1970s French TV Shows

Apostrophes was a live, weekly, literary, prime-time, talk show on French television created and hosted by Bernard Pivot. It ran for fifteen years (724 episodes) from January 10, 1975, to June 22, 1990, and was one of the most watched shows on French television (around 6 million regular viewers). It was broadcast on Friday nights on the channel France 2 (which was called "Antenne 2" from 1975 to 1992). The hourlong show was devoted to books, authors and literature. The format varied between one-on-one interviews with a single author and open discussions between four or five authors.

Midi Première is a French variety show presented by Danièle Gilbert, directed by Jacques Pierre and broadcast from January 6, 1975 until January 1, 1982 on TF1. The program was generally broadcast between 12:15 p.m. and 12:55 p.m., then giving way to the 1:00 p.m. TV news. However, the broadcast schedule could change, depending on the guests, and the setting where the recording of the program was shot. Certain performances by artists who have become cult like the one where Ringo jostles with a demonstrator in interpretation (1977), that of Dalida with the title There is always a song with the soundtrack that does not start, twice, at the right speed (1978), Claude François and his Clodettes, who, in the provinces, are unable to join "the set" in order to interpret his song, the latter being taken by the crowd of delirious fans (summer 1977) . The group Supertramp performed there with the title "Dreamer" on March 8, 1975.

Marcello Mastroianni, Isabelle Adjani, Alain Delon, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen... the biggest stars in cinema were welcomed by Christian Defaye on his show Spécial cinéma. Between intimate confessions from actors and immersion in the world of the greatest filmmakers, Christian Defaye took viewers on a journey into the fascinating world of cinema for nearly thirty years.

Host Jacques Martin invites different talented children from various backgrounds to showcase their beautiful voices. The participants entertain and wow the audience with their lovely performances.

A talk show presented by Michel Drucker

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Le Grand Échiquier is a French variety television program created and presented by Jacques Chancel. It aired at 8:30 pm on the first channel of the ORTF from January 12, 1972 to July 12, 1972, then on the second color channel of the ORTF from September 1972 to December 1974, and finally on Antenne 2 from January 1975 to December 21, 1989. The program returned to France 2 on December 20, 2018 and is hosted by Anne-Sophie Lapix.

A French variety show.

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The César Awards are cinematographic awards created in 1976 and presented annually in Paris to professionals of the 7th art in various categories to recognize the best French productions. They are often cited as the French equivalent of the Oscars in the United States.

The adventures of Barbapapa and Barbama and their seven children, where they search for their place in the world, while helping humans and animals.

The series follows the adventures of lighthearted Jean-Paul Moulin, a police Commissaire, and his team as they solve crimes.

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Arsène Lupin is a French TV show which was co-produced with German, Canadian, Belgian, Dutch, Swiss, Italian and Austrian TV stations. It was only loosely based on Maurice Leblancs novels. Georges Descrières' portrayal of Arsène Lupin showed more similarity to Graf Yoster than to Maurice Leblanc's original. He behaved in the first place as a perfect gentleman who never got angry. He was always relaxed, because whatever could possibly had bothered him in daily life was taken care of by his butler. It wasn't questioned how he had come to his financial independence although the series sometimes discreetly implied that he was a professional criminal. Besides rescuing damsels in distress Lupin took on criminals, competing with their wit and intelligence. Either he stole paintings from rich people who had to be considered white-collar criminals or he acted as a detective who derailed criminal schemes. However, when he was attacked, he could defend himself effortlessly by using elegant jujutsu methods. Among the guest stars were German actors such as Günter Strack and Sky du Mont. Jean-Paul Salomé said in his commentary on the DVD version of his film Arsène Lupin he had like this series as a child. German TV, one the investors, would broadcast the show eventually between 18:00-20:00 o'clock because it was only allowed to show commercials within that very timeslot. For them to get a financial return on investment the show had to be appropriate for families and also for children who would watch it alone. Subsequently it was nearby to ask to defuse and flatten some of Leblanc's plots in order to avoid possible complaints that could force the station to broadcast the show beyond the "Vorabendprogramm".

The history of mankind from prehistoric times to the 20th century.

Between the first and second World Wars, we portray glorified and renown naval sea officer Felix Graf von Lucker and his fictitious ship Niobe, which is the 1887 built Amphitrite from Southampton. Von Luckner is famous for his tactical genius in the first World War, especially sinking 14 enemy ships and only losing one crewman, whilst always seeking a peaceful outcome - making him the ideal seaman.

Schulmeister, l’espion de l’empereur (Schulmeister, the Emperor's Spy) is a French historical adventure television series consisting of 13 episodes (1971–1974), inspired by the real life of Charles Louis Schulmeister, a famous spy in the service of Napoleon I. It alternates between historical facts and fiction, offering a fictionalized portrait of a cunning spy, loyal to Napoleon, and always ready to turn a situation to his advantage.

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The series follows a group of Allied pilots who crashed in occupied territories during WWII. A network of civilians and Resistance fighters, "La Filière", is in charge of helping them pass from France to Spain so they can avoid capture.

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Following the May 1968 civil unrest in France, two theater groups rehearse plays by Aeschylus while two solitary individuals wander the Parisian streets hustling the populace for cash.

Quentin Durward is a French-German swashbuckler TV series. It was produced in 1970, directed by Gilles Grangier and broadcast in 1971. The series starred the German actor Amadeus August as the protagonist and the French actress Marie-France Boyer as Isabelle de Croye. The series was based on Sir Walter Scott's in 1823 published novel Quentin Durward. It concerns a Scottish soldier who serves French King Louis XI while the King has to overcome the schemes of his rival Charles the Bold and Jean Balue. The TV series kept close to the classic novel and was often shot at historic French locations. The French version consists of 7 instalments of 52 minutes each, while the dubbed German version had 13 episodes of about 25 minutes apiece. Both versions have been made available on DVD.

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During the American Civil War, five prisoners of war manage to escape in a balloon. They are driven far across the sea to an unknown island, far from civilization. The legendary captain Nemo (world star Omar Sharif), who is trapped in a huge underground cave with his submarine Nautilus, watches the group. When the stranded people are discovered by pirates, Nemo helps them with a host of his super technology...

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During the Great War, in a small rural French village far from the front, a gamekeeper and his wife take in children displaced by the war.

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The life of famous painter Paul Gauguin.

A 3 part drama series about the notorious powerful Borgia family who took power in Italy in the 15th/16th centuries.

In this mini-series in six parts from 1976 the Indian actor Kabir Bedi plays the lead role. Carol Andre plays Lady Marianna Guillonk and as Sandokans best friend Yanez de Gomera we see Phillipe Leroy. The noble prince Sandokan is a fighter of the first rank who are cruel to their enemies, but always loyal to his friends.

From Bonaparte to Casanova, history is cast in the light of famous escapes from various European countries.

French children's television series inspired by Sesame Street featuring Casimir, an anthropomorphic orange dinosaur with yellow and red spots.

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Produced for television by Claude-Jean Philippe, the « Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma », recounts the history of French cinema from its birth to the beginning of the 1960s. With commentary read by Jean Rochefort.