Plus belle la vie

Plus belle la vie (More beautiful life) is a French television soap opera based on an idea by Hubert Besson and characters created by Georges Desmouceaux, Bénédicte Achard, Magaly Richard-Serrano and Olivier Szulzynger. On air from 30 August 2004 18 November 2022, it was shown on France 3 on Monday to Friday evenings at 8:15 p.m. The show began with 17 main actors and gained more later.[1]

Plus belle la vie
GenreSoap opera
Theme music composerMaidi Roth
Country of originFrance
Original languageFrench
No. of seasons18
No. of episodes4665 + 29 specials
Production
Executive producersHubert Besson, Telfrance
Production locationsMarseille, France
Running time24 minutes
Release
Original networkFrance 3
Original release30 August 2004 (2004-08-30) –
18 November 2022 (2022-11-18)

On 11 July 2008, France 3 broadcast its 1000th episode, a milestone in French television. The series set a second record on 8 June 2012, airing its 2000th episode.[1] On 22 April 2016, it broadcast its 3000th episode, and on 21 February 2020, its 4000th.

Plot

The series follows the daily lives of the inhabitants of "Le Mistral", a fictional neighbourhood in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, where wealthy and less than wealthy families co-exist. It focuses on their evolving love lives and friendships evolve and on the criminal intrigues in which certain residents of the neighbourhood are involved.

Main cast
Lætitia Milot, candidate of Danse avec les stars as Mélanie Rinato
Hubert Besson, creator and producer of Plus belle la vie
Actor Character Seasons
Colette Renard Rachel Lévy seasons 1–5
Cécilia HornusBlanche Marciseasons 1–18
Sylvie FleppMirta Torresseasons 1–18
Hélène MédigueCharlotte Le Bihacseasons 1–5
Serge DupireVincent Chaumetteseasons 1–18
Michel CordesRoland Marciseasons 1–18
Thierry RagueneauFrançois Marciseasons 1–2, 8 & 17–18
Pierre MartotLéo Castelliseasons 1–9 & 12–18
Rebecca HamptonCéline Frémontseasons 1–18
Geoffrey SauveauxLucas Marciseasons 1–2 & 18
Dounia CoesensJohanna Marciseasons 1–10, 14–15 & 18
Ambroise MichelRudy Torresseasons 1–10 & 18
Aurélie VaneckNinon Chaumetteseasons 1–10, 16 & 18
Sofiane BelmoudenMalik Nassriseasons 1–4
Ibtissem GuerdaAicha Djellalseason 1
Lætitia MilotMélanie Rinatoseasons 1–14
Richard GuedjCharles-Henri Picmalseasons 1–2 & 7
Alexandre PottierAntoine Frémontseason 1
Juliette ChêneJuliette Frémontseasons 1–4 & 8
Virgile BayleGuillaume Lesermanseasons 1–13
Anne DécisLuna Torresseasons 1–18
Alexandre FabreCharles Frémontseasons 1–18
Laurent KerusoréThomas Marciseasons 1–18
Thibaud VaneckNathan Lesermanseasons 1–8 & 10–18

Recurring cast
Actor Character Seasons
Fabienne CaratSamia Nassriseasons 1–18
Jean-François MaletJean-François Lerouxseasons 2–12
Valérie BaurensAgathe Robinseason 2–6, 8 & 18
Cécile AuclertVéra Madiganseasons 2–5
Amalric GérardJean-Baptiste Gauthierseasons 2–4
Élodie VarletEstelle Cantorelseasons 3–18
Jean-Charles ChagachbanianFranck Ruizseasons 3–6 and 11–18
Franck BordeFlorian Estèveseasons 3–7 & 14
Ludovic BaudeBenoît Cassagneseasons 4–14
Stéphane HenonJean-Paul Boherseasons 4–18
Pascale RobertsWanda Legendreseasons 4–13
Coline d'IncaSybille Cassagneseasons 4–9 & 18
Audric ChapusRaphaël Cassagneseasons 4–8
David BaiotDjawad Sanghaseasons 5–14 & 18
Marwan BerreniAbdel Fedalaseasons 5–18
Léa FrançoisBarbara Évenotseasons 5–18
Rachid HafassaKarim Fedalaseasons 5–18
Françoise BertinJosiane Lavalseason 5
Catherine BenguiguiViolette Garcinseason 6
Anne CanovasAnémone Vitreuilseasons 6–7 & 9–18
Caroline BourgElsa Baillyseasons 7–18
Joakim LatzkoGabriel Rivaseasons 7–18
Avy MarcianoSacha Malkavianseasons 7–18
Geoffrey PietJonas Malkavianseasons 7–12
Stéphane BierryStéphane Prieurseasons 8–14
Gladys CohenSeta Malkavianseasons 8–13 & 15–17
Sara MortensenCoralie Blainseasons 8–15
Stéphanie ParejaJeanne Carminseasons 8–18
Marie RéacheBabeth Neboutseasons 8–18
Jérôme BertinPatrick Neboutseasons 9–18
Charles SchneiderPrincipal Rochatseasons 9–18
Céline VitcoqWendy Lesageseasons 9–13
Lola Marois-BigardAriane Hersantseasons 13–18
Marie-Christine AdamMarie-Christine Walterseasons 16

Impact
A movie theater in the Panier district of Marseille, inspired by Plus Belle la Vie

The series struggled to find its footing in the first season, but after striving to create more dynamic story lines, by the second season Plus belle la vie enjoyed regular audiences of five million viewers. On Valentine's Day 2006, a plot involving Nicolas Barrel's death drew an audience of 6,329,600.[2] On 17 November 2008 Plus belle la vie received its highest ratings ever with over 6.8 million viewers and a 24.9% audience share.[3]

For several years, the series regularly averaged audiences in excess of 5 million viewers and audience shares above 20% each weekday evening.[4] In recent seasons, its viewing numbers have gradually declined.

This ratings slump worsened at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and, on 5 May 2022, France Télévisions announced the end of the series which took place on 18 November 2022, following "a substantial shift in viewing habits" after 18 years on air.[5]

See also

References
  1. ""Plus belle la vie" débarque dans le Nord !". francetv info.
  2. "Toujours plus belle la vie". parismatch.com. 19 September 2014.
  3. "Audiences : record historique pour "Plus belle la vie"". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  4. "L'audience encore plus belle jeudi soir". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  5. "Arrêt de "Plus belle la vie" : La date de fin du feuilleton de France 3 officialisée (MAJ)". 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
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