Julien Doré's fans will be delighted to learn that the singer has landed the lead role in a police comedy on TF1. This new series, titled Panda and consisting of 6 episodes, features a necessarily atypical hero: a former vegan cop, pacifist and allergic to computers and smartphones! Here's what we already know about this currently in-production fiction.
This is Julien Doré's first leading role in a TV series.
Even though the performer of "Paris-Seychelles" was revealed on television (on the show Nouvelle Star on M6), Julien Doré had never played the lead role in a TV series.
The singer is not completely new to TV series, as he has already participated in a few episodes of season 2 of the show Dix pour cent on France 2, where he played himself.
This time, the challenge will be much greater since Julien Doré has landed a real character role in a crime comedy titled Panda.
2- Julien Doré performs an atypical hero.
If you are a fan of Julien Doré, you probably remember the quirky video for his song "Coco câline" and think that the title of the series "Panda" suits him perfectly! According to what we already know about this upcoming police comedy, the character played by the singer also seems tailor-made for him. This 6-episode series of 52 minutes features a former vegan and pacifist police officer who has retired from public service to run a beach bar in the south of France. At the beginning of the series, this former cop who has gone green will be forced to return to duty... but without giving up his coolness!
3- This fiction benefits from careful writing and direction.
The interpreter of Paris-Seychelles will not be the only asset of this unprecedented detective comedy. The direction of the first two episodes of the series Panda is ensured by Nicolas Cuche, who has already directed the series Les Bracelets rouges and Lycée Toulouse-Lautrec for TF1.
As for the writing, it has been entrusted to Thomas Mansuy and Mathieu Leblanc, two names little known to the public but who have already worked for Scènes de ménages and En famille on M6 and Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie on France 2.
4- The cast is promising.
For the casting of the Panda series, the production has relied on seasoned actors and familiar faces for the viewers. Alongside Julien Doré in the lead role, we will notably find Ophelia Kolb (seen in the series Rebecca on TF1 and in La Petite histoire de France) who plays Lola, the hero's partner.
The supporting roles are just as enticing, featuring Hélène Vincent, the unforgettable Mrs. Le Quesnoy from the movie La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille, as a former inmate, Gustave Kervern as a commissioner overwhelmed by the birth of his third child, Matthieu Rozé, and Vincent Heneine.
5- Fans will have to be patient.
Julien Doré, who has been working on the Panda series since March 2023, leaked some information about this new project on his Instagram account on May 2nd.
The singer's fans were quick to like the post, with nearly 40,000 likes within just a few hours of its publication. We can therefore expect a large audience in front of their TV screens for the premiere of this unique crime comedy, on Thursday, November 30 at 9:10 PM on TF1.
Whether you're a fan of the singer or not, don't be put off by the first episode! You won't regret watching this new crime comedy set against the beautiful landscapes of the Camargue and featuring several strengths. Quirky heroes, absurd humor, and sharp dialogues are the ingredients of this bold and rather successful fiction.