She was the queen of talk shows, by her longevity, her sensational interviews, her flamboyant columnists and her host of guests. "We are not lying", launched in 2006 by Laurent Ruquier and producer Catherine Barma, raised the fever on Saturday evening before fading in audiences and falling asleep slowly.
Its credits will resonate one last time, Saturday at 11.15 p.m. on France 2, after 14 seasons. But Laurent Ruquier, 57, gives an appointment in the fall, same channel, same time, for a brand new show. Confidences.
What was the atmosphere like for this last recording?
LAURENT RUQUIER. It was a nice last one. Obviously special with the sanitary rules and the absence of public, but nice! We plunged back into the great moments, with archive magnetos, forgotten images.
What did you forget about these 14 years?
The tears of Michel Polac, very moving during his last, when he was sick. But also funny moments, like Patrice Leconte responding to Eric Zemmour with a fable and calling him a pig. Above all, we see the evolution of what we can no longer say today on TV, but which at the time passed! Satire in the chronicles of Nicolas Bedos, the characters of Jonathan Lambert, cheeky remarks…
Freedom frayed?
It's certain. Because of the use we make of social networks. Today, the slightest crooked step can make a scandal that does not deserve it. By force of circumstances, "ONPC" has disintegrated and settled down.
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Will there be any surprises?
I wanted to have guests like Léa Salamé, Philippe Geluck or the writer Saphia Azzeddine, because it is a program that has sold many books! But also singers like Amir, Mister Mat… The atmosphere was young, to show that we gave new talent a chance.
What does that make you turn this page?
A little emotion, but above all the pride of what we did, to have had so many guests…
A main regret?
No. We did what we could. The first years, we received a lot of international artists. In the United States, in talk shows, everything is prepared and written in advance. At ONPC, no! Lady Gaga has been mistreated. After her, they didn't want to come! Then, I did not find comedians with as much talent as Florence Foresti, Jonathan Lambert or Nicolas Bedos. I also found the campaign against the highly talented columnist Vanessa Burggraf to be unfair. After her, there was a shift ... We sometimes forget how complicated this role of columnist was to hold each Saturday. Christine Angot was accused of racism, when you know her work and her life, it's lamentable! I couldn't stand it. Making this show was more and more difficult.
A columnist who said no?
Michel Onfray. But he has changed a lot since then and I'm less sure I would ask him today!
What are you going to do at the start of the school year?
I will always be on France 2 on Saturday in the second half of the evening, rather in October, and especially live, essential at the speed where the news and reactions go.
Is that what ONPC lacked?
Yes. When we started, there weren't as many debates on news channels, programs like "C à vous" or "Quotidien". In recent years, arriving after them and having recorded on Thursday evening, we have been out of step.
What will be the concept?
We will bring back the humor, the show, to be less plan-plan and more spectacular. We're working on it, I can't say more…
Always with a political guest?
There will be political subjects, but a political guest every week, no.
Are you not afraid of bringing personalities live on Saturday between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.?
It's a gamble. But the live will change everything. It'll be fun ! Live broadcasts are becoming increasingly rare, I myself haven't done that for a long time.
So you're starting from scratch?
Yes! We change content and concept. It will be in the studio, but not at the Gabriel studio. The goal is to do something very different, otherwise I would not have changed producers!
With your former producer Catherine Barma, angry at your decision to stop "ONPC", is reconciliation possible?
I don't care today. I move on to something else.
She would like you to pay for the layoffs at her production company ...
She hasn't had much luck in her previous trials, at Thierry Ardisson or Frédéric Lopez… We'll see.