We can’t wait to watch some of the new French series that will come out later this year. After the success of Dix Pour Percent (Call My Agent), writer Fanny Herrero is going to return to Netflix with a new series called Drôle (Standing Up). It’s about four young comedians trying to make it in Paris. We’re also super excited at the prospect of Marie Antoinette, a new eight-part drama created and written by Deborah Davis, who wrote the award-winning The Favorite. In the spring, Netflix will release a French documentary about the fire that destroyed Notre Dame in 2019. And finally, if you’re a fan of Xavier Dolan like we are, you’ll be thrilled to know that he just finished directing his first show!
In the meantime, we’ve put together a list of series from 2021 and early 2022 that you should stream right now! Plus, you’ll find tons of other shows that we’ve suggested in the past and that are still available. In case you missed them, check out our other recent articles about French-language series:
Call My Agent
The New York Times described this show as the French hybrid of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” and “The Office.” It’s about a group of Parisian talent agents who try to juggle the careers of their clients as well as their own complicated love lives. Each episode features real-life stars such as Jean Dujardin, Juliette Binoche or Sigourney Weaver. Season 4 was released in 2021, and a fifth season is in production.
Can You Hear Me?
This French-Canadian show is a great new choice for French learners. It’s about three friends in a low-income Montreal neighborhood who have to grapple with bad boyfriends and dysfunctional families. The third season finished airing in 2021.
Into the Night
You definitely shouldn’t watch this Belgian series if you’re afraid of flying, but if you love suspenseful thrillers and crazy sci-fi plots, this is for you. Without giving too much away, we’ll just say that the show’s about a fatal disease you get from exposure to sunlight. There are two seasons so far, and a Turkish spin-off (set on a submarine–better for aerophobes, maybe worse for claustrophobes…) is set to be released in 2022!
Laetitia
Documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade won an Oscar in 2002 for “Murder on a Sunday Morning,” about a Black teenager wrongly accused of a murder in Florida. His new 2021 miniseries “Laetitia” has gotten rave reviews and is based on a famous 2011 French murder case. Over six episodes, De Lestrade uses a police investigation of Laetitia’s disappearance to explore the dynamics of a provincial French town.
Lupin
Set in Paris, this popular show stars beloved actor Omar Sy (you might know him from The Intouchables) who plays the son of a Senegalese chauffeur unjustly accused of theft. Seeking revenge, he concocts a jewel heist based on the stories of gentleman cambrioleur (burglar) Arsène Lupin, the famous fictional creation of Maurice Leblanc. If you’re a fan of Killing Eve, Sherlock or Luther, this series is for you. The first two parts of the show came out in 2021, and a third part will be released in 2022.
The Hookup Plan
The third season of this show came out last week! It’s about Elsa (Zita Hanrot) who unwittingly falls in love with a dashing male escort (Marc Ruchmann). This series’ stars have terrific chemistry, and the show gives you a real taste of what life is like for twenty-somethings in Paris. Watch this if you were addicted to the first season of Girls or if you need a fix for your romcom craving.
More shows to stream:
- A French Village: The first French period drama to depict French collaboration during World War II. Stream it on Hulu or Amazon Prime.
- The Bureau: The French equivalent of Homeland, The Bureau has repeatedly been voted “Best TV Series” by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, and has also been acclaimed by critics abroad. Stream it on Amazon Prime.
- Spiral: Often compared to The Wire, Spiral stars Caroline Proust as a tough police captain who must deal with an ever-corrupt criminal justice system. Stream it on Hulu or Amazon Prime.
- Baron Noir: Hailed as the French House of Cards, Baron Noir focuses on the political career of Philippe Rickwaert (International Emmy Award nominee Kad Merad). Stream it on Amazon Prime.
- Black Spot: Fans of Dark, Twin Peaks, or Top of the Lake will love this Franco-Belgian series about the tiny town of Villefranche, where there’s no cell service, it’s always foggy, and the homicide rate is six times higher than the national average. Stream it on Netflix.
- Who Killed Little Gregory: If you liked Casting JonBenet, then you’ll enjoy this documentary about l’affaire du petit Grégory, one of France’s most famous unsolved mysteries. Stream it on Netflix.
- Mythomaniac: The story of an average suburban French family that’s doing ok until Elvira, who’s struggling with stress and depression, tells her husband and children that she has cancer. Spoiler alert: she doesn’t. Stream it on Netflix.
- The Break: If you like dark Nordic thrillers, then you’ll really enjoy this Belgian series about an inspector who moves back to his hometown only to become embroiled in a murder mystery. Stream it on Netflix.
- Marianne: If you’re a fan of shows like American Horror Story, you’ll love this 8-episode series that’s full of unexpected twists and just the right amount of gore. Stream it on Netflix.
- The Circle France: The show has the same premise as its international counterparts: contestants are confined in separate apartments and can only communicate using social networks. Their goal: increase their online popularity (perhaps via catfishing) in order to win $100,000. Stream it on Netflix.
