“We came to the Basque Country to spend our holidays”

Un the morning of the end of February 2023, the G2 hangar, at Bassins à flot in Bordeaux, is in turmoil: a floor has been requisitioned to accommodate the filming of the new TF1 legal series, “Le Daron”, with Didier Bourdon and Mélanie Bernier. This is where the offices of the Daron family law firm were set up. Behind the camera, Frank Bellocq gives his instructions in a serious atmosphere and good humor.

So what is this series “Le Daron” about?

Vincent Daron (Didier Bourdon) is a brilliant and whimsical court lawyer, at the head of a famous family firm that he founded with his brother Jean-Michel. But when the latter dies, Daron discovers that he has bequeathed all of his shares to Pauline Lefranc (Mélanie Bernier), a young lawyer who has just given him a hard time during a trial. A cataclysmic surprise for everyone, including her own children, the twins Esther (Audrey Pirault) and Grégory (Ludovik). Daron will go from discovery to revelation about Pauline and will have to use all his malice and his chicanery to calm this family chaos…

Didier Bourdon, you have a special relationship with our region…

Didier Bourdon. Yes, it’s a region that I know well. I spent my entire childhood in Biarritz (64). I did all primary school there and my 6^e. Then we came to the Basque Country to spend our holidays. My cousin is still in Anglet. And today, my mother lives in Mérignac (33), my sister in Martignas-sur-Jalle (33) and my brother-in-law works at Thales.

Who is your Daron character?

D. B. He is a lawyer who is between Éric Dupond-Moretti and Bernard Tapie. Even if he has empathy, he is a bit of a rogue, he is not afraid to circumvent the law. He loves his own children very much, and those who work with him, whom he also considers his offspring. And Nadia, his secretary, is a bit like his surrogate mother. He is a brilliant and whimsical man who assumes his bad faith with unfailing confidence, because he is often overwhelmed by the situation.

What do you like about Daron’s character?

D. B. Playing unclear characters is always interesting. I had never thought of taking on the role of a lawyer before and I really like it. Remember, in “The Three Brothers”, I was rather in the dock.

Is this your first time playing in a series?

D. B. It’s another job, which I enjoy because the writing, in which we take part, is different. It oscillates between comedy and much darker scenes. The verbal ping-pong between my character and that of Pauline is also delicious. One thing is certain: I loved filming this first season, even if I have never been so tired in my life.

Mélanie Bernier, during the filming we sense an enormous bond between Didier Bourdon and you…

Mélanie Bernier. I love him so much, I’m really lucky to work with such a partner. It’s a very nice meeting and a joy to play with Didier.

Why did you start this series?

M. B. After working under the direction of Frank Bellocq in “Love Addict”, I really wanted to repeat the adventure. Participating in such a series is very motivating. With Didier, we form a very complicit duo who, however, never stop tickling each other. These two characters love to hate each other and it’s very pleasant to play, especially when we like each other on a human level in life.

How did you work on your character of Pauline Lefranc?

M. B. I built my character differently from my other projects, because the range of play is large, and I constantly questioned myself about Pauline’s variations so that viewers could become attached to her.

Are you satisfied with the result?

D. B. Personally, I’m very happy with the result and I hope the viewers will be as happy as we are. The bar was high for the first season. I wondered if there would only be investigations, which would have quickly bored me. But there is still so much to say and do for a new season!

M. B. I was frustrated not to have more arguments in the first season, and I hope to argue more in the next one. Pauline will certainly be even more keen to invest in the family practice, despite the upcoming conflicts with Daron’s children, Esther and Grégory. Personally, I can’t wait to return to Bordeaux, a city that I particularly like.

Six 52-minute episodes broadcast on TF1 in bursts of two on Monday evening at 9:10 p.m. starting Monday October 21.