More than a year after its last episode aired, Plus belle la vie rises from the ashes for a surprise sequel next Monday, January 8 on TF1. On November 18, 2022, after more than 18 years on the air and 4,665 episodes, the final episode of Plus belle la vie aired.
A special night of love that allowed early fans to say goodbye to the series that had been a part of their lives for so many years.
And if after the recent applause many hoped that Plus belle la vie would return one day, TF1 still managed to create a surprise by announcing on July 16 that the return would take place on its channel.
The main challenge for a channel already accustomed to daily soap operas is to achieve a Plus belle la vie facelift here, while retaining the essence of what allowed the series to win longevity records.
A sequel that really isn’t
As soon as the Plus belle la vie revival was announced, TF1 revealed that the sequel was actually a new series. “It will not be a mere continuation, but a new creationVincent Meslet, General Director of Newen France, the production company of the TV series clarified in July of last year.
Therefore, on January 8, we will not find ourselves in front of the 19th season of Plus belle la vie, but “.The first season of the new seriesAccording to TF1. And to mark this difference, the channel decided to rename the series.
Exit Plus belle la vie, now a place for Plus belle la vie, even plus belle, an extended title that sets the tone, the aim is to break away from the original program while retaining France 3’s audience.
Short episodes
This desire to stand out while maintaining the essence of the series is the key word of this ambitious project. Vincent Meslet also explained: The writing team for the sequel is mixed.From new authors to successors of Plus belle la vie with the ambition to breathe new dynamism.”
A dynamism that might play out over the course of the episodes? At the moment, TF1 has yet to officially communicate on the subject, but the producer told our colleagues at Le Monde that each episode should be “twenty five minutes“compared to the 26 minutes originally proposed on France 3.
The series will also be aired with a new schedule. TF1 already offers here everything starts at 18:30 and tomorrow is ours at 19:10, the channel has chosen the program Plus belle la vie, even more beautiful at around 13:40, after the news at 13:00.
A bet that is both ambitious and risky, because people are not necessarily in front of a television screen at this time. However, this choice is not trivial. TF1 will probably be hoping to channel the legendary afternoon newspaper audience to launch the programme.
But the group’s main challenge lies in the launch of its new streaming platform on Monday, January 8, the same day as Plus belle la vie, encore plus belle. TF1 hopes to attract people to watch episodes over and over again.
According to Ara Aprikiani, Deputy General Director responsible for content of the private channel, daily serials generate a strong audience both linearly and digitally. Viewers who will not be in front of their TV screen in the afternoon will therefore have enough time to catch the program in repeat on TF1+.
New decorations
The most dedicated fans know: most of the sets at Belle de Mai Studios were destroyed after the series was canceled. So new places will emerge, the biggest challenge obviously being the Place du Mistral, which is now gone.
Instead of shooting in studios, the producer chose to place his cameras on the Town Hall Square in the small village of Allauch in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Thus, the Bar de l’Hostellerie will become the new Bar du Mistral and the teams will have to film there about thirty days a year.
The interior of the bar should be filmed in the studios. The writers will obviously have to justify this change of scenery… will the first episode begin with the destruction of Mistral? At least that’s what many rumors suggest.
Outstanding actors face new faces
If Laurent Kerussore (Thomas), Sylvie Flap (Mirta Torres), Léa François (Barbara Eveneau), Stéphane Hannon (Jean-Paul Boher), Cecilia Hornus (Blanche Marc) and many others have already confirmed that they will return to a more beautiful one. Life, even more beautiful, many new faces will come to the inhabitants of Mistral.
While we still know little about these newcomers straight from the TF1 team, they should bring a breath of fresh air to the program. Now it remains to be seen whether the production will manage to find a balance between the new and the old, so as not to lose viewers who find themselves in front of their screens hoping to continue following the adventures of the characters they have seen. and has been developing for 18 years.
Will the writers reverse the trajectory that began in the finale of Plus belle la vie? How are they going to bring something new while keeping the history of these iconic characters? This is the whole challenge for authors.
The challenge was made even more difficult by the disappearance of Marwan Beren, whose character Abdel Fedala was supposed to be one of the focal points of this sequel’s storyline. His love story with Barbara (Lea Francois), and above all, the birth of their child was to be the focal point of this continuation. How will they justify his absence? Reply January 8 on TF1.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
