LE PRIX DE LA VÉRITÉ ON FRANCE 3 IN JANUARY

The body of a young woman is found in the swimming pool of a luxury hotel in Saint-Paul de Vence. The local gendarmerie investigates but Captain Marie Jourdan, a police detective from Lyon, abruptly invites herself on the case for a very personal reason.

Directed by Emmanuel Rigaut, Le prix de la vérité (1) is a TV movie (and possible backdoor pilot?) which will air on French pubcaster France 3 on January 13, 2018. Mimie Mathy, who usually stars in the long-running TF1 hit Joséphine, ange gardien, plays the tenacious and quick-witted Captain Marie Jourdan.

Le prix de la vérité is written by crime drama expert scriptwriter Laurent Mondy (Commissaire Magellan, Les Cordier, juge et flic). On the whole, it's well crafted and it looks that Mimie Mathy enjoyed this opportunity to get away from her guardian angel character with a more dramatic role. Most fortunately, considering the first two episodes of the recent Crime parfaits (also on France 3), Capitaine Jourdan isn't a Capitaine Marleau copycat.

Fans of the channel's crime dramas will certainly want more of this new detective. Captain Marie Jourdan would definitely be a pleasant addition to France 3's  popular crime/mystery line-up. Also starring Mathieu Delarive (Paul Danceny), Philippe Caroit (Daniel Caron), Charles Clément (Luc Langevin), Selma Kouchy (Yasmine Labri), Cécile Pallas, Catherine Zavlav, etc. Produced by Episode Productions (JLA Groupe) with France Télévisions. Music by Fabien Nataf.

(1) Formerly Liens de sang.

[Update - January 10, 2018] Spoiler-free review here: 

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/01/le-prix-de-la-verite-france-3.html

LAST MONTH ON THIS BLOG

So... 

 

NEWS 

-  Julie Depardieu is La légiste for France 3:

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/julie-depardieu-is-la-legiste-for.html

 -  Al Dorsey on France Ô in December:

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/al-dorsey-on-france-o-in-december.html

-  Mongeville and Magellan: another crossover (France 3):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/mongeville-and-magellan-another.html

- Capitaine Marleau on French Region 2 DVD (LCJ Éditions):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/capitaine-marleau-on-french-region-2.html

- Darkman - Édition Ultime (L'Atelier d'images):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/darkman-edition-ultime-latelier-dimages.html (Review ASAP)

- Frankie Drake Mysteries (CBC):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/frankie-drake-mysteries-cbc.html (Including a "mini review)

REVIEWS 

- L'Intégrale des Minichroniques de Goscinny (French Region 2 DVD):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/lintegrale-des-minichroniques-de.html

- Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie: Drame en trois actes (France 2):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/les-petits-meurtres-dagatha-christie.html

- L'Art du crime - Episodes 1 & 2 (France 2):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/11/lart-du-crime-episodes-1-2-france-2.html

JULIE DEPARDIEU IS "LA LÉGISTE" FOR FRANCE 3

Another eccentric sleuth on France 3 in the wake of its megahit Capitaine Marleau?
 

Julie Depardieu is currently filming the pilot of La légiste for the French pubcaster. In this TV movie, written by Elsa Marpeau (the creator of Capitaine Marleau), she plays a brilliant and whimsical pathologist (1) who conducts her own investigations in Bordeaux. Xavier Guelfi and Bernard Yerlès co-star. Sara Martins (Death in Paradise) is amongst the guest cast.

Both Martins and Julie Depardieu guest starred in Capitaine Marleau (but not together). Interestingly, Depardieu played an improbable deputy of Marleau in the episode À ciel ouvert. Her father Gérard Depardieu was the special guest star of Capitaine Marleau: Philippe Muir (2015), the series pilot. Directed by Nicolas Guicheteau (L'Art du crime, La vengeance aux yeux clairs), La légiste is produced by Carma Films (JLA Groupe) and Étoile Rouge Productions.

(1) "Brillante, fantasque, et libre" says the press release.

http://www.leblogtvnews.com/2017/11/julie-depardieu-xavier-guelfi-et-bernard-yerles-tournent-le-pilote-de-la-serie-la-legiste.html

[Update - April 4, 2018]

Review of Alexandra Ehle (ex-La légiste):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/03/alexandra-ehle-formerly-la-legiste.html 

AL DORSEY ON FRANCE Ô IN DECEMBER

Al Dorsey, whose real name is Édouard Tudieu de la Valière, is a private eye from Tahiti but nothing exciting ever happens to him. Anyway, he chose that job just because it's "classe". 

Until a priest goes into his office.

Al Dorsey, détective privé is a 6 x 52-minute detective series from Polynésie française (French Polynesia) commissioned by the Outre-Mer 1ère French overseas public network. It is based on the books by lyricist and novelist Patrice Guirao. Al Dorsey is played by Alban Casterman. Also starring Chloé Folliot de Fierville as Lyao-Li (the detective's girlfriend), Guillaume Ducreux as Dorsey's cop best friend Sando, Dadou Paille as Al's mother Mamie Gyani and Jean-Marc Leille (Toti).

Written by Sydélia Guirao & Nassim Ben Allal and directed by Thierry Bouteiller (RIS Police Scientifique), Al Dorsey, détective privé first aired on Polynésie 1ère each week from September to October 2017. The series will be shown in metropolitan France from December 5 on France Ô (three episodes per evening!) Produced by Big Band Story and Merapi Productions with Les Films du Pacifique. Filmed in Polynésie with the support of the Ministère de la Polynésie Française and the participation of France Télévisions.

This little blog is waiting for Al Dorsey, détective privé with the highest interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKS3E2OwQII (Trailer)
http://www.auventdesiles.pf/al-dorsey/ (The books)

[Update - December 6]    

Past some minor defects, Al Dorsey, détective privé is a nice and fun pastiche/homage to the P.I. genre.

[Update - December 8]     

Review of Episodes 1 to 3 here:

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/12/al-dorsey-detective-prive-episodes-1-to.html

CAPITAINE MARLEAU ON FRENCH REGION 2 DVD (LCJ ÉDITIONS)

Capitaine Marleau, the hugely popular French crime drama aired by pubcaster France 3, is now available here on DVD thanks to LCJ Éditions.

The amazing Corinne Masiero stars as Capitaine Marleau (no first name), an offbeat, sharp-minded and quick-witted sleuth of the Gendarme nationale. Marleau's parka and her chapka are now as known in France as Columbo's raincoat (the lieutenant is often referred to). Some of her dialogues are already cult.

Episodes 1 (Capitaine Marleau: Philippe Muir, the pilot) to 6 and Entre vents et marées, the 2014 miniseries where Marleau first appeared, are in the "Capitaine Marleau - L'intégrale de la saison 1" 4-disc DVD set from LCJ. Created by novelist and scriptwriter Elsa Marpeau, Capitaine Marleau is helmed by Josée Dayan and produced by her with Gaspard de Chavagnac.

http://www.lcj-editions.com/home/1919-capitaine-marleau-5051889618089.html

Marleau is a favourite of this little blog since even before France 3 aired the pilot.

Our spoiler-free reviews of Episodes 1 to 9:

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/09/capitaine-marleau-philippe-muir-france-3.html (Capitaine Marleau: Philippe Muir)
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/03/capitaine-marleau-le-domaine-des-soeurs.html
(Le domaine des soeurs Meyer) 
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/04/capitaine-marleau-les-mysteres-de-la-foi.html
(Les mystères de la foi )
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/capitaine-marleau-brouillard-en.html
(Brouillard en thalasso)
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/09/capitaine-marleau-en-trompe-loeil.html 
(En trompe l'oeil) 
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/03/capitaine-marleau-la-nuit-de-la-lune.html 
(La Nuit de la Lune Rousse) 
https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/03/capitaine-marleau-ciel-ouvert-france-3.html
( À ciel ouvert)
https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/10/capitaine-marleau-chambre-avec-vue.html
(Chambre avec vue)
https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/10/capitaine-marleau-la-memoire-enfouie.html
(La mémoire enfouie)

DARKMAN – ÉDITION ULTIME (L'ATELIER D'IMAGES)

French fans of Darkman (1990), Sam Raimi's cult superhero film, are spoiled today with the release of Darkman - Édition Ultime ("Darkman - Ultimate Edition"), thanks to L'Atelier d'images.

This limited edition (2 Blu-Ray discs + 1 DVD) contains Darkman and its two direct-to-video sequels, Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995) and Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996). But also the comic book Darkman Vs. Army of Darkness (for the first time in French) and more than 3 ½ hours of bonus material.

Darkman - Édition Ultime was born with the support of a crowdfunding campaign.

http://www.latelierdimages.fr/darkman-edition-ultime/

Review ASAP.

L'INTÉGRALE DES MINICHRONIQUES DE GOSCINNY (FRENCH REGION 2 DVD)

Aired on TF1 between 1976 and 1978, Minichronique (aka Les Minichroniques) is a 26 x 13-minute comedy/social satire series written by French comics editor and writer René Goscinny, the co-creator of Astérix, and directed by Jean-Marie Coldefy.

It will be available next tuesday on French Region 2 DVD, in a restored version, thanks to L'Atelier d'images.

Produced by TF1 (then a public broadcaster), Minichronique/Les Minichroniques stars stage, movie and TV actor Jean-Claude Arnaud as Georges Bouchard, the quintessential "average Frenchman". Each episode, introduced by René Goscinny himself in the manner of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, shows Bouchard's everyday life in humorous and often surreal situations.

Familiar faces of the era, like Jacques Monod, Paul Mercey or humorist Pierre Desproges, pop up in these little gems reminiscent of Les Dingodossiers by Marcel Gotlib and Goscinny, or even the sitcom Les Saintes chéries. Music by Gérard Calvi. The 4-Disc "Digibook" DVD set of L'Intégrale des Minichroniques de Goscinny contains the 26 episodes, plus a 20-page booklet and an interview of Jean-Claude Arnaud.

http://www.latelierdimages.fr/decouvrez-lintegrale-des-minichroniques-de-goscinny-des-le-3-octobre/

Review ASAP.