“Welcome to Z'amours.
We discover without further delay our couples of the day ”, announces Pascal, the voice over of the game of France 2. Among the candidates, Eve and Yohann.
“She is libertine.
He is ... libertine too.
They met in a libertine club.
"Then Bruno Guillon continues:" Yohann, I know that you are a mason, that you work in eroticism and that you are a former actor in somewhat naughty films.
"
So much for the presentations, this Wednesday March 17, at 11:20. For twenty-six minutes, we will talk about "marriage proposal aboard a hot air balloon", but especially "handcuffs", "games with whipped cream. "," Lingerie meetings "," evening with accessories "or even" clubs for adults ", without" going into too much detail ".
Couples who answer questions about their intimacy, that's all the charm of this program, appreciated that day by 900,000 faithful (17.9% of PDA).
A good score, in the high average of the box.
Except that this little game no longer really appeals to France Télévisions.
According to our information, the rupture is even recorded: "the Z'amours" will not be renewed at the start of the school year for a twenty-seventh season.
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Launched in February 1995 with Jean-Luc Reichmann, this program was then hosted by Tex for eighteen years and Bruno Guillon for three seasons.
A first version entitled "The Marrieds of the A2" had also preceded this one, from 1987 to 1992, played by Patrice Laffont, then Georges Beller.
2021 therefore marks the end of a long history between "the Z'amours" and the public service.
This reduces the number of historical games still in circulation.
In August 2019, France 2 had already stopped “Motus”, led by Thierry Beccaro for twenty-nine years.
Only “Questions for a champion” will remain, aired in 1988, on FR3.
And "From numbers to letters", which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next January.
Its flaw, an adaptation of an American game
It is also a blow for the host-producer Arthur, who will lose a cash machine.
Last summer, the latter bought the company Sony Pictures France, which manufactures the France 2 game, via its Satisfaction group (“Friday everything is allowed”, “Tourists”, “District Z”…).
Contacted, he declined to comment.
On the France Télévisons side, we do not confirm.
"Les Z'amours" had already pitched in 2018, when Tex left, fired after a joke about battered women told in the C 8 show "C'est que de la TV".
At the time, his joke attracted the attention of the Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men, Marlène Schiappa.
It had also sent a report to the CSA.
A boon for France 2, which found that Tex was "no longer in line with the expectations of the public and the channel".
Believing his disproportionate dismissal, the host claimed 1.2 million euros before the industrial tribunal, but he only obtained 45,000. In the meantime, the Two approached several potential replacements.
The choice fell on Bruno Guillon, who worked on the rejuvenation of the image.
Not enough.
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Today, "les Z'amours" has another flaw: it is an adaptation of "The Newlywed Game" ("the game of the newlyweds", in French), an American program.
However, France Télévisions has a new policy since the re-election of Delphine Ernotte-Cunci as president of the public broadcasting group last summer.
It is committed before the CSA to put on the air more formats invented in France, which is already the case for entertainment ("the Secret Box", "the Letter", "Spectacular" ...) .
"We can only support this strategy of made in France on the public service"
“If a new French concept arrives on France 2, it is good news, rejoices Jean-Michel Salomon, president of the Society of game authors.
Taking the risk of launching a game designed by us means trying to achieve French success, which can then be exported internationally.
"" We can only support this strategy of made in France on the public service, a mark of confidence for creators and independent producers and a way of promoting our know-how ", adds Christophe Koszarek, president of the Federation of audiovisual and digital creators, also at the head of Jara Prod (“La Quotidienne”).
In this spirit, La Deux recently relaunched the house game “One word can hide another”, taken over by Laurence Boccolini.
In recent years, innovative concepts have also been offered to France Télévisions teams without their materializing on one of the group's channels, due to a lack of space available.
According to our information, Banijay ("Everyone has a say" ...) has also just shot for France 2 a new pilot, called "the Invincibles", where it is about general culture.
Among the three animators tested, there is Nagui, but especially Bruno Guillon.
An asset, since the latter, who did not respond to our requests, is almost guaranteed to keep the box occupied by "the Z'amours".
The start of a new adventure.
