Spiral (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Engrenages is a French television police drama series created by the TV production company Son et Lumière
. It is marketed in the English speaking world as Spiral. The first eight episodes series started on Canal+
in France on 13 December 2005. It returned for a second series of eight episodes on 12 May 2008, and a third series of twelve episodes on 3 May 2010. A fourth, fifth and sixth series have been ordered.
Engrenages primarily means "cogs" or "gear
s", but also has the sense of figurative spirals (into violence, for example).
Spiral has been a great export success, with sales to broadcasters in some 70 countries, among them Switzerland, Mexico, Japan, Italy, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom and Australia. The series was first shown in the UK on BBC Four
during the summer of 2006. It was the channel's first French-language drama series, attracting a modest but loyal audience (around 200,000) and firm critical approval. On 13 September 2009, BBC Four started showing the second series, and on 2 April 2011 the third series. In Australia, the first series was broadcast in 2008 on SBS1 and the second series on SBS2 from September 2009.
The first series was released on DVD in France on 26 August 2006 and in the UK on 6 October 2008.
, Captain Laure Berthaud takes the opportunity to restore her image after her involvement in the death of Mustapha Larbi. She quickly thinks the murderer could be a serial killer, and her intuition is confirmed a few days later by the disappearance of a second young woman with the same physical apparence in the same neighbourhood. Time is running out to avoid new victims but the investigation goes badly: Berthaud and her men make mistakes, losing the confidence of their hierarchy, whilst newspaper articles on the so-called "Butcher of la Villette" increase. Moreover, the prestigious Brigade criminelle, led by Commissionner Vincent Brémont, Berthaud's former supervisor when she was a young police intern, now wants to get back the case.
In the meantime at the Palais de Justice
, while investigating an ordinary case of a child attacked by a dog in the wealthy suburb of Villedieu, Judge Roban discovers that the mayor may be involved in a bribery scandal. Prosecutor Machard immediately asks Pierre Clément to use his friendship with the judge to spy on him discreetly, in order to prevent a political scandal: the mayor of Villedieu is a personal friend of the President of France. Upon Clément's refusal, Machard is determined to get rid of this uncooperative subordinate. Meanwhile Joséphine Karlsson and Szabo are eventually caught out by their shady transactions when they are shot at in the street by two gangsters.
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Son et lumière
Son et lumière may refer to:*Son et lumière , a sound and light show*"Son et Lumiere", song by The Mars Volta on the album De-Loused in the Comatorium...
. It is marketed in the English speaking world as Spiral. The first eight episodes series started on Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
in France on 13 December 2005. It returned for a second series of eight episodes on 12 May 2008, and a third series of twelve episodes on 3 May 2010. A fourth, fifth and sixth series have been ordered.
Engrenages primarily means "cogs" or "gear
Gear
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine....
s", but also has the sense of figurative spirals (into violence, for example).
Spiral has been a great export success, with sales to broadcasters in some 70 countries, among them Switzerland, Mexico, Japan, Italy, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom and Australia. The series was first shown in the UK on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
during the summer of 2006. It was the channel's first French-language drama series, attracting a modest but loyal audience (around 200,000) and firm critical approval. On 13 September 2009, BBC Four started showing the second series, and on 2 April 2011 the third series. In Australia, the first series was broadcast in 2008 on SBS1 and the second series on SBS2 from September 2009.
The first series was released on DVD in France on 26 August 2006 and in the UK on 6 October 2008.
Production staff
- Original title: Engrenages
- Series created by Alexandra Clert and Guy Patrick Sainderichin
- Written by Guy-Patrick Sainderichin (series 1), Virginie Brac (series 2), Anne Landois (series 3 and 4), Eric de Barahir (series 2 to 4)
- Directed by Philippe Triboit (1x01 to 1x04, 2x07 and 2x08), Pascal Chaumeil (1x05 to 1x08), Gilles Bannier (2x01 to 2x04), Philippe Venault (2x05 and 2x06), Manuel Boursinhac (3x01 to 3x06) et Jean-Marc Brondolo (3x07 to 3x12)
- Produced by Alain Clert and Charline de Lépine.
- A Son et LumièreSon et lumièreSon et lumière may refer to:*Son et lumière , a sound and light show*"Son et Lumiere", song by The Mars Volta on the album De-Loused in the Comatorium...
production in association with Canal+Canal+Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
, Jimmy and CinéCinéma - Distributor: 2001 Audiovisuel (France)
Plot
The series describes the day-to-day work and life of six employees of the judicial system: a police captain and her two lieutenants, a judge, a prosecutor and a lawyer.Series 1 (2005)
The badly beaten body of a young Romanian woman is discovered on a Parisian rubbish dump. Her identity and past life are gradually uncovered as the various parts of the French justice system investigate her death. However, it becomes apparent that her story ties to a network of corruption touching the very people charged with uncovering the truth about her.Series 2 (2008)
A burned corpse is found in the boot of a car, a seemingly isolated case of urban violence. However, the case grows in complexity and danger, each new piece of evidence unearths a duplicitous world of international trafficking, informers, double lives and arms dealing. An audacious plan to strike at the heart of the crime network means that the slightest slip will result in certain death.Series 3 (2010)
When the mutilated body of a young woman is found on a disused railway track in the North of Paris, near La VilletteParc de la Villette
The Parc de la Villette is a park in Paris at the outer edge of the 19th arrondissement, bordering the Boulevard Périphérique, which is a ring road around Paris, and the suburban department of Seine-Saint-Denis.-History:...
, Captain Laure Berthaud takes the opportunity to restore her image after her involvement in the death of Mustapha Larbi. She quickly thinks the murderer could be a serial killer, and her intuition is confirmed a few days later by the disappearance of a second young woman with the same physical apparence in the same neighbourhood. Time is running out to avoid new victims but the investigation goes badly: Berthaud and her men make mistakes, losing the confidence of their hierarchy, whilst newspaper articles on the so-called "Butcher of la Villette" increase. Moreover, the prestigious Brigade criminelle, led by Commissionner Vincent Brémont, Berthaud's former supervisor when she was a young police intern, now wants to get back the case.
In the meantime at the Palais de Justice
Palais de Justice, Paris
The Palais de Justice , located in the Île de la Cité in central Paris, France, is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis, of which the Sainte Chapelle remains. Thus the justice of the state has been dispensed at this site since medieval times...
, while investigating an ordinary case of a child attacked by a dog in the wealthy suburb of Villedieu, Judge Roban discovers that the mayor may be involved in a bribery scandal. Prosecutor Machard immediately asks Pierre Clément to use his friendship with the judge to spy on him discreetly, in order to prevent a political scandal: the mayor of Villedieu is a personal friend of the President of France. Upon Clément's refusal, Machard is determined to get rid of this uncooperative subordinate. Meanwhile Joséphine Karlsson and Szabo are eventually caught out by their shady transactions when they are shot at in the street by two gangsters.
Main Cast
- Caroline ProustCaroline ProustCaroline Proust is a classically trained actor, now acting in one of the lead roles in the French TV police series, Engrenages . She was born on 18 November 1967 in the commune of Le Vigan in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon and in the department of Gard. She is married to fellow actor Clovis...
: Police Captain Laure Berthaud. A skilled police officer who leads an investigation group from the DPJ, she is known for her energy and tenacity but also for her tough – not to say borderline – methods. Devoted to her work, she is very attached to her men and would do anything to protect them when they make a mistake. While she is quite successful with men, her private life is a mess and she seems unable to build a lasting relationship. - Grégory Fitoussi: Deputy Prosecutor Pierre Clément. A young magistrate with a promising career, he believes in his profession and in the integrity of justice. But his success and his righteousness provoke the hostility of his superior, the powerful Republic Prosecutor of Paris. He is close friends with Captain Berthaud and Judge Roban but also, more surprisingly, with Joséphine Karlsson.
- Philippe Duclos: Judge François Roban. An experienced juge d'instruction, solitary and hardworking, he knows all the tricks of his trade. Often reproached for his coldness and even cruelty with suspects and witnesses, he attaches a lot of importance to his independence from the executive powers. But he is aware that his job has nearly destroyed his life and the people he loved.
- Thierry Godard: Police Lieutenant Gilles "Gilou" Escoffier. Berthaud's long-time team member: they are practically family. With methods as borderline as his captain's, they often cover each other to escape disciplinary inquiries. Having difficulties to endure the toughness of his work, he has a long history of drug abuse.
- Fred Bianconi: Police Lieutenant Frédéric "Tintin" Fromentin. Responsible and reasonable, good in proceedings, he is the stable element of Berthaud's group. He generally disapproves of his colleagues' methods and therefore is often torn between straying into illegality and betraying his friends.
- Audrey FleurotAudrey FleurotAudrey Fleurot is a French film actress who has appeared in French film and television programmes. She starred in the 2008 film Bébé and the television series La reine et le cardinal, Engrenages and Un village français. In 2011, she had a minor role in the Woody Allen film, Midnight in...
: Lawyer Joséphine Karlsson. A clever, beautiful and highly cynical young lawyer, she is extremely ambitious and always looking for cases that will earn her a maximum of fame and money. She finds it exciting to defend monsters and does not hesitate to cross or double-cross to get what she wants. However, her shady dealings eventually get her into trouble.
Regulars
- Elisabeth Macocco: Marianne, Judge Roban's court clerk
- Dominique Daguier: Republic Prosecutor Machard (series 2 and 3)
- Stéphan Wojtowicz: Police Commissioner Aubert, head of Captain Berthaud's unit (series 2 and 3)
- Daniel Duval: Szabo, controversial lawyer and Karlsson's associate (series 2 and 3)
- Series 1:
- Anne Caillon: Marianne Clément, Pierre Clément's wife then ex-wife
- Guillaume Cramoisan: Benoît Faye, businessman and Clément's childhood friend
- Nicolas Silberg: Robert Villequier, entrepreneur involved in pharmaceutical business and Marianne Clément's father
- Sacli Delpeyrat: Arnaud Laborde, cabinet counsellor
- Vincent Winterhalter: Vincent Leroy, former lawyer removed from the rolls of the Bar because of rape charges
- Mirza Halilovic: Michel "le Roumain", Romanian gangster
- Mélodie Marcq: Alissa, prostitute and police informer
- Series 2:
- Mehdi NebbouMehdi NebbouMehdi Nebbou is a French actor born in Bayonne, France to a German mother and an Algerian father.-Career:Mehdi Nebbou started his career by playing in the movie My Sweet Home, directed by Filipos Tsitos....
: Mustapha Larbi, drug dealer - Samir Guesmi: Farouk Larbi, drug dealer
- Reda Kateb: Aziz, rapper
- Swann Arlaud: Steph, young police officer intern in Captain Berthaud's group
- Samir Boitard: Police Lieutenant Samy Aroune, specialized in undercover operations
- Alban Casterman: Judge Wagner
- Michel Bompoil: Robert Bréan, Principle private secretary of the Minister of Justice
- Mehdi Nebbou
- Series 3:
- Bruno Debrandt: Police Commissioner Vincent Brémont, deputy director of the Criminal Brigade
- Gilles Cohen: Martin Roban, brother of Judge Roban
- Nicolas MoreauNicolas Moreau (actor)Nicolas Moreau is a French film and television actor and sound editor born in 1974.-Career:Moreau debuted in 1995 in four roles: as Marc, the son of Claude Jade and Georges Claisse in Jacques Richards' television movie Porté disparu; as Andreï in the adaption of Eduard von Keyserling's novel Été...
: Didier Courcelles, mayor of Villedieu and friend of the President of the Republic - Misha Arias de la Cantolla: Ronaldo Fuentes, Mexican illegal immigrant
- Anne AlvaroAnne AlvaroAnne Alvaro is a French actress whose work spans from the early 1970s through 2006. She is best known for her role as Eleonore in the 1983 biopic Danton. She also appeared in The Taste of Others, for which she won a César Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2001...
: Isabelle Ledoré, ex-lover of Judge Roban - Xavier Robic: Arnaud Ledoré, magistrate in training and son of the previous
- Genti Kame: Niko, Albanian procurer
- Anca Radici: Mila, a prostitute from Niko's network
DVD releases
| Series | Region 2 (France) | Region 2 (UK) | Region 4 (Australia) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series One | 28 August 2006 | 6 October 2008 | 1 October 2008 | |
| Series Two | 22 July 2008 | 9 August 2010 | 2 March 2009 | |
| Series Three | 15 June 2010 | 1 August 2011 | To be announced | |
International broadcasts
| Country | TV Network(s) |
|---|---|
| SBS Special Broadcasting Service The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect... |
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| Canal+ Canal+ Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted... |
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| Fox Crime Fox Crime Fox Crime is a television network, launched by the Fox International Channels, which airs across several countries of Europe and Asia, such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Bulgaria... |
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| AXN Mystery | |
| Once TV Once TV Once TV México, Spanish for México Eleven TV is a Mexican educational broadcast television network owned by Instituto Politecnico Nacional. The network's flagship station is XEIPN channel 11 in Mexico, Distrito Federal. It broadcasts across Mexico through local television affiliates, cable... |
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| SF1 SF 1 SF 1 is a Swiss television channel run under the public SRG SSR idée suisse broadcasting group. It is the first of the three national German language channels in Switzerland .... and TSR1 |
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| BBC Four BBC Four BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable.... |
External links
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- Review from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...