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Châteauvallon

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Châteauvallon
GenreDrama
Created byGeorges Conchon
Jean-Pierre Petrolacci
StarringChantal Nobel
Raymond Pellegrin
Luc Merenda
Georges Marchal
Jean Davy
Barbara Cupisti
Denis Savignat
Pierre Hatet
Philippe Rouleau
Claude-Oliver Rudolph
Ugo Pagliai
Music byVladimir Cosma
Opening themePuissance et gloire
Country of originFrance
Italy
Luxembourg
Switzerland
United Kingdom
No. of series1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producersClaude Matalou
Jacques Dercourt
ProducerRoland Gritti
Running time52 minutes
Production companiesAntenne 2
Maintenon Films
RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
RTL
S4C
Telfrance
Télécip
Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR )
Budget55 million francs
(€8.5 million)[1]
Original release
NetworkAntenne 2
ReleaseJanuary 4 (January 4, 1985-on television) –
June 28, 1985 (June 28, 1985-on television)

Châteauvallon is a soap opera of 26 episodes, created by Georges Conchon and Jean-Pierre Petrolacci, which was broadcast in France between 4 January 1985 and 28 June 1985 on Antenne 2. It was a Franco-Swiss-British-Italian-Luxembourgish co-production.

Since May 2021, the entire series has been available on the free platform Pluto TV.

Synopsis

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On the banks of the Loire, in Châteauvallon, lives the rich and powerful Berg family. At La Commanderie, their chateau, there is a double celebration: the birthday of the patriarch, Antonin (Jean Davy), and the anniversary of his newspaper La Dépêche républicaine. The festival also marks the return of Florence (Chantal Nobel), the 'cursed' daughter, whom her father would like to see take up the torch.

The next day, the body of journalist Paul Bossis (Yann Dedet) is found in the park. The latter was investigating the dubious real estate transaction of the Sablons. André Travers (Luc Merenda), also a journalist and friend of Paul, decides to carry out his own investigation. Secrets, lies and betrayals soon emerge. At the same time, the Kovalic clan, Yugoslav emigrants led by Gregor (Alexandre Rignault) and Albertas (Catherine Alcover), are trying to impose themselves in the city and aspire to dethrone the Bergs, with whom they have serious grievances.

Cast

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Main cast

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Supporting cast

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Production

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Genesis and development

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At the beginning of the 1980s, Pierre Desgraupes, then president and CEO of Antenne 2, wanted a French-style Dallas to compete with broadcasts of the American soap on TF1, and entrusted it to Georges Conchon for development. The latter, writing the first six episodes, brought together around fifteen screenwriters, including Jean-Pierre Petrolacci who would write the following 20 episodes.[1]

The production was entrusted to Paul Planchon and Serge Friedman.[2]

The budget for the series was 55 million francs (€8.5 million).[1]

Filming

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The Château de Mauvières - “La Commanderie” in the series.

Filming took place between November 28, 1983, and October 18, 1984, in the town of Rambouillet, Yvelines and the chateau of Mauvières,[1] in Saint-Forget, which was transformed into the Berg family residence “La Commanderie”.

Music

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The series music was composed by Vladimir Cosma, whose original soundtrack was released in 1985 by Carrere Records.[3]

The theme song, Puissance et Gloire, was performed by Herbert Léonard, the lyrics were written by Vline Buggy and the music was by Vladimir Cosma. The verse melody is reminiscent of that of the film Le Distrait (1970), whose soundtrack is also by Vladimir Cosma. This melody is played on the violin during the 16th minute, when the character wanders into an apartment that he mistakes for his own.[citation needed]

Track listing[3]
  1. Power and glory (3:16)
  2. The Kovalic (2:27)
  3. Commissioner Nicolo (2:27)
  4. The death of Antoninus (3:10)
  5. La Dépêche (1:47)
  6. Suspense aux sablons (1:35)
  7. The streets of Châteauvallon (2:27)
  8. Theme of the Bergs (3:19)
  9. Châteauvallon (3:26)
  10. Paul and Catherine (2:56)
  11. Theme of Florence (2:51)
  12. Magouille (3:29)
  13. Bernard and Albertas (2:13)
  14. Blackmail (2:57)
  15. The Commanderie (2:40)

Reception

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Audiences

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Châteauvallon was a huge success during its first broadcast, on January 4, 1985. The first episode brought together nearly 14 million viewers and the second, 17 million, which constitutes a record in the history of television, making the soap opera a social phenomenon.[1]

Reviews

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Télé 7 jours wrote that:

the French “Dallas” is wiser than its American model. Less sex, no alcohol. But political-financial shenanigans and rivalries within a large provincial family. Homogeneous distribution featuring Jean Davy, superb as an authoritarian patriarch [4]

Setting

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Although filmed in 1984 and broadcast in 1985, the action of the series actually takes place from 1978 to 1980, as indicated by the dialogues in the last two episodes. The official portrait of the President of the Republic visible at the town hall is that of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. The context of Georges Quentin's suicide is also a fairly transparent allusion to the Robert Boulin affair, just as the Boulard press group evokes the Hersant group.

Tragic fate

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See also: Chantal Nobel

More than the story, it is the credits of the soap opera and the tragic fate of Chantal Nobel that viewers have kept in their memory. The song Puissance et gloire (Power and glory), performed by Herbert Léonard is today one of the cult TV theme tunes. Châteauvallon never saw the follow-up that was to be given to the first season.

On April 28, 1985, at 3:20 a.m., Chantal Nobel's career came to an abrupt end after a recording of the show Champs-Élysées. She was the victim of serious car accident in a Porsche 924 Carrera GT driven by the singer Sacha Distel, whilst driving past Maltaverne, a small village near Tracy-sur-Loire.[5]

After twenty-one days spent in a coma at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, with serious facial injuries and 80% disabled for life, Chantal Nobel withdrew from public life to the South of France, immediately putting an end to the Châteauvallon series. She later filed a lawsuit against Sacha Distel.[6]

Production values

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Each episode of Châteauvallon cost nearly 2 million francs, but the production resources were not always up to par. Thus, Chantal Nobel often dressed in her own clothes, the costume budget being insufficient for the luxury outfits that Florence had to wear.

Exporting abroad

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In the United Kingdom, the series was broadcast on Channel 4 twice a week (once dubbed into English, once with subtitles).

Cameos

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Antenne 2 News presenters Bernard Rapp and Christine Ockrent appeared in the series, in their own roles. Bernard Rapp appeared in episodes 16 and 17 and Christine Ockrent in episode 22.

The head decorator was Michel Decaix (1934-1987), painter and theater man, founder of the theater troupe from Trappes in Yvelines Les Coquillards.

Châteauvallon is supposed to be located in Loir-et-Cher, but the exterior shots showing the town were filmed in Tours.

Repeats

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It was rebroadcast in France several times: from 1988 to 1992 on La Cinq, from 1992 to 1993 on France 3, from 1993 to 1996 on TMC, from 1996 to 1999 on TF1. From 1999 to 2000 on La Cinquième, from 2001 to 2004 on RTL9 and from 2005 to 2008 on NT1.[7]

In Québec, the series was broadcast from 12 January 1988 on Télévision de Radio-Canada.[8]

Assumed similarities with the real-life situation in Toulouse

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The story recalls the situation in Toulouse which for years had pitted the Baylet family, owner of the newspaper La Dépêche du Midi, against the Baudis, father to son mayors of the city for thirty years.

On one side, the Baylet family:

  • Jean Baylet: the patriarch, historical owner of the newspaper. He died in the 1950s, during a car accident that was widely discussed at the time. He has his street in Toulouse, where the newspaper's headquarters are located;
  • Évelyne Baylet: the mother, who took the reins of the newspaper on the death of her husband to reign there as mistress wife for a few decades and beyond, since she then appeared in the organization chart as president of 'honor;
  • Jean-Michel Baylet: the son, becomes CEO of the group La Dépêche du Midi, head of the editorial staff, president of the Radical Left Party, senator and president of the general council of Tarn-et-Garonne;
  • the girls: Martine, interested in the newspaper by her shares in the capital and Danièle, the black sheep of the clan, the one who betrayed to rally the enemy family, that of the Baudis.

On the other side, the Baudis:

The resemblance with the soap opera was such that Évelyne-Jean Baylet saw red and tried in vain to have its broadcast banned, except for the infamous disclaimer in the credits: “The name of the daily newspaper owned by the Berg family was chosen because of its banality. It cannot therefore be confused with that of an existing daily newspaper.”

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Olivier Rajchman (8 July 2018). "Châteauvallon : glory and disappointment of the French Dallas". telestar.fr. Retrieved 6 January 2023..
  2. ^ "Châteauvalon". php88.free.fr. Retrieved 6 January 2023..
  3. ^ a b Châteauvallon (Original soundtrack to the TV series) at Discogs (accessed January 6, 2023).
  4. ^ "Châteauvallon". Télé 7 jours. January 1985. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Nicolas N. (20 September 2010). "We found Chantal Nobel, the star of the series Châteauvallon!". purepeople.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  6. ^ Jacques Cordy (9 December 1988). "Chantal Nobel against Sacha Distel". lesoir.be. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  7. ^ Fabrice Dupreuilh (2020-12-30). "A soap and in bed: Châteauvallon, the French Dallas". Le Point. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  8. ^ "New interesting series". Le Soleil - Télé-Magazine. Vol. 92, no. 11. 9 January 1988. p. 3.
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