French TV show soap-opera for daily practice learning French?
February 18, 2016 12:28 AM Subscribe
I am learning French. So I am looking for a long-running episodic French TV show that is: popular enough to be "available" online, about 30 mins per episode, somewhat entertaining, relatively current / recent, and with lots of dialogue. The aim is to watch just one short episode every evening, in order to improve my listening comprehension.
I think a short soap-opera type show would work best. I was thinking something like a French equivalent to the Australian "Neighbours", or UK "East-Enders". Movies are too long to watch every evening. I really want something <30mins or so. Something which is feasible and practical to watch literally 4-6 nights a week without fail.
But also something that isn't too hard to *find* online, or I suppose, a series that I could buy a cheap box set of on DVD would be ok.
I think a short soap-opera type show would work best. I was thinking something like a French equivalent to the Australian "Neighbours", or UK "East-Enders". Movies are too long to watch every evening. I really want something <30mins or so. Something which is feasible and practical to watch literally 4-6 nights a week without fail.
But also something that isn't too hard to *find* online, or I suppose, a series that I could buy a cheap box set of on DVD would be ok.
Plus belle la vie has been running since 2004 and is short episodes: 24 minutes each. It is an actual soap opera, so usual caveats of not extending storylines to generalizations about France apply.
posted by fraula at 2:18 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by fraula at 2:18 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Have you considered podcasts? They should be easier to come by. Although I don't have any actual suggestions.
posted by KMB at 2:45 AM on February 18, 2016
posted by KMB at 2:45 AM on February 18, 2016
Spiral / engrenages , is a French crime drama that I quite liked, and several seasons are available on Netflix currently. It's somewhat dark/adult themed.
posted by TheAdamist at 4:01 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by TheAdamist at 4:01 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Spiral / Engrenages doesn't seem to be on Netflix UK. Well I can't see it anywhere.
Yeah one of the difficulties of watching these in the UK is that all the official players are geolocked and they are not popular amongst the pirating types. So they are really hard to find.
posted by mary8nne at 4:38 AM on February 18, 2016
Yeah one of the difficulties of watching these in the UK is that all the official players are geolocked and they are not popular amongst the pirating types. So they are really hard to find.
posted by mary8nne at 4:38 AM on February 18, 2016
Spiral / Engrenages doesn't seem to be on Netflix UK. Well I can't see it anywhere... not popular among the pirating types?
Er, [cough], seek and you will find.
posted by Mister Bijou at 4:50 AM on February 18, 2016
Er, [cough], seek and you will find.
posted by Mister Bijou at 4:50 AM on February 18, 2016
Engrenages episodes are also longer than 30 minutes (about 50).
posted by bfields at 5:31 AM on February 18, 2016
posted by bfields at 5:31 AM on February 18, 2016
There's about 25 hours of French drama of the same quality as Spiral available free, with a few ads, on All 4, Channel 4's download site. I can't remember all the titles, except for Spin, which also stars Gregory Fitoussi (Pierre the prosecutor in Spiral). Anyway, they'll be worth a look. But yeah, all 45 minutes to an hour in length though.
posted by ambrosen at 5:32 AM on February 18, 2016
posted by ambrosen at 5:32 AM on February 18, 2016
I would just un-geoblock your netflix and watch a show you've already seen and enjoyed in English on French or other francophone country Netflix. Knowing the plot more or less will make it easier to follow if you miss a word or two.
Also, if you turn on the closed captions, you get an added bonus. I've done with this Big Bang Theory (watched it in French) and discovered that the captions and dubbing translations are done by completely different translaters. They're different. The captions don't translate what the voice actor has dubbed. That means you A) Get to learn to ways to say something and B) If you can't make out something you're hearing, you know the meaning more or less, and with the clue can usually figure out what was said.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:38 AM on February 18, 2016
Also, if you turn on the closed captions, you get an added bonus. I've done with this Big Bang Theory (watched it in French) and discovered that the captions and dubbing translations are done by completely different translaters. They're different. The captions don't translate what the voice actor has dubbed. That means you A) Get to learn to ways to say something and B) If you can't make out something you're hearing, you know the meaning more or less, and with the clue can usually figure out what was said.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:38 AM on February 18, 2016
What country are you in? Canadian Netflix has several French series available, though none that are aired daily, so far as I know. I've been watching Les Revenants which is eerie, quite good, and very dialogue driven.
posted by peppermind at 3:55 AM on February 19, 2016
posted by peppermind at 3:55 AM on February 19, 2016
Response by poster: In the UK - how does one un geoblock their Netflix though?
posted by mary8nne at 7:35 AM on February 19, 2016
posted by mary8nne at 7:35 AM on February 19, 2016
I use unblock-us.com, but there are other services out there. This one is $5/month CAD, so it's not going to get much better than that price wise, and it's very easy to set up.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:06 AM on February 19, 2016
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:06 AM on February 19, 2016
I'm afraid this is easier than what you're looking for, and I'm not sure it'll play outside the US, but the educational course French in Action is 52 30-minute episodes which are all streaming online in at least some countries.
posted by kristi at 6:04 PM on February 28, 2016
posted by kristi at 6:04 PM on February 28, 2016
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Au nom de la vérité is very similar.
Good luck with your French!
posted by Blissful at 2:07 AM on February 18, 2016