REPORTING – The public service pulled out all the stops to bring viewers to life this historic day marked by the Olympic Games. TV Magazine takes you live from Marseille into the depths of its system.
At 6:30 a.m., the weather is good, the sky is blue in Marseille. The “Télématin” team is launching the big day planned by France Télévisions for the arrival of the Olympic flame. “Hello Marseille! » playfully shout Thomas Sotto and Marie Portolano from a pontoon in the old port reaching the platform installed on the shore. As the hours pass, an increasingly dense audience crowds in front of the gates set up in front of the stage.
At 8:30 a.m., Julian Bugier, dressed in a navy blue suit with a cockade adorned with a cornflower in the buttonhole, comes to take the temperature. “It’s your day!” » says Laurent-Éric Le Lay, the sports director of France Télévisions. “I didn’t sleep that well”, he confides. And for good reason: the journalist will simply do eight hours of live broadcast during the day. And, a few minutes before going on air, the tension rises a notch. Especially since, during this morning the presenter brings to life both the arrival of the flame but also the commemorations of May 8, 1945.
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“We are never 200% confident before starting such a day but it is going to be a magical spectaclehe confides. There is always excitement and a little stress but that is positive for me because it gives me lots of energy. In these big special editions, you’re always afraid of missing out on something, but in fact, when you’ve worked hard, you have everything in your head and it works really well.”. The journalist has worked a lot in advance to be ready for this big day. “I read a lot of things and I make tons of sheets to reassure myself and, once the live broadcast is gone, I never read them! This is what allows me to have fun in the moment and it’s important because we’re experiencing something incredible all the same. That’s why I like doing this job, to be a storyteller.”
© François LEFEBVRE-FRANCE TELEVISIONS
On the set of “Télématin”, good humor is always essential. The chroniclers repeat their text under the sun. With a crooked smile and a curling eye, Marie Portolano welcomes her husband Grégoire Ludig for the promotion of his new film The Coubertin spirit. At first, she addresses him as a joke before addressing him informally. “It’s Mr. Portolano” underlines Thomas Sotto. The show ends in song with the arrival of the Gipsy King who sing their hits. The team, led by Thomas Sotto, sways to the sound of Cantare and Djobi Djoba. Alexandre Kara, the information director, is satisfied. The day represents a real challenge for him and his teams with the relocation of “Télématin”, from 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. but also with a special program all day: “we are on air from 6:30 a.m. to midnight, it’s a unique arrangement. We’ve never done that, we’re in a bit of uncharted territory.”he agrees.
“We would like to do this more often”
The members of the “Télématin” team are cheered by the crowd who rush to see them and get a photo or an autograph. “It went really well. It’s really a great exercise to do exteriors like that and to meet the public. Usually we never see them. We would like to do this more often”, notes Marie Portolano. The sports fan, with a plump stomach (she is pregnant with her third child) is particularly happy to participate in this day in her own way. “I’m disgusted not to make the Olympics (- she will be on maternity leave) It’s a bit of a consolation prize! »
Thomas Sotto lends himself to a crowd bath with the outpourings of the program’s aficionados. “You are my ray of sunshine every morning,” says an enamored fan. “I’m the one who sent you a banana pie for your birthday” another explains to him. While taking a selfie with his fans, Thomas Sotto is addressed by Julian Bugier who, after launching the live broadcast from the Old Port, joins the set. As soon as he got to his place he said: “I see Thomas Sotto clowning around with the public. Thomas Sotto is everything okay? You come see us whenever you want! », he told her before returning to the air. At 10:30 a.m., Anne-Sophie Lapix in turn arrives in the external premises installed by France Télévisions. At the end of the day, she will present, also from Marseille, the 8 p.m. news.
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Julian Bugier is live. Robert Pires, Camille Lacourt and even the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa Castera follow one another on the set. At 12:30 p.m., he slips away and hands over to Cécile Grès so that he can prepare the 1 p.m. news.
While she sets off on set, Julian Bugier continues his marathon. Time is running out: he goes back on air in less than 30 minutes and has no time to settle down. Standing near a pontoon, he rereads the 1 p.m. newspaper while enjoying a few chouquettes and compote to regain his strength. Several people are moving around him. His assistant holds the program for him, a sound technician places his microphone and the makeup artist replumps his nose. Before returning to the set, he will greet the audience. “I like being in direct contact with people”he specifies.
Then, he launched the 1 p.m. news, mainly devoted to Marseille. Not far away, Théo Curin, former Paralympic swimmer and consultant in the show “Aux jeux Citoyens” every evening on France 3, returns from a behind-the-scenes report on the event: “I have the opportunity to discover the backstage of this day of the arrival of the flame. I was able to go to the international control room where the director controls the twelve cameras allowing this meeting to be filmed. I also met the group of OM supporters, it’s really great! ». A report broadcast this Tuesday, May 8 in the live broadcast from Marseille.
In front of the France Télévisions sets, the crowd is getting denser and denser. Onlookers crane their heads to see the personalities walking around like Redouane Bougheraba. The comedian, a child from Marseille, is the guest of - and does not refuse any selfie. He will carry the flame tomorrow, Thursday May 9. “It’s very symbolic for me because I grew up with the Olympic Games. I hope I don’t trip (laughs). It’s going to be a great time! »
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3:45 p.m. After a well-deserved hour and a half break, Julian Bugier takes control of the special. He lists the guests of the afternoon, among them Soprano who will offer a concert that same evening in the Old Port with Alonzo. Here is the singer arriving on board a zodiac with his team. After a visit to makeup, he meets Marie-José Pérec and they both greet each other warmly. Everyone seems impressed by the other.
After a brief exchange and a few photos, the singer slips away to join the stage, acclaimed, as he passes, by the crowd. He greets her before sitting down opposite Julian Bugier. Other guests follow one another: Robert Pires, Thomas Pesquet, Marine Ltemporel, Alain Bernard and Nicole Ferroni. In the Old Port the atmosphere heats up with Mohamed Bouhafsi, columnist of “C à vous” present on stage to keep the public waiting before the long-awaited appearance of the Belem and the Olympic flame. Marie-José Perec, who came on stage like Basile Boli, Didier Drogba, Marine Ltemporel or Renaud Lavillenie, did not hide her emotion a few minutes before the arrival of the three-masted ship. After this unique event and a relocated 8 p.m. newscast, France 2 broadcasts live the concert given by Alonzo and Soprano in the Old Port hosted by Laury Thilleman and Laurent Luyat. Enough to light the fire even more in Marseille.
