Moloch
CREATOR: Arnaud Malherbe
CAST: Marine Vacth, Olivier Gourmet & Arnaud Valois
Some strange things have been going on around an industrial seaside town. People have just started bursting into flames and nobody can figure out why this is happening. Were these a series of murders or just a rash of suicides? Were the fires of this world or some strange paranormal occurrence? The young journalist Louise and psychiatrist Gabriel are hoping to find an answer as they open an investigation into this weird rash of fiery violence. This dark mixture of crime and fantasy stars Olivier Gourmet, Marine Vacth, and Marc Zinga. Watch the trailer of Moloch

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Osmosis
CREATOR: Audrey Fouché
CAST: Hugo Becker, Agathe Bonitzer & Yuming Hey
The future of Paris has transformed the romantic process of seeking your soulmate. Thanks to advanced technologies, the human brain is now scanned and analyzed by a dating application to match up singles based on this data. Though this form of dating seems far more advanced and scientific, the applicants may not truly be ready to experience true love from such an app. Created by Audrey Fouché, this romantic sci-fi saga stars Agathe Bonitzer, Hugo Becker, and Gaël Kamilindi. Watch the trailer of Osmosis

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Lupin
CREATOR: George Kay
CAST: Omar Sy, Hervé Pierre & Nicole Garcia
Based on the classic French literary character, this series focuses on the gentleman thief antics of one Arsène Lupin. Though devoted to stirring up the public and swiping the most valuable of valuables, Lupin is also on a quest to avenge his father and uncover the truth that has led to sullying his name by a wealthy and corrupt family. This modern revision of caper thrills stars the likes of Vincent Londez, Shirine Boutella, Nicole Garcia. Watch the trailer of Lupin

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Peur sur le lac
CREATOR: Jérôme Cornuau
CAST: Juliette Plumecocq-Mech, Julie de Bona & Lannick Gautry
Peur sur du lac or Fear by the Lake is a new French thriller series about a mysterious and mortally contagious virus that threatens the population of Annecy. A race against the clock envelops. Where does it come from and how to stop it? Watch the trailer of Peur sur le lac

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Le Bazar de la Charité
CREATOR: Catherine Ramberg
CAST: Audrey Fleurot, Camille Lou & Josiane Balasko
In 1897 Paris, a devastating fire at the Bazar de la Charité killed 126 people. After the tragic event, the upper class Adrienne de Lenverpré (Audrey Fleurot) hopes to flee from her marriage presidency-seeking husband, Marc-Antoine de Lenverpré (Gilbert Melki). Also followed after the fire are Adrienne's niece, Alice de Jeansin, and her close maidservant, Rose Rivière. The series revolves around the dramatic aftermath of the fire and how these three women proceed with their lives. Watch the trailer of Le Bazar de la Charité

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Mortel
CREATOR: Frédéric Bélier-Garcia
CAST: Carl Malapa, Némo Schiffman, Manon Bresch
High school students Sofiane and Victor find themselves desperate enough to solve the murder of Sofiane's brother, Reda, that they dip into the supernatural. They form a pact with the voodoo god Obé in hopes of learning the truth. Obé grants them the ability to both manipulate people and read their minds. They must remain close, however, for these powers to work. But when they need to be rid of Obé, they enlist the help of the voodoo-practicing Luisa to free them. Watch the trailer of Mortel

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Marianne
CREATOR: Samuel Bodin
CAST: Victoire Du Bois, Lucie Boujenah, Tiphaine Daviot, Ralph Amoussou
Emma Larsimon (Victoire Du Bois) is a young novelist who specializes in writing horror stories. Fiction meets reality, however, when she discovers the characters she writes in her books end up becoming real. Though she has decided to stop writing horror, she finds herself returning to her hometown when the evil spirit Marianne that haunts her nightmares takes shape in reality to bring terror and horror to the residents. An investigation is soon under way to get to the bottom of this supernatural horror. Watch the trailer of Marianne

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La Mante
CREATOR: Alice Chegaray-Breugnot
CAST: Frédérique Bel, Carole Bouquet & Fred Testot
There are not many shows about female serial killers, so that is always a treat. In La Mante, the nickname of the female imprisoned serial killer, she decides to collaborate with the police when a copycat appears killing in her style. Watch the trailer of La Mante

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La Forêt
CREATOR: Delinda Jacobs
CAST: Samuel Labarthe, Suzanne Clément & Alexia Barlier
A French Netflix thriller production about a teen who disappears in her small village in the Ardennes. Two detectives lead the investigation. They are helped by Eve, the girl's lonely and mysterious teacher. Watch the trailer of La Forêt

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The Crimson Rivers
CREATOR: Mathieu Kassovitz
CAST: Olivier Marchal, Erika Sainte &
Les rivières pourpres created by Jean-Christophe Grangé is yet another succesfull French detective series. It's about a bizarre series of murders, a stubborn investigator duo and a lot of bodies. Watch the trailer of The Crimson Rivers

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Maroni
CREATOR: Aurélien Molas
CAST: Stéphane Caillard, Adama Niane, Issaka Sawadogo, Jérémie Laheurte
Stéphane Caillard, the Marseilles star, is a police offer investigating a murder and a kidnapping in the heart of French Guinea. A thriller set in the jungle, including... Watch the trailer of Maroni

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Braquo
CREATOR: Olivier Marchal
CAST: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Joseph Malerba & Karole Rocher
Most often described as the French ‘The Wire’ (HBO), Braquo is indeed remarkably dark and violent, but like the other French police show on this list, Engrenages, also goes into the specifics of law-enforcement. It follows a unit of Parisian detectives who without hesitating circumvent the law, and let nobody get in their way to achieve justice. The series starts when one of their colleagues commits suicide because of something to do with a case. They sink their teeth into it and do not let go. It is definitely one of the better European television series out there. RATING: 81/100

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Engrenages
CREATOR: Alexandra Clert, Guy-Patrick Sainderichin
CAST: Caroline Proust, Audrey Fleurot, Thierry Godard, Philippe Duclos
One of Europe’s top television series. It was already released in 2005, but it remains incredibly popular. Engrenages ('Spiral') is about the judicial and law-enforcement system of France. The viewer follows follows the day-to-day activities of police detectives, lawyers, public prosecutors and judges. In a sense it is like Law & Order, with the exception that it is actually any good. RATING: 85/100

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Unité 9
CREATOR: Danielle Trottier
CAST: Ève Landry, Guylaine Tremblay, François Papineau, Émilie Bibeau
Follows a French Canadian woman going to jail for 7 years for pushing her father down the stairs. As the story unfolds we get to see how this all came about and the reasons behind it. The story follows the woman in jail as well as her family on the outside. RATING: 78/100

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19-2
CREATOR: Réal Bossé, Claude Legault
CAST: Adrian Holmes, Jared Keeso & Benz Antoine
The Story revolves around two beat cops who are incompatible with each other but have to work together as a patrol unit in district 19 downtown in cruiser no.2. RATING: 87/100

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Le Bureau des Légendes
CREATOR: Eric Rochant
CAST: Mathieu Kassovitz, Sara Giraudeau & Pauline Étienne
After having worked in Syria for six year, an intelligence officer can't seem to switch his secret identity off - not even when he's back in France. Very good show! RATING: 82/100

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Glacé: The Frozen Dead
CREATOR: Gérard Carré, Pascal Chaumeil, Caroline Van Ruymbeke
CAST: Charles Berling, Julia Piaton & Nina Meurisse
A small town in the French town in the French Pyrenees is the topic of investigation after a horrific discovery of a hidden for years mystery. RATING: 61/100

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Twice Upon a Time
CREATOR: Nathalie Leuthreau
CAST: Gaspard Ulliel, Freya Mavor & Patrick d'Assumçao
Months after a crushing breakup, a man receives a mysterious package that opens a portal to the past -- and gives him a chance to win back his ex. Read more

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In France, people no longer look down on television. The French have created a few great series like Spiral, for instance, but since The Returned they have really kicked off. Below, our pick of France’s finest.


I do not have to tell you that the French have a thing for cinema. But now, although for a long time frowned upon, they also have a thing for scripted television shows. Next to great crime and police series in the 00’s, a number of hit French tv series have been produced in the 10’s that will blow you away. Most recently the Canal + 2013 French horror series ‘The Returned’ conquered the world, including the US via the Sundance Channel, but more good new series are coming our way in 2014. Here a top list of all the recent best French tv shows you should know.