The Negotiator: What's The Value Of Tf1's New Series?
Starting Monday, March 25, TF1 is airing a mini-series that strikes a delicate balance between crime drama and humor. In "Le Négociateur," François-Xavier Demaison plays a former BRI negotiator forced back into action while managing a busy family life. We invite you to discover the highlights of this original series.
An Unlikely Hero
Antoine Clerc is a former BRI negotiator who now takes care of his three daughters and finds himself very happy with this. However, a hostage situation will disrupt his already busy life and lead him to return to service.
In the series "The Negotiator," premiering on TF1 starting Monday, March 25 at 9:10 PM, François-Xavier Demaison plays a former star of the Search and Intervention Brigade. Famous for his negotiating skills, he decided to change his life after an operation went wrong.
When he himself is taken hostage in a bank, his past catches up with him. Against his will, he becomes the man of the hour. This is the starting point of the new police and family series on TF1.
A fulfilling family life
Since Antoine is no longer a negotiator, he works at the vehicle impound lot. But his daily life is very much occupied by the six women in his life: his three daughters and his three ex-wives! One of the unique aspects of the series "The Negotiator" is its portrayal of a busy family life, where the hero is as much a doting father as he is an exceptional negotiator.
This happy family man juggles between the princess costumes of Lila, his youngest daughter, the pre-teen crisis of Clara, his middle child, and the desires for independence from Manon, his eldest. For him, it's with his three daughters that negotiations are the toughest!
Moreover, he has remained very close to his three ex-wives: Frédérique, Manon's mother; Juliette, Clara's mother; and Coralie, Lila's mother. The three women, played respectively by Léonie Simaga, Élodie Frenck, and Barbara Cabrita, get along wonderfully within a large blended family.
To complete the family picture, our hero was raised by his father, played by Michel Jonasz. This other doting dad is omnipresent in his life, even when Antoine asks nothing of him! Grandpa Cathou, as the children call him, is rather overbearing and worries about his "chick" as if he were still a baby…
A breath of fresh air in French fiction
Following the success of HPI on TF1, the network had struggled to find the perfect balance between crime drama and humor. However, with "Le négociateur," they likely have a new gem on their hands.
In the first episode, the way Antoine takes control of the situation during the bank hostage situation impresses Hélène Banier, the head of the Raid. This somewhat overly rigid police officer, played by Jeanne Bournaud, asks him to join her team.
Antoine agrees on the condition that he can do things his way. Through contact with this peculiar negotiator, the elite policewoman will learn to loosen up. If this new series manages to maintain the balance between humor and crime drama, it is mainly thanks to the performance of the entire cast.
The six episodes of season 1 were filmed in the Hauts-de-France last fall. This crime comedy, set in Calais, Lille, and Dunkirk, and against the beautiful backdrop of the Opal Coast, brings a breath of fresh air to the French audiovisual landscape. In summary, this series featuring François-Xavier Demaison is an exciting new addition not to be missed!
