A couple of days ago Le journal de Montréal (one of Montréal’s largest daily newspapers) published an article highlighting 10 sitcoms and TV drama series (téléromans in French) which draw in over one million viewers per episode.
This post might be of added interest to Anglophones who want to better their French, since many of the programs listed below are shown across Canada on television.
The viewership numbers given are strictly for television views, and do not include online views (which would boost the numbers even higher).
1st Place: Unité 9 – 2,130,000 viewers per episode.
Radio-Canada every Tuesday at 8:00pm.
Official website: http://unite9.radio-canada.ca/
Wikipedia (French only, but feel free to use Google Translate): click HERE
2nd Place: Yamaska – 1,500,000 viewers per episode.
TVA every Monday at 8:00pm.
Official website: http://yamaska.tva.canoe.ca/accueil
Wikipedia article: click HERE
3rd Place: Toute la vérité – 1,300,000 viewers per episode.
TVA every Monday at 9:00pm.
Official website: http://tva.canoe.ca/emissions/toutelaverite/accueil
Wikipedia (French only, but feel free to use Google Translate): click HERE
4th Place: Complexe G – 1,230,000 viewers per episode.
TVA every Wednesday at 9:00pm.
Official website: http://tva.canoe.ca/emissions/complexe-g/saison1/concept
Wikipedia article: None.
5th Place: Au secours de Béatrice – 1,170,000 viewers per episode.
TVA every Wednesday at 8:00pm.
Official website: http://tva.canoe.ca/emissions/au-secours-de-beatrice/
Wikipedia article: None.
6th Place : Mémoires vives – 1,165,000 viewers per episode.
Radio-Canada every Tuesday at 9:00pm.
Official website: http://ici.radio-canada.ca/tele/memoires-vives/saison-2
Wikipedia (French only, but feel free to use Google Translate): click HERE
7th Place: O’ – 1,160,000 viewers per episode.
TVA every Tuesday at 9:00pm.
Official website: http://tva.canoe.ca/emissions/o/accueil
Wikipedia (French only, but feel free to use Google Translate): click HERE
8th Place: Les pêcheurs – 1,070,000 viewers per episode.
Radio-Canada every Wednesday at 9:00pm.
Official website: http://lespecheurs.radio-canada.ca/
Wikipedia (French only, but feel free to use Google Translate): click HERE
9th Place: Le dôme – 1,050 viewers per episode.
TVA every Tuesday at 8:00pm.
Official website: http://tva.canoe.ca/emissions/le-dome/concept
Wikipedia article: No site covering the Québec program, but the Montréwood French adaptation’s plot is the same as the U.S. program, click HERE
10th Place: L’Auberge du chien noir – 940,000 viewers per episode
Radio-Canada every Monday at 8:00pm.
Official Website: http://ici.radio-canada.ca/tele/auberge-du-chien-noir/2014-2015/
Wikipedia (French only, but feel free to use Google Translate): click HERE
All of these shows air once a week. In total, they attract almost 13,000,000 views a week – that’s a LOT of television.
A number of these shows feature people already mentioned in earlier posts.
Just another few words on how these TV shows can help you improve your French… Two of the largest challenges when learning a language are ;
- not hearing every-day street-language used in day-to-day contexts (ie: non-textbook language), and
- knowing what might be the most entertaining sources with when searching material to help you learn.
The actors in these programs are using everyday street language in day-to-day circumstances. The shows can also help to capture and retain your attention – after all, they are amongst the most entertaining and popular right now on Montréwood television. When watching them, make sure you have a dictionary on hand to look up words you repeatedly hear (there are many dictionary apps you can download into your phone).
When I was learning Mandarin Chinese, the above two problems posed huge road-blocks for me. My problem at the time was that I was given a very short window (of about 2 years) in which I had to bring my non-working-level Chinese up to a fully functioning working level (I was eventually required to conduct 100% of my work in Chinese: reports, emails, training, meetings, writing, etc). I therefore had to find methods which worked well, and worked fast, and this was one of the methods I used (with Chinese TV programs of course).
If this method can help to learn Chinese, then I’m sure it can be equally as effective in learning French.
Have fun !
Quebec Culture Blog 