With more than 4 million viewers every evening in front of their television, the success of the series “Scènes de households”, broadcast for 15 years on M6, no longer needs to be demonstrated. Guest of the TV Heroes festival this weekend in Beausoleil, Frédéric Bouraly, who plays José, received the prize for favorite French actor.
When the series started, did you expect it to be such a success?
I was convinced it wouldn’t work. Not that the program wasn’t good but at the time “Scènes de households” was broadcast at 8 p.m., a time where competition was strong on other channels. But it was a hit during the week. I was very wrong and so much the better. With my friend Valérie Karsenti, we tell ourselves that we are lucky to still laugh, to have fun, to take pleasure.
Your relationship has been there since the beginning, how do you experience it?
We are the historical ones, the only couple present from the beginning. These are characters that we really like. They slip on banana peels all the time but they always have this desire for things to be better.
How do you explain this success?
It’s a millefeuille. It’s a lot of work. There are 25 authors who write the texts. It is done with great sincerity. It speaks to people, it’s funny but there are no jokes. It’s only the situations that are funny.
How do you find this balance?
What is wonderful about this production is that we choose the texts in harmony with the authors and the director. It’s a luxury. Every year we hold seminars where we discuss together the topics to be covered the following year. That’s how we launched the idea of José becoming mayor. Last year we talked about menopause. Obviously, the goal is to do something that is not vulgar, without falling into the easy way.
You talk to people about things that concern them in their daily lives.
Yes, because these are subjects that we don’t often talk about in comedies. But thanks to the authors, we made it into something funny that speaks to everyone. We are very proud of that.
In life, do you have anything from José?
If he looked like me my wife would have left me a long time ago (laughs). I draw inspiration from left to right. To family, to friends. And I don’t tell them anyway! I look a lot at people in the street, their gestures, their words.
Is this a character that sticks with you?
No, it’s a gift. When I’m called, it’s rarely to do comedies because people know my career. It’s not that I don’t want to do it. I would be delighted, comedy is my DNA. But it’s quite rare. What’s wonderful for us about the series is that there is great esteem from the public but also great esteem from people in the profession.
“Household scenes”, Monday to Friday at 8:30 p.m., on M6.
