Throughout January, the international French-language network TV5 Monde offers a rich lineup of entertaining films, series, and variety shows.

Discover our round-up of the must-see programs this month below.

TV5 Monde

Films

Le poulain— January 4 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
In celebration of Swiss film director Alain Tanner, born December 6, 1929
Also streaming on TV5MONDE+
(English ST)

Twenty-five-year-old Arnaud Jaurès knows nothing about politics. By chance, he joins the election campaign of a presidential candidate, working as assistant to Agnès Karadzic, the Director of Communications. A woman of power and experience, she both attracts and fascinates him… Sparing him nothing, Agnès teaches him all about campaign tactics.

Director: Mathieu Sapin (France, 2018)
Cast: Alexandra Lamy, Finnegan Oldfield, Valérie Karsenti, Philippe Katerine

Genre: Comedy

Viva Maria !— January 6 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

Also streaming on TV5MONDE+

In a fictional South American country in 1907, after the death of her father, an Irish terrorist, Maria joins a travelling music-hall show which offers her a place as a Parisian duettist. Her partner has the same first name as her. Together, they find themselves embroiled in a peasants’ revolt.

Un métier sérieux— January 11 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

(English ST)

Summer is over. A new school year dawns at the middle school and Pierre, Meriem, Fouad, Sophie, Sandrine, Alix, and Sofiane, a dedicated and close-knit group of teachers, are reunited. They are joined by Benjamin, a young, inexperienced substitute teacher who is quickly confronted with the trials and tribulations of his job. Through their interactions, he comes to find that the passion for teaching is still alive and well within this fragile institution.

November 2008. Louise’s father has been transferred to India. The family is staying at the Taj Mahal, a palace in Bombay. One evening, Louise is alone in her room: her parents are out for dinner. Strange noises echo through the corridors. She quickly realizes that it is a terrorist attack.

As a secondary school teacher, Julien pays particular attention to his pupils who are experiencing difficulties. Because he tries to make Leslie, a self-effacing teenager, feel good about herself, a handful of schoolchildren suspect Julien of other intentions and accuse him of harassment. Very quickly, the rumour spreads.

The renowned theatre manager, Paul Rémy, is accused by his general secretary Andrieux of having killed his partner. On the advice of his wife Mona, Paul goes into hiding in a psychiatric hospital to escape from the police. But Andrieux seduces Mona who then turns against her husband.

Anna wants to rebuild ties with her son Jason, who she abandoned twenty years ago. But she runs off at the last minute and secretly takes refuge in an elderly couple’s house. Unusual events lead to her forming a bond with the couple’s wife…

Series

A police captain from Réunion Island serves as a squad commander in a working-class neighborhood of Nouméa, New Caledonia. Intelligent, determined, and an indispensable leader, she’s also a widow, raising two teenagers alone.

Having taken a short break to cure her depression, Stéphanie returns to her home village. Her best friend Cynthia, who was supposed to hide the truth about her trip, told a lie that then got totally out of control. Stéphanie now must repair the damage, notably with her daughters.

Documentaries

(English ST)

TV5MONDE is partnering with WeMake Productions to create the very first pan-African TV competition for entrepreneurs seeking support to launch a new project. Over eight weeks, sixteen candidates from across Africa will be guided by four exceptional mentors: Claude Borna, A’Salfo, Nicole Sulu, and Yassine Laghzioui. Several celebrities will also share their experiences, including heavyweight champion Teddy Riner. The ten finalists will have the chance to present their projects to a panel of international investors, including Élisabeth Moreno, Hasnae Taleb, and Ali Mnif. Contestants can win up to 500,000 euros to fund their project.

For more than a month, from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday, carnival fever takes hold of Guadeloupe. A true outlet that brings together social classes, abolishes differences, and breaks taboos, this festive event holds major heritage value for Guadeloupeans.

Rimatara, French Polynesia. This island of the Austral archipelago is the scene of a battle to conserve a small colorful parakeet: the Ura. Scientists, farmers, and ordinary citizens are mobilized to prevent its disappearance: a success. But today, new threats weigh on this endemic species.

Art has never been so present in the Overseas Territories. A meeting with seven artists who draw on their roots to give a unique color to their creations: Bahbou Floro in Martinique, Enos in Polynesia, Marvin in French Guiana, Virginie in New Caledonia, Méo in Réunion, B.Bird in Guadeloupe, and Papajan in Mayotte.

Ep.1: They were born in Poland, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Hungary, and France, and are all Jewish. How did young people and their families find themselves excluded from one day to the next, hunted down and arrested throughout occupied Europe, before being deported to Auschwitz?

Ep. 2: The deportees arrive at Auschwitz. In the middle of the tracks, families are separated. Those entering the camp undergo shearing and tattooing. The discovery of the chimneys from which flames are escaping raises questions for the new inmates. Where have the elderly and the children gone?

Director: Catherine Bernstein (France, 2024)
Genre: Documentary Series, History

TV5Monde+

Films

Lucie, a 15-year-old schoolgirl, lives alone with her father. Because he has multiple sclerosis, she takes care of all the day-to-day tasks. A visit from a social worker threatens their equilibrium, and they have to step up their efforts to give the illusion of a normal life.

Soane leaves Wallis and Futuna and an authoritative father to join a rugby team in France. Although he is French, he is treated as an outsider in France. His greatest challenge is the other players’ hostility who, like him, want to rise the ranks in a very popular sport.

Series

In Oran, Zouzou, a 30-year-old bioengineer, is dreaming of an adventure: following Algeria’s disappearing sardines. But between marriage, secrets, and family, will she have the courage to leave?

In an alternative reality, Quebec has now become a republic. Jacques Hamelin, the president, has a lot on his hands. With his popularity rankings in free fall and Canada constantly putting a spanner in the works, the USA, in search of space and natural resources, wants to negotiate an alliance.

Alix, a slightly lost single mother, is asked to be a “dummy candidate”, i.e. to stand in an election with no chance of winning, in order to fill a party’s quotas. Intrigued, she accepts, unaware that this decision will change her life…

Documentaries

A spotlight on a contemporary artist to explore their personal world, the source of their inspiration, and their creative process. 

TV5Monde Cinéma

Theme: Films rarely shown on TV 

In the fall of 1974, Health Minister Simone Veil stands behind a bill that would legalize abortion. 

A 39-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman meet by chance and agree to meet again on a specific day in an unconventional way.  

Newly divorced, a shy man is convinced by his friend to join his dating club.  

After a one-night fling goes wrong, a mechanic finds himself suddenly responsible for three children. 

Summer 1998. An adolescent girl discovers her sexuality during the summer of 1998 at the family’s rural estate.  

The French intelligence agency plants a former leftist militant into a fascist organization. 

In 16^th century Flanders, during the Inquisition and the religious wars, a physician and alchemist returns in secret to his native city. 

Treated for schizophrenia, a man in his thirties leaves the hospital to live with his sister, his only family and greatest support. 

A theatre owner has one night to save his playhouse from financial ruin.  

A man’s guardian angel, watching over him in a coma, tries to persuade another angel to extend his watch.  

**Please note: Programs may change due to last-minute scheduling**