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Eutelsat 16A 16.0° E French Lover TV Frequency:11512 Polarization:H Symbol Rate:30000 Fec:8/9. Daily French features one new French word and four sentences to learn how to use it, everyday. Here is where you can catch up and replay them forever.
Watching foreign films or television series are both excellent ways to help you learn French.
It helps you gather a better understanding of the daily lifestyle and expressions that French may use whilst consolidating your existing vocabulary. It can help you fine-tune your listening skills to adapt to the various speeds and accents you may encounter.
However, while it can be an enjoyable and productive way to cram a lesson into your day, the truth is that you don’t always have time to sit down to watch a two-hour tear-jerker about a bourgeois quadriplegic and his carer from the suburbs.
Fear not though, you can turn to the more manageable and reliable medium that is television. The two huge advantages that television has over film are those of time management (easier to fit around your schedule) and story depth (longer running time= longer character arcs and plotlines).
For this reason I have compiled a list of the best French language television series out there, past and present.
1. Les Aventures de Tintin
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 39
(source:babelio)
Plot: Follow the adventures of a young Belgian detective and his loyal travel companion Snowy the dog as they travel the world, going from one adventure to the next.
Why watch it? Simply put: it’s a timeless classic. Originally a children’s comic book, the language is ideal for beginners, whilst the content is enjoyable for all ages.
2. Un Village Français
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 60
(source:france3)
Plot: Drama set in the fictional town of Villeneuve during the Nazi occupation. Seen through the eyes of the populace, the prolonged state of fear brings out the best and worst in people, as the town rallies together to make it through this most trying of times.
![Channel Channel](/uploads/1/1/9/9/119914240/510642588.jpg)
Why watch it? One for the history buffs among you. An in-depth portrayal French life during this period, set against the historical backdrop of the Vichy government.
3. Fais pas ci, Fais pas ça
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 56
(source:france2)
Plot: Comedy depicting two contrasting families over the course of a year. While their differences are evident, both families slowly become more and more drawn to one another along the way.
Why watch it? In this classic sitcom format, the viewers are presented with an honest depiction of French humor, and its important role in what it means to be French.
4. Un Gars, une Fille
Difficulty: Advanced.
Number of episodes: 486
(source:france2)
Plot: A detailed look into the lives and relationship of a French couple. Loving, laughing, crying, shouting and back to loving. No stone is left unturned in this study of their everyday existence, and their consequences that can make or break even the most solid of connections.
Why watch it? One of France’s most popular television series, it is a firm fixture of the country’s pop culture. Originally from Quebec, the French adaptation has shortened the episode lengths down to seven minutes each – making for an ideal bite sized lesson somewhere in your day.
5. Engrenages
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced.
Number of episodes: 52
(source:canalplus)
Plot: Police and legal drama series centering on the working relationship between the Parisian police and the justice system, as they work together to maintain peace and order in society.
Why watch it? Detectives, lawyers, judges, criminals. What’s not to like? Fans of crime shows in particular should make a note of it, as should anyone trying to take their study to the next level, as the language does become quite intricate at times.
6. Braquo
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced.
Number of episodes: 24
(source:canalplus)
Plot: Following false accusations and the resulting suicide of their former colleague, four police officers band together to clear his name and, in doing so, put themselves in the firing line.
Why watch it? A truly action-packed thriller for the adrenaline seekers amongst you. With only twenty-four episodes, it also represents an achievable project.
7. Les Revenants
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 8
(source:canalplus)
Plot: The serenity of a sleepy rural town is shattered by the inexplicable supernatural phenomena that start occurring. Sudden power outages, water levels depleting, weird skin marks and, most significantly, the return of their deceased loved ones.
Why watch it? A fresh take on a familiar supernatural/fantasy genre, breathing some now life into the public’s enduring fascination with zombies.
8. Kaamelott
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced.
![Channels Channels](/uploads/1/1/9/9/119914240/895640976.jpg)
Number of episodes: 458
(source:canalplus)
Plot: Centered on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table’s quest to locate the Holy Grail, this is a satirical reimagining of the well-known legends.
Why watch it? Thoroughly entertaining, with its mini episode format (around three and a half minutes) making this an extremely enjoyable way to practice your French comprehension.
9. Bref
Difficulty: Advanced.
Number of episodes: 82
(source:canalplus)
Live French Tv Channels
Plot: Follow ‘I’, a nameless 30 year old, through the monotony of his day-to-day existence, as he struggles to meet the basic goals that he believes constitutes a successful life.
Why watch it? A more insightful view of modern French culture is on offer in this frank series. However, the dialogue is very fast-paced, with most characters speaking at a relatively high-speed. As such, it may not be suitable for beginner to intermediate levels.
10. Plus Belle la Vie
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 2613
(source:france3)
Plot: Soap opera based in the fictional “le Mistral” neighbourhood in the Mediterranean port-city of Marseille. With more plot twists than a Hollywood movie, and plenty of melodrama, it’s more escapist than realistic in its portrayal of contemporary France.
Why watch it? While perhaps not considered to be the apex of highbrow intellectual viewing, the show is extremely entertaining.
11. Les Mystérieuses Cités d’Or
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 39
(source:france2)
Plot: Sixteenth century historical/fantastical adventure anime. A young Spaniard and his navigator father set sail for the New World to search for legendary lost cities of gold.
Why watch it? A joint French and Japanese production, the animation is charming whilst the content is both enchanting and family friendly. It is ideal to watch with the kids before bedtime.
12. H
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 71
(source:canalplus)
Plot: Back to a more conventional format.. The plot revolves around a Parisian hospital’s medical staff, and the absurd situations that they face.
Why watch it? For the laughs alone, which this show delivers time and time again. Great for when you’re not looking for anything too serious, and just want to relax at the end of a long day.
13. Scène de ménage
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 886
(source:m6)
Plot: Adapted from the original Spanish show “Escepas de Matrimonio”, watch three couples of differing generations and the ways they make their relationships work for them. Each of the couples offers a different perspective, depending on where they are in their lives, of the diverse joys and dilemmas that they face.
Why watch it? A closer look into the ‘average’ French household. Well adapted from the original material. At times the humour can be quite dark, which may or may not be your cup of tea.
14. Mafiosa
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced.
Number of episodes: 40
(source:canalplus)
Plot: After the murder of her notorious uncle, Sandra Paoli must take her place at the head of her family’s clan of the Corsican mafia. Assisted out by her brother, she dives head first into a world of violence, drugs, sex and money.
Why watch it? A feminist twist on the tried and tested crime drama genre, allegedly a dramatisation of the life of Sandra Casanova-Germani, sister of Jean-Luc Germani, currently France’s most wanted man. See the rise to power of a woman overcoming adversity (despite she is a criminal…), to prove that she deserves her title in the macho environment of organised crime. If The Sopranos and Weeds got together, then this would be their love child.
15. Il était une fois… la vie
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.
Number of episodes: 26
(source:france3)
Plot: Another French-Japanese animation creation. Aimed at children, we’re presented with an interactive tour of the human body and its various bits and pieces in an educational format.
Why watch it? Unless they’re particularly interested in expanding their French anatomy vocabulary, adults might want to give this one a miss. It is however, an excellent tool to help teach your kids French, while they might also learn a thing or two about blood vessels along the way.
Watching French TV is one of the best ways to learn vocabulary and improve your understanding of the French language and culture.
The only problem is that finding French TV channels you can watch online can be challenging, most of all if you don’t live in France.
That’s why I’ve done all of the hard work for you and created a list of the best French TV channels you can watch online. You’ll also find some Canadian and Belgian TV channels.
In some cases, you may need to install a VPN to avoid geographical restrictions though. That’s something I show you how to do at the end of this article.
7 French TV channels you can watch from abroad
These are French, Canadian and Belgian TV channels you can watch live online from anywhere in the world.
There are also many channels that are blocked from abroad. I’ll explain you how to easily watch those from abroad anyway in the second part of this article.
Euronews
Euronews is a European TV channel on which you can watch programs about news, culture, technology and many other interesting topics.
The language is pretty formal, but each video comes with a transcript you can download, which makes Euronews one of the very best French TV channels to improve your French.
France24
This a TV channel specifically created for people living outside of France. It’s mission is to cover world news from a French perspective.
It’s also one of the rare TV channels on this list to be available in several languages (French, English, Arabic).
TV5 Monde
TV5Monde is a French language television network with channels available in most regions of the world such as:
- TV5 Canada
- TV5MONDE Europe
- TV5MONDE Pacifique
- TV5MONDE États-Unis
You can easily watch it live on the official website.
Arte
This TV channel offers programs both in French and in German.
Most of these programs are about culture, but Arte also broadcasts popular TV shows such as Breaking Bad.
If you speak German this is a great occasion to practice your French and you can easily watch the German version of the program if you didn’t understand something.
RTBF
If you’re interested in the Belgian variety of French and in Belgium in general, you’ll be happy to know you can watch the different channels from RTBF online from anywhere in the world.
As one of the main Belgian TV company, RTBF owns several TV channels and a large variety of programmes you can watch live online.
BFM TV
BFM TV is a French TV channel dedicated to news and weather forecasts.
It’s also the most-watched French news TV channel and can be watched online from anywhere in the world.
LCP
La Chaîne parlementaire is a TV channel broadcasting activity from the National Assembly and Senate of France.
You can watch it online from anywhere in the world.
8 French TV channels you can’t watch from abroad without a VPN
These are TV channels you normally can’t watch unless you live in France.
I say normally, because you can easily avoid geographical restrictions by installing a VPN software. That’s something I explain in more detail at the end of this article.
Eurosport
Eurosport is a European TV channel dedicated to sports.
It’s available in 54 countries and 20 languages which makes it particularly useful if you don’t understand something.
France TV (formerly Pluzz)
France TV allows you to watch French public TV channels online in real time or a few hours after they aired.
You can watch all kinds of programs, including French TV channels for kid, which is a great start if you are a beginner in French and don’t understand more serious topics.
TF1
TF1 is one of the main French TV channels and offers a broad varieties of popular French and American TV shows such as Arrow (one of my favorite shows); Grey’s Anatomy and The Mentalist.
M6
M6 is another popular TV channel.
It broadcasts news, shows and series such as the hilarious French series Kaamelott.
France2
As the biggest public French Tv channel, France2 offers a large variety of shows including news and culture, but also TV series and movies.
Unfortunately, like most publish French TV channels, you can’t watch it from abroad without a VPN.
France3
France3 is a public French channel with a focus on educational and cultural content.
It’s also a regional TV channel which means the content depends on the region.
France4
This is public channel targeting a younger audience with lots of entertaining content (movies, TV series, music etc).
France5
France5’s mission is to share knowledge which is why you’ll find lots of documentaries and educational content on this channel.
It’s quite similar to Arte in that regard.
France Ô
France Ô is the French TV channel of overseas departments such as Guadeloupe and Martinique.
You can watch it live online if you use a VPN or live in France.
i-Télé
i-Télé is a French TV channel dedicated to news.
It’s usually one of the fastest channels to report news as they happen.
Gulli
Gulli is a TV channel broadcasting cartoons and TV shows for children including some international shows like Adventure Time.
You can watch it online using Play TV or watch most shows after they were aired using the official website.
Play TV
Play TV is an online streaming website you can use to watch a broad selection of French TV channels online including:
- TF1
- France 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Canal +
- LCI
- Gulli
Unfortunately, you’ll also need a VPN to access it if you don’t live in France (see below).
How to easily watch French TV from abroad and avoid geographical restrictions in one click
If you try to watch French TV channels online from abroad, you’re likely to encounter this irritating message.
That’s because most French channels can only be watched from France.
In theory at least.
Luckily, you can easily access any website and avoid geographical restrictions using a VPN .
When you use a VPN, your connection goes through a distant server.
For example, if you are in San Francisco, you can use a VPN server located in Paris.
Then, all the websites will think you are in Paris, and you will have access to all the TV channels you couldn’t access before.
The bad news is that a good VPN (one that will be fast enough to watch videos and won’t show ads when you browse the web) costs money.
The good news is that it won’t cost you more than your daily cup of coffee.
French Lovers Tv Channel Series
I recommend TunnelBear, it’s fast and reliable and allows you to easily watch French TV online.
Very practical when you want to access TV channels and websites with geographical restrictions.
French Tv Streaming
All you have to do is sign up for an account, install the software and choose the location you want. Once this done, you can watch all French TV channels which are normally restricted to people located in France.
Over to you
Do you watch French TV? What’s your favorite program? Answer in the comments below this article!