomas Jouannet (Sophie Cross). Alika Del Sol (Simon Coleman) plays Commissaire Billon. Also starring Armelle Abibou (Jess), Oscar Berthe (Loïc), Valentin du Peuty (Simon), Éric Naggar (Dr. Alfred Camus), etc. In Sortie de route, Charlie Holmes knows she's linked to the recently deceased Alexander Moriarty, owner of a tabloid empire, and his daughter April.

Nicolas Belliard, an estranged childhood friend of Charlie, calls her because he just had a car accident where his stepbrother died in the fire of the vehicle. The case is very complicated for Charlie Holmes and she's angry with her grandfather. This excellent episode was written by Victoria Spennato, Sophia Périé (La stagiaire, Munch) and Julia Gras-Payen (Tandem) with Laëtitia Kügler. Holy Fatma plays Muriel Billon, Florence's private eye sister. With Tristan Robin (Nicolas), Lucile Krier (Suzy Sinçon),  Audrey Le Bihan (Roxane), Mathis Dupuy (Roxane' son), Allister Bunga-Vila (Milan Errera), Hugo Brune (Anthony Sinçon), Soriba Dabo (Gym employee) and violinist Jessica Delot as the musician in the park.

In Baker Street, Charlie Holmes and Samy Vatel take some days off in London. They visit the "House of Sherlock" museum, where Charlie unexpectedly gets to know Tracy Sheraton. Tracy  is the daughter of actress Betty Sheraton and she believes that the ghost of her sister warned her that she's in danger. In the British capital, Charlie Holmes meets April Moriarty. This lavish, fun and surprising trip to London was penned by Laure Mentzel, Mélusine Laura Raynaud, Chloé Glachant and Sven Jacquet. Roxane Mesquida as April Moriarty is a worthy successor to Natalie Dormer's Jamie Moriarty in Elementary. This French-American actress and model was seen in series such as Now Apocalypse or Gossip Girl and movies from directors Greg Araki or Catherine Breillat. 

The resume of actor Paul Mark Elliott (the director of the museum) includes roles in The Bill, Dangerfield, Lovejoy, Absolutely Fabulous or The Comic Strip Presents. The other guest stars of this fourth episode are Blandine Lagorce (Tracy Sheraton), Nancy Tate (Betty Sheraton), Benjamin Boyer (Joseph Sheraton), Aurore Streich (Hazel Spencer), Kelly Rivière (Rose), Matthew Luret (James), Charles Clément (Demain nous appartient) as Pierre Menard, etc. Produced by Marysol (Newen Group) with TF1 and RTL tvi. Filmed between March and June 2023 with the support of Région des Pays de la Loire and the help of the Bureau d'accueil des tournages des Pays de la Loire. 

Cyrielle Mottin and Paloma Martin y Prada are the producers. Music  by François Liétout (Les Combattantes). Cinematography by Christophe Legal. Editing by Stéphanie Gaurier and Mathieu Molinaro (Episode 3), Gaétan Boussand (Episode 4). Main title sequence by François Basset and Jules Maillard. The manor of Georges and Charlie Holmes is in fact the Château du Docteur Daguin in Sion-les-Mines. Story arc by Victoria Spennato and Laëtitia Kügler. Episodes 3 and 4 directed by Frédéric Berthe (Les Randonneuses). Executive production in London (Episode 4) by Solène Marvian for Pavilion Works Ltd. Mademoiselle Holmes is distributed by Newen Connect.

https://tvmag.lefigaro.fr/programme-tv/series/d-astrid-et-raphaelle-a-mademoiselle-holmes-lola-dewaere-une-actrice-enquete-de-soi-20231117

See also:

https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/sion-les-mines-44590/le-docteur-daguin-et-mlle-holmes-marquent-lhistoire-du-chateau-neogothique-de-sion-les-mines-f330d51e-d302-11ed-9078-c96e51806d43 (Château du Docteur Daguin)

MADEMOISELLE HOLMES - SEASON 1, EPISODES 1 & 2: ON OUVRE SES CHAKRAS! & #RECHERCHEK-LISTA (TF1)

[Favourite of the Month][Spoiler-free review] After HPI and Panda, French private channel TF1 adds another gem to its thursday night crime/detective drama line-up with Mademoiselle Holmes. This 6 x 52-minute series was created by Victoria Spennato (Face à Face) and Laëtitia Kügler with Laure Mentzel and Mélusine Laura Raynaud.

 

Mademoiselle Holmes is loosely based on the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, from the stories written by author Arthur Conan Doyle (fully in the public domain since last year). It will premiere on April 11th with the first couple of episodes.

The bottom line: HPI meets Elementary.

Mademoiselle Holmes stars Lola Dewaere (Astrid et Raphaëlle, Crimes à...) as Charlie Holmes, a discrete and unassuming young woman. She lives in an old manor in Loire-Atlantique with her grandfather Georges, plays the violin and gets around by bicycle. Charlie is none other than the great granddaughter of the famous Sherlock Holmes. Though she works for the police, she only registers complaints in the squad of Commissaire Florence Billon. In the first episode, Billon asks Charlie to find who's throwing onions in a school playground while Commandant Chris Hervieu and his detectives are mobilised on the search of a missing little girl.

Comedian, actor and TV personality Tom Villa (Munch) co-stars as the sympathetic Dr. Samy Vatel, a trainee in forensic medicine and a fan of Sherlock Holmes. After Charlie Holmes is hit by a car, her personality changes completely and her extraordinary intelligence gets unleashed. Assisted by her "Watson" Samy, the unpredictable Mademoiselle Holmes is looking for clues. In the shadows loom Charlie's own weaknesses, family secrets and the descendants of an adversary from the past. After the cleaning lady with a 160 I.Q. turned consultant for the police (HPI), here comes Miss Sherlock Holmes in Nantes!

Mademoiselle Holmes surprises as a brilliant and ambitious take on the work of Arthur Conan Doyle with its English atmosphere (in the region Pays de la Loire), the promising Holmesian story arc, an appropriate music by François Liétout (Les Combattantes) and even a portion of the series shot in London. Lola Dewaere looks like she's having great fun with her genius detective role and Tom Villa is perfect as the subtle sidekick. French national treasure Daniel Prévost plays the quiet but mysterious Georges Holmes. Commandant Hervieu, the "Inspector Lestrade" of Charlie Holmes, is played by Thomas Jouannet (Sophie Cross).

Also starring Alika Del Sol (Simon Coleman) as Commissaire Billon, Armelle Abibou (Jess), Oscar Berthe (Loïc), Valentin du Peuty (Simon), Éric Naggar (Pathologist Alfred Camus), etc. Episode 1 guest stars Aelie Laurent Vielcanet (Anna), Marion Malenfant (Vinca Le Pavec)... In the second episode, Charlie Holmes and Samy Vatel investigate the disappearance of an influencer. Samy discovers something about Charlie's medallion. Guest starring Éric Poulain (Jean-Yves Perrault), Anaïs Delengaigne (K-Lista Perrault), Inès Defossé (Eva), Alexis Loizon (Enzo BG), Nicolas Sansler (Gilbert), Alexandra Jussiau (Cathy Musso) and Mathias Jamain Houngnikpo (Assistant).

Produced by Marysol (Newen Group) with TF1 and RTL tvi. Filmed between March and June 2023 with the support of Région des Pays de la Loire and the help of the Bureau d'accueil des tournages des Pays de la Loire. Cyrielle Mottin and Paloma Martin y Prada are the producers. Cinematography by Christophe Legal. Editing by Stéphanie Gaurier and Mathieu Molinaro (Episode 1), Stéphanie Gaurier and Gaétan Boussand (Episode 2). Main title sequence by François Basset and Jules Maillard. The manor of Georges and Charlie Holmes is in fact the Château du Docteur Daguin in Sion-les-Mines. 

Episode 1 written by Victoria Spennato and Laëtitia Kügler with Laure Mentzel and Mélusine Laura Raynaud. Episode 2 penned by Laure Mentzel and Mélusine Laura Raynaud with Agathe Robilliard, Chloé Glachant and Sven Jacquet. Story arc by Victoria Spennato and Laëtitia Kügler. Episodes 1 and 2 directed by Frédéric Berthe (Les Randonneuses). Mademoiselle Holmes is distributed by Newen Connect.

https://tvmag.lefigaro.fr/programme-tv/series/d-astrid-et-raphaelle-a-mademoiselle-holmes-lola-dewaere-une-actrice-enquete-de-soi-20231117

See also:

https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/sion-les-mines-44590/le-docteur-daguin-et-mlle-holmes-marquent-lhistoire-du-chateau-neogothique-de-sion-les-mines-f330d51e-d302-11ed-9078-c96e51806d43 (Château du Docteur Daguin)

WILD CARDS - SEASON 1, EPISODES 1 & 2: THE INFINITY THIEF & SHOW ME THE MURDER (CBC TELEVISION/THE CW)

A con woman turned police consultant solves crimes with a disgraced cop in this fun Canadian comedy/crime series set in Vancouver.

The bottom line: Can he trust her? Will she get her theme song?

Max Mitchell, an astute young woman, is a thief and a grifter who gets arrested in a bank on her latest "job". Cole Ellis is a gruff demoted police detective forced to work in the maritime unit. They meet at the police station and, later, she phones him while in custody to predict the next move of an elusive criminal nicknamed "The Infinity Thief". Pressured by the mayor, who wants results, the commissioner assigns them on the investigation. Much to the irritation of Chief Li, the detectives' boss, and the other colleagues of Ellis.

« You think Hall and Oates walk on stage separately? »

Wild Cards was created by Canadian scriptwriter and producer Michael Konyves (Law & Order: Organized Crime, Bad Blood, Barney's Version). It was commissioned by Canadian pubcaster CBC and U.S. network The CW joined as a co-producer. 10 x 60-minute episodes were aired in Canada and the United States between January and March 2023. The crime solving duo of Wild Cards is played by Vanessa Morgan (Riverdale) as Max and Giacomo Gianniotti as Cole. This Italian-Canadian actor is known for his role in Grey's Anatomy from 2015 to 2021 but he was also the title character in the films Diabolik – Ginko all'attaco! (2022) and Diabolik chi sei? (2023), based on the cult Italian comic book series created by Angela and Luciana Giussani (1).

Cole Ellis was a robbery-homicide detective who paid his tenacity when cocaine was planted in his car. Some thought he was set up and his hierarchy knocked him down to water cop. His brother, murdered in an apparent mugging, left him a boat where Cole now lives and a cat called Marc (a Devon Rex). Max Mitchell resides in lavish mansions with her loyal and enigmatic butler Ricky. George Graham, her con artist father, is in prison but helps his daughter through his connections. Jason Priestley (Private Eyes, Call Me Fitz, Beverly Hills, 90210) plays George. 

Following their first case, the commissioner arranges a rehabilitation programme for Max Mitchell and Cole Ellis. Max will use her "particular skill set" as a consultant to avoid prison and Cole will have the possibility to be a full-time detective again. However, Chief Li send them to do a community outreach about package thieves. After an old lady tells them that there's a "ghost" in her neighbour's appartment, the unlikely partners discover the dead body of a sports agent. Wild Cards has been rightfully compared to White Collar (2009-2014) and Psych (2006-2014), two series from the golden era of USA Network, or to Castle (ABC, 2009-2016).

The charm of Wild Cards lies in its sparkling duo, the dialogues (Max's pop culture references) and good plots punctuated by amusing situations. Vanessa Morgan is fabulous as Max and the series is a showcase of Giacomo Gianniotti's versatile talent after his two Diabolik movies. The rest of the regular cast is excellent: Terry Chen (Chief Li), Michael Xavier (Detective Simmons), Amy Goodmurphy (Detective Yates), Fletcher Donovan (Ricky), Karin Konoval (Commissioner Russo), etc. Produced by Blink49 Studios and Front Street Pictures with Piller/Segan (Private Eyes) in association with The CW.  

Marcus Robinson and Robert Petrowicz are the co-executive producers. Exec produced by James Genn, Alexandra Zarowny, James Thorpe, Morwyn Brebner, Noelle Carbone, Michael Konyves, Shawn Piller and Lloyd Segan. Co-produced by Sabrina Sherif and Shawn Mendel. Produced by Charles Cooper and Virginia Rankin. Music composed by Shawn Pierce and David Genn. Cinematography by Eric Cayla, CSC (Episodes 1 and 2) and Lindsay George (Episode 1). Editing by Stein Myhrstad (Episode 1), Allan Lee (Episode 2). 

Guest starring Fulvio Cecere, Zach Smadu, Meghan Heffern, Giacomo Baessato, etc. (Episode 1) and Robert Moloney, BJ Harrison, Nicole Muñoz, Aliya Boulanger, Ash Lee... (Episode 2). Marc is played by Jonesy the cat. An episode of Wild Cards will be presented on Sunday, April 7 at the Canneseries festival, followed by a conversation with Vanessa Morgan, Giacomo Gianniotti and Jason Priestley. The event will be moderated by French journalist and TV series specialist Romain Nigita. Distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Blink49 Studios and globally by Fifth Season (a CJ ENM company).

Episode 1 written by Michael Konyves and directed by James Genn. Episode 2 written by Morwyn Brebner and helmed by James Genn.

(1) Luca Marinelli played the title role in Diabolik (2021), the first film of the great trilogy directed by Marco and Antonio Manetti (aka Manetti Bros.).

https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/television/vancouver-shot-wild-cards-mixes-crime-and-comedy
https://deadline.com/2024/02/the-cw-eyes-wild-cards-renewal-season-2-1235827824/

FRENCH GIRL (2024)

A New York teacher follows his French Canadian girlfriend to Quebec, where she's offered a job opportunity, and gets to know her family.

The bottom line: Bonne cuisine.

French Girl is a Canadian rom-com movie written and directed by James A. Woods and Nicholas Wright, the scribe duo of Independence Day: Resurgence (2016). It stars American actor and filmmaker Zach Braff (Wish I Was Here, Garden State, Scrubs), Canadian actress Évelyne Brochu (Dans l'ombre, Orphan Black) and American actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens (The Princess Switch, High Scool Musical).

Gordon Kinski (Braff) is an anxious, Shakespeare-loving, middle school English teacher. He lives in New York City with his chef girlfriend, Sophie Tremblay (Brochu), who's from Quebec. Celebrity restaurateur Ruby Collins (Hudgens), an old acquaintance of Sophie, comes to New York to ask her to interview for the executive chef position at Château Frontenac in Quebec City. Gordon accepts to follow his girlfriend in French Canada for the summer and he's eager to make a good impression to her family.

It doesn't start well when Sophie's parents (Luc Picard and Isabelle Vincent) see Gordon for the first time at the airport. Then, he meets Sophie's MMA fighter brother Junior (Antoine Olivier Pilon, Mommy) and the rest of the family. Sophie never told Gordon that Ruby Collins is her former lover. Past the cliche-esque French songs and the gags around the grandmother's dementia, French Girl is what a culture shock version of Meet the Parents would look like if helmed by Woody Allen for Hallmark.

Of course, Zach Braff plays his clumsy but sympathetic character with perfection, alongside the charming Évelyne Brochu as the definitely not French Sophie in a postcard Quebec City (thank you, Château Frontenac). Vanessa Hudgens' name-dropping kitchen superstar has a funny singing moment. French Girl is a pleasant comedy with a very good cast (William Fichtner is hilarious as Gordon's father). This is priceless in those uncertain times. Also with Charlotte Aubin, Muriel Dutil, Ed Weeks, etc. Special appearance by MMA fighter Georges Saint-Pierre.

Produced by Caramel Films  in association with Crave. Valérie d'Auteuil and André Rouleau are the producers. Anders Bard, Noah Segal, Laurie May, Tim Ringuette, Omar Chalabi, James A. Woods and Nicholas Wright are the executive producers. Original music by Scott Price. Cinematography by Jean-François Lord. Editing by Yann Thibaudeau. Produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Québec Film and Television Tax Credit Gestion Sodec, Sodec and The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Distributed by Elevation Pictures and Republic Pictures (Paramount).

https://www.elevationpictures.com/
https://www.lesoleil.com/arts/cinema/2024/03/12/chez-les-beaux-parents-un-new-yorkais-a-quebec-DXINYJNVUJBC7OFNBLVO3A44DA/
https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/DFHD/page_nhs_fra.aspx?id=676 (Château Frontenac)

See also:

https://www.journaldequebec.com/2024/02/23/quebec-en-vedette-dans-le-film-chez-mes-beaux-parents-french-girl--une-visibilite-qui-vaut-de-lor

CRIME IS HER GAME (LE CRIME LUI VA SI BIEN): L'AFFAIRE MOLINA (FRANCE 2)

[Spoiler-free review] Can Le crime lui va si bien, France 2's hit mystery/comedy series, survive the departure of the flamboyant Claudia Tagbo? Judging by L'affaire Molina, a new 90-minute episode shown tonight on the pubcaster, the answer is (surprisingly) yes.

The bottom line: Le crime leur va si bien. 

Based on an idea by producer and writer Jean-Pierre Alessandri, Le crime lui va si bien was created by Olga Vincent (Envers et contre tous, Disparus) and Stéphane Kaminka (Au-delà des apparences, Malaterra). Initially, it starred Claudia Tagbo as Gaby Molina, an intuitive and tenacious police captain who does odd jobs and rents guest rooms to keep the farm inherited from her grandparents. Though Claudia Tagbo is best known for stand-up comedy and her participation to TF1's entertainment programme Vendredi tout est permis, this versatile Franco-Ivorian actress and humorist played Lieutenant Martine Forest in RIS police scientifique (2006-2014) (1). The excellent Hélène Seuzaret (Le pont des oubliés, Das Boot) co-starred as Lieutenant Céline Richer, the by-the-book partner and tenant of Captain Molina.  

The TV film which gave birth to the series won the Grand Prix of the French-speaking TV movie 2019 at the Cognac Polar Festival. Between 2021 and 2023, six subsequent 90-minute episodes were aired by France 2. In June 2023, Claudia Tagbo unexpectedly announced her decision to leave the series. Last month she gave her reasons in an interview, to which Hélène Seuzaret felt she had to answer (2). And the actress explained that she left Le crime lui va si bien before Claudia Tagbo! Actually, the producers asked her back for L'affaire Molina (formerly Où est Gaby?) and made Céline the main character. Medi Sadoun (Enquête Parallèle, Qu'est-ce qu'on a tous fait au Bon Dieu?) plays Commandant Geoffroy Peyraque (3), Lieutenant Richer's new partner.

The rest of the regular cast is back: Bruno Lochet (Gaby's informer Anton Vargas), Laurent Manzoni (the overstressed Commissaire Félix Fontan) and Julien Ratel (police officer Darget). The talented Brigitte Aubry reprises the role of Céline's mother. Written by Véronique Lecharpy (L'Abime, Alex Hugo) and Olga Vincent with Nathan Bauer, L'affaire Molina astutely handles the departure of Claudia Tagbo while giving Le crime lui va si bien a successful fresh start. Céline Richer returns from holidays when a detective from the internal affairs, Commandant Peyraque, arrives to investigate some thefts within the police station and his chief suspect is none other than Captain Gaby Molina. Worse, Gaby is nowhere to be seen, Commissaire Fontan is overwhelmed by the situation and Darget is... well, Darget. 

Peyraque believes that Céline could be Molina's accomplice. Both reluctantly team up and they don't like what they find. Without Claudia Tagbo (except in stock shots), L'affaire Molina gives the character of Gaby a proper exit. The plot and the comedic moments are well-balanced. The duo Hélène Seuzaret/Medi Sadoun is perfect. Gaëlle Lebert is very good as the Procureure. Cédric Chevalme (HPI) plays Mertil. Also with Julien Boissier-Descombes (Socrate), Cyril Debard (Aristote), Thomas Walch (Crimes parfaits) as Pascal, Amandine Chauveau (Vanessa), etc. Produced by  Ramona Productions, Kam&Ka and France Télévisions. Co-produced by Be-Films and RTBF (Télévision belge) with the participation of RTS Radio Télévision suisse and TV5 Monde.

Produced by Olga Vincent & Jean-Pierre Alessandri, Samuel Kaminka & Stéphane Kaminka. Music by Xavier Berthelot (Joséphine, ange gardien). Cinematography by Sergio Dell'Amico. Editing by Baptiste Druot, Hélène Burel and Pierre-Loup Ray. Filmed with the support of Département de la Charente and Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Directed by Marie-Hélène Copti (Crimes parfaits).  Le crime lui va si bien is available in the U.S. and Canada as Crime is Her Game, thanks to MHz Choice.

(1) The French adaptation of RIS: Delitti imperfetti (2005-2009).

(2) https://www.programme-tv.net/news/series-tv/347853-exclu-quand-la-production-a-merde-jai-dit-au-revoir-claudia-tagbo-cash-sur-son-depart-de-la-serie-le-crime-lui-va-si-bien/ + https://www.ozap.com/actu/-c-est-faux-si-j-avais-voulu-le-role-principal-je-ne-serais-pas-partie-un-an-avant-helene-seuzaret-revient-sur-le-depart-de-claudia-tagbo-du-crime-lui-va-si-bien/643045

(3) A name which sounds like Joffrey de Peyrac, the character played by Robert Hossein in the Angélique movies (1964-1968).

http://www.filmandpicture.com/catalog/view/1144/crime-is-her-game.html

See also:

 

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2022/01/crime-is-her-game-le-crime-lui-va-si.html

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2021/01/le-crime-lui-va-si-bien-un-caveau-pour.html

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2019/12/le-crime-lui-va-si-bien-france-2.html