TV5MONDE Program Highlights – December 2022

Special Programming

Musiques en fêtes – December 16 at 11:30pm ET/8:30pm PT

Opera, operetta, musical, classical music, film music, dance, major hits from the world of French song… A totally eclectic program from the Roman theatre in Orange for a fabulous tribute to love and to all types of music, a veritable celebration by the greatest lyrical and instrumental artists of today.

Director: Franck Broqua (France, 2022)

Guests: Pretty Yende, Philippe Jaroussky, Renaud Capuçon, Edgar Moreau, René Barbera, Marcelo Puente, Patrizia Ciofi, Pierre Génisson, Félicien Brut, Chloé Chaume, Marc Scoffoni, Héloïse Mas…

La grande soirée de Noël – December 24 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

Laurence Boccolini opens the doors to her chalet for a celebration of Christmas in the company of a host of famous faces. On the menu: games, music and song, good humour and plenty of surprises to ensure everyone shares all the magic of Christmas!

Director: Julien Bloch (France, 2021)

Guests: Frédérique Bel, Jean-Luc Lemoine, Chantal Ladesou, Élodie Gossuin, Laëtitia Milot, Philippe Lelièvre, Jeanfi Janssens, Véronic DiCaire, Anne Sila, Julie Zenatti, Vincent Niclo, Chantal Goya…

300 Choeurs chantent pour les fêtes – December 25 & 28 at 11:30pm ET/8:30pm PT

A magical program filled with fun to celebrate the festive season. Accompanied by France’s most prestigious choirs, from solo performances to duets the artists perform the most beautiful Christmas songs and some of the great classics.

Director: Lionel Chabert, Richard Michel (France, 2021)

Guests: Angélique Kidjo, Arielle Dombasle, Chimène Badi, Dave, Dany Brillant, Florent Pagny, Gérard Lenorman, Julien Doré, Kendji Girac, Michel Fugain, Marc Lavoine, Nicoletta, Pascal Obispo, Soprano…

Presenter: Vincent Niclo

La grande soirée du 31 – December 31 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

Details TBA

300 Choeurs: Vos 25 grands airs lyriques préférés – December 31 at 1:30am ET/10:30pm PT

In classical music, what is your favorite song? Vincent Niclo invites you to discover 25 favorites from the lyrical repertoire in versions specially created for the program. Exceptional performances certain to surprise, combining the voices of some of France’s leading choirs with those of today’s singing stars.

Director: Lionel Chabert (France 2022)

Guests: Florent Pagny, Lara Fabian, Dave, Isabelle Boulay, Arielle Dombasle, Roberto Alagna, Sarah Brightman, Serge Lama, Chimène Badi, Amaury Vassili, Angélique Kidjo, Nana Mouskouri, Julie Zenatti…

Presenter: Vincent Niclo

Theme: Family & end of year celebrations

Boule et Bill – available beginning December 2

(English ST)

A maladroit policeman is tasked to protect a. An abandoned cocker spaniel sits alone in a cage until a little boy appears and adopts him. The two begin a great friendship, inadvertently causing trouble along the way.

Director: Alexandre Charlot, Franck Magnier (2013)

Cast: Marina Foïs, Franck Dubosc, Charles Crombez

Genre: Comedy

Boule et Bill 2 – available beginning December 2

(English ST)

All is peaceful until the father gets rejected at work, causing a stream of chaos at home.

Director: Pascal Bourdiaux (2017)

Cast: Franck Dubosc, Mathilde Seigner, Manu Payet

Genre: Comedy

Les Nouvelles Aventures d’Aladin – available beginning December 9

(English ST)

French, English subtitles. On Christmas Eve, two thieves plan on robbing a department store. But after a group of kids show up begging for a story, the men decide to improvise their own version of Aladdin.

Director: Arthur Benzaquen (2015)

Cast: Kev Adams, Jean-Paul Rouve, Vanessa Guide

Genre: Comedy

Les Marmottes – available beginning December 9

In this bittersweet tale of love, a group of family friends meet for their annual Christmas gathering in Chamonix.

Director: Elie Chouraqui (1993)

Cast: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Jacqueline Bisset, Christine Boisson

Genre: Comedy

La première étoile – available beginning December 16

(English ST)

A father decides to please his daughter by promising a bit too quickly to take the whole family on a ski vacation.

Director: Lucien Jean-Baptiste (2009)

Cast: Firmine Richard, Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Anne Consigny

Genre: Comedy

Sur la piste du marsupilami – available beginning December 16

(English ST)

A reporter arrives in Palombia in search of a story, but never dreams of the incredible discovery he’s about to uncover.

Director: Alain Chabat (2012)

Cast: Jamel Debbouze, Alain Chabat, Frédéric Testot

Genre: Comedy

Trois fois rien – available beginning December 23

(English ST)

Three homeless friends live day by day, in the Bois de Vincennes. However, their situation drastically changes when they win the lottery.

Director: Nadège Loiseau (2022)

Cast: Antoine Bertrand, Côme Levin, Emilie Caen

Genre: Comedy

David et Madame Hansen – available beginning December 23

(English ST)

An occupational therapist helps a woman come to terms with a traumatic past.

Director: Alexandre Astier (2012)

Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Alexandre Astier, Julie-Anne Roth

Genre: Drama

99 francs – available beginning December 30

(English ST)

A satire on the advertisement world, a flamboyant ad designer starts growing weary of his job.

Director: Jan Kounen (2007)

Cast: Jean Dujardin, Jocelyn Quivrin, Patrick Mille

Genre: Comedy

Le test – available beginning December 30

(English ST)

The Castillons seem to be the perfect family. That is until the mother finds a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom.

Director: Emmanuel Poulain-Arnaud (2021)

Cast: Alexandra Lamy, Philippe Katherine, Matteo Perez

Genre: Comedy

Films

Fais pas ci, fais pas ça: Y aura-t-il Noël à Noël? – December 23 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

(English ST)

This year the Lepic parents are breaking the sacrosanct tradition: instead of celebrating Christmas with their children, they’re heading for Las Vegas to see Céline Dion. As for the Bouleys, they’re hoping to offer their offspring a simple, environmentally friendly celebration. But their children would really rather have a classic Christmas.

Director: Michel Leclerc (France, 2020)

Cast: Valérie Bonneton, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Isabelle Gélinas, Bruno Salomone, Yaniss Lespert

Genre: Comedy

Calamity, une enfance de Martha Jane Cannary – December 25 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

(English ST)

United States, 1863. A convoy is heading west. When Martha Jane’s father is injured, the young woman takes over the family wagon without hesitation. But when she dares to wear trousers, more practical for riding, it is too much for Abraham, the leader of the convoy…

Director: Rémi Chayé (France/Denmark, 2020)

Cast: Salomé Boulven, Alexandra Lamy, Alexis Tomassian

Genre: Animation

Awards: Cristal for Best Feature (Annecy 2020), Nominated for Best Animated Film (César 2021)

Classics

L’ÉTOILE DU NORD –  December 20 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

(English ST)

The owner of a modest boardinghouse becomes friends with one of her tenants, who enchants her with his exotic stories about Egypt. She is unaware that he is the murderer of her daughter’s lover…

Director: Pierre Granier-Deferre (France, 1982)

Cast: Simone Signoret, Philippe Noiret, Fanny Cottençon

Genre: Thriller

Awards: 1983 César Award for Best Adaptation and Best Supporting Actress (Cottençon)

Documentary

Rosy – December 4 at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT & December 12 at 11:30pm ET/8:30pm PT

U.S. premiere

(English ST)

Having just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an incurable auto-immune disease, 21-year-old Marine decides to head off on a journey of self-discovery: in New Zealand to rediscover her own body, to Burma to soothe her spirit and, finally, to Mongolia, to reconnect with her soul…

Director: Marine Barnérias (France, 2022)

Sur les pas de celui qui a tué Trotsky, Ramón Mercader – December 5 at 3:00pm ET/12:00pm PT & December 10 at 11:00am ET/8:00am PT

(English ST)

Mexico, 20 August 1940. Ramón Mercader assassinated Leon Trotsky. Who was he? Why did he do it? A Communist activist who came to the notice of the KGB during the Spanish Civil War, the enigmatic Mercader constantly disappeared, gradually moving closer to his victim. He never admitted his true identity.

Director: Marie-France Brière (France, 2022)

Alexandre Dumas, Le Flamboyant – December 20 & 27 at 3:00pm ET/12:00pm PT

(English ST)

A look back at ten years in the life of the French writer Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870). From financial straits to wealth, from glory to bankruptcy, the decade from 1842 to 1852 summarizes his extravagant life filled with twists and turns, characterized by a compulsive creativity and extraordinary appetite for life.

Director: Jean-Frédéric Thibault, Arnaud Xainte (France, 2020)

Les étoiles de l’ombre: Jean Renard – December 28 at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT

U.S. premiere

(English ST)

120 million records sold, 1,200 compositions, 69 hits… A portrait of Jean Renard, for whom every sound is a musical note. The French composer and songwriter recounts his unique life and career, and how his life changed forever the day he presented yé-yé artist Sylvie Vartan with a song for Johnny Hallyday, her then-husband.

Director: Monia Frouda, Thierry Le Nouvel (France, 2022)

Series

Téléclub – New series streaming beginning December 7

U.S. premiere

(English ST)

This special program is re-airing selected episodes of several classic French series, including “Les dames de la côte” (starring Françoise Fabian, Fanny Ardant, 1979-1980), “Le Comte de Monte Cristo” (starring Gérard Depardieu, 1998), and “Les nouveaux Exploits d’Arsène Lupin” (starring François Dunoyer 1996). Each episode is introduced by Fanny Ardant.

Narrator: Fanny Ardant

Genre: Documentary series

Les 100 lieux qu’il faut voir – Season 9 streaming beginning December 7:

https://www.tv5mondeplus.com/en/details/vod/106926656_74079A

(English ST)

An unforgettable voyage through France, for nature-lovers, history buffs, everyone fascinated by ancient buildings and all who appreciate good food and authentic produce. This season, we travel to Burgundy, Mediterranean islands, Polynesia, Mont Blanc, the Cathar Trail, and the Stevenson Trail.

Director: Mélodie Proust, Sam Caro, Vincent Dupouy, Christophe Verhamme, Thomas Vaillant, Pierre Lalanne, Emmanuel Descombes

Genre: Documentary series

Les maitres du café – New series streaming beginning December 7

(English ST)

A top-of-the-range product is revolutionizing the small world of roasting: so-called “specialty” coffee. From Finca Deborah in Panama, to Finca Inmaculada in Colombia or the plain of Cafres in Reunion: meeting with passionate producers.

Director: Éric Bacos (France, 2022)

Genre: Documentary series

Sur la routes des vins du nord – New series streaming beginning December 7

(English ST)

Maximilien de Wazières is a farmer in the Hauts-de-France region. Today, like others before him, he wants to become a winegrower. Crazy? No. In recent years global warming and changes to European regulations have dealt him a new hand: it is now possible to sell wine made in the North.

Director: Camille Toulmé (France, 2021)

Genre: Documentary series

Les hôtels historiques de Suisse – New series streaming beginning December 7

(English ST)

In this new documentary series, discover some of Switzerland’s most renowned and unique luxury hotels.

Director: Almut Faass, Kristina Forbat (Switzerland, 2022)

Genre: Documentary series

Discover the full program here.