The Parliament series, a light-hearted political satire set in the world of European institutions, has already won over a number of foreign audiences, from Germany to the USA and Asia. The first two episodes of Season 3, scheduled for broadcast in France on Friday September 29, were previewed at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Biarritz. Fabienne Servan-Schreiber, series producer at Cinétévé, and Julia Schulte, international sales director at France tv distribution, tell us about the genesis of the project and the unique features of the series and this new season.
Unifrance: How did Parliament come about?
Fabienne Servan-Schreiber : Parliament arose from a desire to make the European Parliament better known to the general public. European institutions are distant and disparaged, and European elections are marked by a record abstention rate, so parliamentarians work hard in a context that is difficult—it's a question of getting twenty-seven countries to agree!—and exciting at the same time. It's all the more important to understand the institution as many aspects of our lives now depend on decisions taken in Brussels or Strasbourg.
I lived with a member of the European Parliament, Henri Weber, and seeing him work, travel, discuss, and negotiate, I thought that fiction, and above all comedy, could familiarize the general public with European institutions, and that it would be useful. Then I was lucky enough to find Noé Debré, who immediately shared my enthusiasm.
Noé Debré spent his entire youth in Strasbourg. And ever since he started writing, he's had the desire to make the European Parliament the active setting for one of his fictions. To use it as a stage for the development of colorful characters, and to tell young people about Europe and the difficult construction of its collective democracy. Some of these young people have grown up with Erasmus and low-cost flights, which have broadened their horizons.
How does the third season differ from previous ones, and what new features does it offer?
Fabienne Servan-Schreiber: The first season of Parliament told the story of Samy, who came to the European Parliament by chance and ended up giving his all for a cause he knew nothing about when he arrived. In the second season, we meet up with a more seasoned Samy, who has to learn to compromise without compromising himself. The third season deals with the dreaded question of cynicism in politics. While Seasons 1 and 2 focused on the European Parliament, Season 3 takes us to the next level in the discovery of the arcane workings of the European Union, and tells the story behind the confrontations between institutions, the legal and administrative battles between the Commission and the Parliament, and the political dirty tricks that accompany them, of course.
Season 3 gives even greater prominence to the German characterst—and this is no longer fiction!
What were the main challenges in setting up this project, particularly in gaining access to the parliamentary world?
Fabienne Servan-Schreiber: We had to juggle with the Parliament's very strict schedule, since we could only shoot outside parliamentary sessions; but we received a wonderful welcome from the Strasbourg teams, which made it much easier to manage these constraints.
The fact remains, however, that shooting time is a major constraint, since it's not possible to go beyond the established work schedule.
As with many of Slash's programs, budget constraints were also very present, even if France Télévisions increased its contribution, because producing for digital doesn't cost less than for on-air. Fortunately, we have our German co-producer, without whom Parliament could not exist.
How do you explain Parliament's success in France and internationally, especially with our neighbors across the Rhine?
Fabienne Servan-Schreiber: Germany is at the heart of the European Union, and Germans are (perhaps?) less prejudiced against Europe than the French, for whom it's part of national culture. From the very first season, our German partner was also able to launch the series with a cast that was very popular across the Rhine, which immediately gave the series a high profile. What's more, the series wasn't just broadcast digitally, as was the case in France, so the promotion that accompanied the broadcast was also more intense.
Julia Schulte: Parliament is a European political satire that deals with bureaucracy, clichés, and cultural differences with finesse and warm-heartedness. Noé Debré has succeeded in creating characters that are at once quirky, authentic, and endearing, playing with the prejudices that divide Europeans. The series brilliantly depicts the complexity of European politics, and all that separates us from our neighbors, as much as that which unites us.
The series appeals to all types of audiences in European countries, and even to audiences beyond our continent's borders, as it presents a multitude of characters and points of view. Today, more than ever, Parliament should be programmed by European broadcasters, as it raises real political awareness, while being an extremely entertaining series. In Germany, the series was recently acquired by Netflix, which will broadcast Season 1 at the same time as ARD (German public television). The series has therefore been a great success with a wide range of audiences.
ARD joined the project right from the start, as a co-producing partner, and helped cast German characters such as Ingeborg in the first season, for example, which added a great deal of authenticity and a strong international scope to the series.
The subject is very specifically European. Does this make it more difficult to export the series beyond our continent's borders?
Julia Schulte: The fact that Topic, the North American SVOD platform, was one of the first international partners to buy the series, and even pre-purchased season 2, proves that Parlement is of undeniable interest to audiences outside Europe. For American audiences, Parliament is a brilliant political satire, comparable to successful series such as Veep, for example, regardless of the fact that the series is set in Brussels. There's a very universal approach in the way the series deals with bureaucracy, the dysfunctions of political institutions, and the irrationality of these organizations at times. What's more, the series has also been sold in Canada and as far afield as Asia!
What are your ambitions for the rest of the series' international career? Are you targeting any particular territories?
Julia Schulte: On a European scale, we hope that Italy, for example, where the series was recently shortlisted for the Prix Italia, will be charmed by Samy's adventures, as will the UK. But our ambition is, of course, to continue taking Parliament around the world!
