“I skip and watch,” Passi sang at the end of the 1990s. Like every year, television has its share of surprises, but also sure values, with very diverse destinies. TF1, France 2, M6… A look back at what didn’t work, and what we could well find on the air in 2025.
FLOPS
Withered rose for the “Golden Bachelor”
We cannot be and have been. This sentence fits perfectly with “Golden Bachelor”. After almost twenty years of absence on M6, the dating program with the famous red rose quickly faded. Worse, after only two weeks, and therefore two Bachelor bonuses with candidates aged at least 55, the channel decided, at the end of September, to switch its reality show to W9.
With less than 800,000 followers for the first two episodes, or around 5% audience share, the gentleman’s comeback turned out to be a real flop. Worse, a few weeks after the broadcast of “Golden Bachelor” on M6, three candidates attacked the production in relation to the filming conditions. Not sure that the format will return to TV straight away.
“Beijing Express”, the Saturday evening rout
M6 still, but a safe bet – and more recent – this time. This year, La Six decided to program “Beijing Express: The Epic of the Maharajas” on Saturday evening, when the parents were at the restaurant. Result 1.36 million viewers, or 7.5% of the public, for the launch of the program. This is low, compared to previous years, when the road trip program was broadcast on Thursday evenings.
So, Express flop? Flop yes, express no, since the curves of poor audiences were attenuated by the replay. Thus, the first evening of “Pekin Express” 2024 was caught by 700,000 viewers, increasing the average for the first part of the evening to 2.1 million faithful (10% audience share for those aged 4 and over and 25% on purchasing managers under 50). A twentieth season will see the light of day at the beginning of 2025.
Motion of censure for “In the Shadow”
Last month, the France 2 series In the shadows had ended far from the spotlight. However, this fiction, scheduled over three Wednesdays in the early evening, was to be one of the events of the year. Created by Pierre Schoeller (State Exercise) and adapted from the eponymous book co-written by former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and relying on a solid casting composed of Melvil Poupaud, Swann Arlaud and Karin Viard, the series did not find its audience.
We can even speak of a motion of censure from the public during the sixth and final episode, broadcast on November 13, with only 1.15 million viewers in front of their stations (7% audience share and 2.3% of those responsible purchases). Not sure that In the shadows will have the right to a second term.
“The Voice Kids” sing
The change of day (from Tuesday to Saturday) and a shift in the season did not work for “The Voice Kids” on TF1. The telecrochet, which highlights children, was making a comeback with Claudio Capéo, Slimane, Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori on the jury. The final, which saw Tim’s coronation on October 5, only attracted 2.7 million viewers, or 14.8% and 17.9% market share over four years and over, placing the latter appointment of season 9 for the first time below the 3 million mark.
However, throughout the season, the telehook on the front page maintained its standards. A season 11 should therefore logically see the light of day in August next year, even if the channel has not yet communicated a broadcast date.
TOPS
The Olympics and the Euro, strong!
It is undoubtedly the audience hit for this year 2024. The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games brought together no less than 22.065 million spectators on Friday July 26, or 81.5% audience share. It tickled the absolute record held by the 2022 World Cup final, France-Argentina, which brought together 24.08 million viewers on TF1, or 81% audience share.
The closing ceremony, at the beginning of August, where the majority of French people were on vacation, brought together no less than 17.1 million viewers on average (77.3% audience share). This is more than the semi-final of the Euro football, Spain-France, which brought together, on average, 16.12 million viewers on TF1 (61.2% PDA).
“Miss France 2025”, queen of the audiences
The beauty contest has not only brought happiness to statisticians 20 Minutes. Indeed, the election of Miss France 2025, on Saturday, was once again a huge audience hit for TF1. No less than 7.4 million viewers, or 44.1% audience share, attended the coronation of Angélique Angarni-Filopon, Miss Martinique 2024. Note an audience peak of 8.44 million viewers at 11 p.m. Breathtaking audiences (the best since 2006), in the vein of the election of Miss France 2024, Eve Gilles.
Note that with this 2025 edition, Miss France mobilized 78% of 4-14 year olds on Saturday evening, and 65% of French women responsible for purchases under 50 years old. A hit! There is no doubt that the beauty contest is not about to end.
Notre Dame has gathered the faithful
A little earlier, on Saturday December 7, more than 7 million viewers were watching France 2 to follow the festivities at Notre-Dame de Paris. A peak was measured just before Emmanuel Macron’s speech (8.03 million at 7:37 p.m., or 37.5% of the market share for those aged 4 and over).
The choice of France 2, which shared the news of the reopening of the Parisian cathedral with the continuous news channels, paid off in more than one way in terms of audiences. Indeed, La Deux had offered a special Notre-Dame day which made it possible to obtain a 24.9% audience share over the day, compared to 15.5% on its main competitor, TF1. Note that the concert, presented by Stéphane Bern, attracted 3.91 million people, or 22% of the market share. A blessing for the France Télévisions group channel.
Cat’s Eyes and “ADP” seduce
In the fiction sector, TF1 was a hit. Camille Lou, Constance Labbé and Claire Romain, the three sisters complicit in Cat’s Eyeswere able to seduce the public for its launch, Monday evening (November 11), with 5.51 million viewers, or 23.6% of the public. In September, the launch of Brocéliandewith Nolween Leroy, brought together 4.2 million curious people.
Special mention finally to one of the most followed programs on the site 20 Minutes“L’Amour est dans le pré” which, with Karine Le Marchand at the presentation, had weekly audiences, every Monday evening, around 4 million viewers. The dating program will be entitled to its 20th season, in 2025.
