YOU TESTIMONY Many viewers grew up with the France 3 soap opera
The team of “Plus belle la vie” reunited in the special ninety-minute episode “Seven weddings for a funeral” this Friday on France 3. — © Olivier MARTINO – FTV – TELFRANCE
- Plus belle la vie bows out this Friday on France 3 with a special evening starting at 8:15 p.m.
- The documentary < em>The great adventure “Plus belle la vie”, which tells how the soap changed the lives of the actors in the series, will conclude this farewell evening at the Mistral.
- For eighteen years, the daily soap opera has also changed the lives of its viewers, making the France 3 series “a member of the family”, a support “in times of distress” and whose end will be difficult to overcome.
Here, A better life, it’s over soon! France 3’s flagship soap will bow out this Friday after 4,665 episodes. Known as PBLV by its intimates, the program was invited daily for eighteen years in the living rooms of television viewers, becoming the soap opera longest life of the PAF. How Better Life Has Changed the life of the French, going from “family ritual” intergenerational “family member”?
“Silence reigned and we watched with attention”
“A page is turned, but the memories will remain,” said Marie, 27 , which followed the soap opera “from the age of 10 to the age of 16”. “It’s been the family ritual,” 8:15 p.m. after All Sport, silence reigned and we watched with attention the adventures of this Marseillais district. It’s part of my childhood, it’s the first French daily fiction. The one where you could relate to yourself, regardless of age or social class,” she recalls.
Same story in the family of Clara, 20, who started to watch the series at 2 years old. “I saw the first episode without remembering it. I’m’m’t soon’ see the last one, this time, it will be unforgettable!”, she says.
“We have to get home quickly, we will miss PBLV  ;!”
“ Better lifemarked our family, our routine, our life. A ritual that we did not miss for anything in the world, not even for a minute. I can’t count the number of times I I could hear my sister say to my mother “we have to get home quickly, we will miss PBLV”!” ”, says Clara.
Corentin, 22, watches the France 3 soap opera with his brother and his parents: “ make people love this series my boyfriend and we followed the series together. It’s a date, a bubble of air that I’ll miss so much.
“From November 19, it will be everyone in their room”
Laura, 35, follows the series with her husband except when the latter works at night: &ldquo ; He watches it on replay the next morning at 5 hours This is going to be very weird, it was our everyday routine.” “I eat while watchingMore beautiful lifenightly. I wonder how my meals are going to be after the end” Aged 22 and 17: “It’s the only series we watch together, it was a beautiful family moment. From November 19, it will be everyone in their room, it’s sad and nostalgic”, she apprehends.
Within Clara’s family, PBLVhas been the subject of much debate. The soap opera has imposed itself. in the “discussions, between the reflections on the different themes addressed (very often topical), the forecasts for the episodes to be expected; coming, the evolution of actors and characters and many other things” “It’s been a topic of discussion with my grandmother and my relatives,” Corentin also testifies.
“I attached myself to; them when çit went wrong”
Better Life represented for many viewers support during difficult times. “Much more than just a date with my TV family, PBLVtaught me how to be positive about everyday circumstances, àgrave; perspective in times of distress,” says Marie-Charlotte, 33. “This series brought me happiness, relaxation, a moment of forgetting my problems,” says Maryse, 74.
Morgane, 28 years old, victim of teenage bullying, follows the characters of Plus belle la viesince 2008: “ I became attached to; them when çit was going badly at college ». “ I followed from the beginning without missing a single episode. It helped me. during a difficult time in my life,” said Christianne, 74.
“ This series is for me an antidepressant, a bubble of escape every day. I apprehend the sequel without her. Honestly, I feel like I’m parting with a friend,” says Carole, 40.
The soap opera is a faithful companion. “ PBLVaccompanied me throughout my childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. It’s time for family relaxation and çit continued; until today where everyone still looks PBLV on their side; », details Camille, 25 years old. “ I grew up with Plus belle la vie, the story of this soap opera is that of our lives», greet in chorus Mickael, 33 years old and Joris, 25 years old.
“ So my daughter’s name is Luna »
“ At the beginning of the series, I was a teenager with a very difficult and rebellious life. This series has helped me in every period of my adolescence and my adult life. I cried with them, I laughed with them, I hoped end of the screenplay with them… In short, I grew up with them », says Sophie, 31, who has given her first name; his granddaughter Luna, « the serial name of our incredible Anne Décis ».
Jessica, 40 years old, began to to watch Better Life « in the morning, on maternity leave » of her first child. For her second pregnancy, Jessica is « hospitalized in emergency », the child was born « premature » : “ Better lifewent to At that time, my daughter’s name was Luna ».”
“ I see in each character one of my own »
By dint of accompanying the viewers in the major stages of their respective lives, « Plus belle la vie has become like a member of the family, who grew up with us », analyzes Clara. “ We look forward every evening to reuniting with our friends and our extended family,” adds Véronique, 48.
The serial even sometimes serves as a surrogate family « I never missed an episode from the very first. I have no family and I see in each character one of my own », says Marina, 29.
« Loneliness will be harder without this meeting »
Rachel, 35, works in a retirement home and notices that Plus belle la vieis the series residents expect all day. “ They don’t necessarily have family or visitors, the only people they see are the caregivers, this series, it’s been their family and today they’ve lost it » ;, she laments.
« The actors and actresses of Plus belle la vieare part of our life, our family. What a pleasure to know that we were going to find them, every evening!”, testifies Laurie, 71 years old. “The loneliness will be harder without this meeting,” fears Liliane, 73, who criticizes “a cruel decision” “Nathan, we knew him at 13 years old, Luna brightened up our days with her presence. Sadness,” she cries. “Many, including myself, have been particularly moved to see this Roland go out, as if he were our grandfather” him, Corentin, 22 years old.
“This mourning will be too heavy to bear. wear”
”How are we going to spend our evenings now?”, asks Val”rie, 50. “We will miss Better Life so much… Why stop?”, asks Danielle, 73.
Farewells with the Mistral family this Friday will be heartbreaking for many French people. “After 18 years of daily reunions, I”m really going to miss my TV family and their approach to the feelings of life and people,” said Marie-Charlotte. “I can’t make it up believe it will stop. It’s unthinkable for me, this mourning will be too heavy for me. carry,” cries Laurie, 71.
“On November 18, it will be a part of my life that will come to an end, after more than twelve years at home. growing up in front of this great series,” said Corentin, 22, who hopes that the series “will be able to live again in one form or another”.
Same story for Nadia, 48: “I loved it. this series, when I learned that it was stopping, I cried. and I will miss it, because 18 years without missing an episode, it was part of my life.
“Thank you to; everyone who participated”
“This ending breaks my heart. I owe them so much to all of its amazing actors. Thanks to; them, to the screenwriters as well as to all its people who have worked in the shadows to make us live our most beautiful life for eighteen years,” writes Sophie, 31.
“I dare not imagine it! motion on the day of the last shoot. But know that this emotion is shared by us too,” concludes Clara, 20, who is keen to “thank everyone who participated. to the creation of PBLV and those who allowed it to continue; live all these years”.