‘The bloody French, staying over there, having all the sex.” As a campaign slogan for Brexiters, this may lack the clarity of the ones about immigration. But Versailles, a lavish Anglo-French collaboration starting three weeks before the UK may vote to go it alone, comes at a very interesting time.
As opposed to the characters in this dangerous liaisons drama set in the court of King Louis XIV, who come at most times. In the opening minutes, one of the monarch’s bedroom retinue is wiping his belly clean of the residue of a wet-dream. Soon afterwards, the king pleasures his naked sister-in-law in a bathhouse, and when a nobleman kneels before the king’s brother, it is a prelude to giving him fellatio. If you’re feeling sorry for the Queen, she has a dwarf servant truffling under her skirts, with, it turns out, consequences for the succession.
Though it may stoke resentment of how much time the French spend in the channels of passion, the series might just prove an unexpected weapon for EU referendum remainers. Produced in France with co-production money from Canada (presumably to help the government please its French speakers), Versailles has English scripts spoken by actors from all over Europe including – at least until 23 June – the UK.
As the production must benefit from the easy movement of workers between the UK and France, future series may become harder if Britain has gone separatist. So, as the series is, on the evidence of the first few episodes, so ridiculously enjoyable (or enjoyably ridiculous), it might just be worth the inners trying the line: “Say no to Europe and bid adieu to Versailles.”
Whatever political impact it may have, Versailles is already a revolutionary contribution to British TV. In the past, there have been two types of shows set in France. Subtitled imports include the children’s boy-and-dog drama Belle and Sebastian (its name borrowed by a Scottish indie band) and, more recently, Spiral and Resistance. But the bulk of French TV for English consumption, though, belongs in the “Franglais” genre of Gallic stories made by Brits. Versailles, made there and shown here, makes an intriguing addition to these Franglais classics.
Maigret
British TV’s most positively-presented French character has also been the most recurrent: Commissioner Jules Maigret, the Parisian policeman created by Georges Simenon. He has been played by Rupert Davies in the 60s, Michael Gambon in the 90s and, since this year, by Rowan Atkinson. Although many Franglais shows have opted for Clouseau-like comedy-French accents (see below), all three Maigrets have gruffly Anglicised the cop.
Secret Army
Pedants will object that this solemn drama from the 70s about the war-time resistance was set in Belgium. It was, though, far more Francophone than Flemish, with the central characters – freedom fighters Lisa Colbert and Albert Foiret – having names that might adorn a Parisian shopfront. As in Maigret, the French-speaking leads are generally the goodies, while the baddies (in line with post-war British tradition) are the Germans. An early example of a European co-production – made by the BBC with the Belgian national broadcaster – Secret Army can be seen as a fruit of Britain’s entry into the EU in 1975. It was also directly responsible for the epitome of Franglais television. Which leads us to …
‘Allo ‘Allo
Writer David Croft had already made Dad’s Army and, feeling that Secret Army missed the farcical elements of conflict, set out to redress this in ‘Allo ‘Allo. The result was a rare example of a broadcaster having a hit with a show that parodies another of its ratings-toppers. As usual, the French characters – led by cafe-owner René Artois and his unrequited paramour Yvette Carte-Blanche – were lovable, the Germans, such as Herr Flick, detestable. With its “Good moaning” and its “I shall say zis only vunce”, the comedy would almost certainly not be created today due to its “funny foreigner” stereotypes and accents. But in its defence, no race was spared.
Bergerac
Although set in Jersey, this police drama, which ran almost contemporaneously with ‘Allo, ‘Allo, focused on the French culture and history (second world war occupation) of the Channel Islands, and, in later series, often moved to France for plot-lines. John Nettles, as damaged cop Jim Bergerac, even had a French-sounding job, running Le Bureau des Étrangers, which dealt with incidents involving foreigners.
French Fields
In 1989, a year after the digging of the Channel Tunnel began, ITV joined in the new mood of Anglo-French co-operation by relocating one of its hit sitcoms over the water. Fresh Fields starred Anton Rodgers and Julia Mackenzie as a long-married couple adjusting to their children leaving home. In French Fields, hubby took a job in Paris, allowing the couple to live in a French village. Comedy targets included a grand Marquis (played by the Brigadier from Doctor Who), snooty ex-pats and the limits of GCSE French. The script specialised in bilingual puns, as when Mrs Fields offers Mr Fields “a cup of tea. Or, as we say in France, coup d’etat.” It ran for three series, probably because of its obvious advertising appeal to companies selling French bread, ferry routes and fromage.
A Year in Provence
The early 90s was a key period for those who dreamed of the ex-pat lifestyle. Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence, an ad-man’s account of escaping to French rural calm, had become an international bestseller, and the Eurostar was scheduled to open in 1994. In the previous year, the BBC screened an adaptation of the Mayle book, with John Thaw, TV’s most bankable male star of the time, playing the rat-race escapee drinking pastis with the bossy, potty and jolly locals. But in a France that wasn’t occupied by the Nazis, the main danger was the vicious mistral wind. It was dropped after just a dozen episodes.
Let Them Eat Cake
The unexpected success in Britain of pre-revolutionary French drama – the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses and the musical Les Miserables – seems to have inspired this 1991 sitcom about the final days of the ancien regime. Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French signed on, but the gags about randy aristocrats and subversive servants ran dry after only one series.
The Musketeers
This is very much the predecessor of Versailles: a vision of French history, written in English and spoken by actors using their native accents, including, before he was lured away by Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi. But this was a UK-US co-production, whereas Versailles is a UK-French collaboration for Anglophone markets. As the third series has already been announced as the last, this drama will have no bearing on the EU referendum.
