A Very Secret Service: Au service de la France

August 29, 2023 12:31 AM - All Seasons

In 1960 the French intelligence service hires 23-year-old André Merlaux, a handsome and intelligent, but impressionable man with much to learn. Au Service de la France is like a cocktail of James Bond, The Office and Mad Men if all three were transported to a French context and imbued with contemporary New Wave influences. First season appeared in 2014 and the second 2016.

Reviews in English from Huffingdon Post and from Indiewire. Some Youtubers have also used scenes from this series - such as this encounter between the French operatives and their CIA counterparts to talk about French language and culture. The series has a great soundtrack by Nicolas Godin

posted by rongorongo (8 comments total)

I loved this show, and this is my all time best ratio of
(#of recommendations) : (#of people who enjoyed it)
100% success!
posted by Acari at 7:05 AM on August 29, 2023

On Apple+ according to JustWatch.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:48 AM on August 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

One of my favourite things in comedy, in general and specifically in French Comedy, is when the comedy turns inward and it is used to examine cultural mores of its culture. So for me the biggest laughs from the show are when the agents would have meetings, for instance, with the various Africans, people from the United States, or particularly for this French Canadian, people from Quebec. The scene with the CIA agents where, when told that it is lunch time, pull out lunch boxes and proceed to eat sad sandwiches at the conference table while the French agents watch in stunned silence is a great example of what I'm talking about.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:04 AM on August 29, 2023

I forget the exact line, but the "it's almost like they're trying to speak French!" dig at the Quebecois was...
I've spent some time with French people and Quebecois people together. The attitude was quite familiar.
posted by Acari at 1:27 PM on August 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you enjoyed this, the OSS 117 versions (the modern ones with Jean Dujardin, not the originals) are a must-watch.
posted by rednikki at 12:01 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

The attitude was quite familiar.

Along with that, the Euro French attitude about Quebecois being simply "French speaking North Americans" - boy does that irritate some people from Quebec. Along with that their idea that the only French speakers are in Quebec which is equally annoying for the rest of us.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:16 PM on August 30, 2023

The scene with the CIA agents where, when told that it is lunch time, pull out lunch boxes and proceed to eat sad sandwiches at the conference table while the French agents watch in stunned silence is a great example of what I'm talking about.
By contrast, there is a joke about how André, caught working in the near deserted office just after 4:30pm - is burning the midnight oil.

Whether it is Bond or a dozen other TV shows about secret services - there is a strong trend to have plots which show them valiantly solve some kind of dastardly scheme that fortunately never become known to the general public. This is a cliche and rather a pompous one at that - so it is great to see a show that satirizes the whole arrangement in a smart way.
posted by rongorongo at 11:59 PM on August 30, 2023

I particularly liked the episode where the two more traditional French operatives use their trade craft to get them to Cardiff Arms Park for the Rugby. Enjoyed season 1 but the second got a bit soapy.
posted by biffa at 11:58 AM on September 1, 2023 [1 favorite]