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Spiral (TV series)

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Spiral
Created byAlexandra Clert
Guy-Patrick Sainderichin
StarringCaroline Proust
Grégory Fitoussi
Philippe Duclos
Fred Bianconi
Thierry Godard
Audrey Fleurot
ComposerStéphane Zidi
Country of originFrance
Original languageFrench
No. of series4
No. of episodes40
Production
Running time52 minutes
Original release
NetworkCanal+
Release13 December 2005 (2005-12-13) –
Present

Engrenages (French for "gears" or "cogs" ; French pronunciation: [ɑ̃.gʁə'naʒ]) 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.[1] It returned for a second series, partly funded by the BBC, of eight episodes on 12 May 2008,[2] a third series of twelve episodes on 3 May 2010 and a fourth series of twelve episodes on 3 September 2012.[3] A fifth and sixth series have been ordered.[4]

Engrenages primarily means "cogs" or "gears", 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,[5], on 2 April 2011 the third series and on 9 February 2013 the fourth series. [6][7] In Australia, the first series was broadcast in 2008 on SBS One, the second series on SBS Two from September 2009 and the third series on SBS Two from mid 2012.

Spiral debuted in North America via Netflix in September 2012 (all four seasons became available);[8] in November 2012, and the small public-broadcasting network MHz Worldview began transmitting the series in the US.

The first series was released on DVD in France on 26 August 2006 and in the UK on 6 October 2008.

Production staff

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)

Main article: Spiral (series 1)

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. BBC Four repeated the series in April and May 2009. [9]

Series 2 (2008)

Main article: Spiral (series 2)

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. BBC Four showed the series in November and December 2009.[10]

Series 3 (2010)

Main article: Spiral (series 3)

When the mutilated body of a young woman is found on a disused railway track in the North of Paris, near La Villette, 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 Criminal Brigade, 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 might 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. Subtitled "The Butcher of La Villette", the series aired on BBC Four in April and May 2011. [11]

Series 4 (2012)

Series 4, consisting of 12 episodes, was shot between 22 August and 9 December 9 2011 and between January and April 2012. It was broadcast in France on Canal+ from 3 September to 8 October 8 2012. BBC Four screened the series subtitled, "State of Terror", in its Saturday primetime foreign language drama slot from 9 February 2013 with two hour long episodes a week, one following the other.[12]

Cast

Main Cast

  • Caroline Proust: Police Captain Laure Berthaud. A skilled Paris criminal police officer who leads an investigation group from a territorial division (2nd DPJ), she is known for her energy and tenacity but also for her tough and sometimes 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: Assistant 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 investigating magistrate (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 enduring 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 Fleurot: 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 and her hate for police eventually get her into trouble.

Regulars

  • Elisabeth Macocco: Marianne, Judge Roban's court clerk (seasons 3, 4)
  • Dominique Daguier: Republic Prosecutor Machard (seasons 2, 3, 4)
  • Alban Casterman: Judge Wagner (seasons 2, 3, 4)
  • Stéphan Wojtowicz: Police Commissioner Aubert, head of Captain Berthaud's division (seasons 2, 3)
  • Daniel Duval: Szabo, controversial lawyer and Karlsson's associate (seasons 2, 3)
  • Bruno Debrandt: Police Commissioner Vincent Brémont, director of the Criminal Brigade (seasons 3, 4)
  • Nicolas Briançon: Police Commissioner Herville, head of Captain Berthaud's division (season 4)

DVD & Blu-Ray releases

Series Region 2 (France) Region 2 (UK) Region 4 (Australia) Blu-Ray (France)
Series One 28 August 2006 6 October 2008 1 October 2008 4 September 2012
Series Two 22 July 2008 9 August 2010 2 March 2009 4 September 2012
Series Three 15 June 2010 1 August 2011 1 August 2012 4 September 2012
Series 1-3 12 October 2010 — — —
Series Four 11 October 2012 27 May 2013[13] TBA 11 October 2012

International broadcasts

Country TV Network(s)
 Australia SBS
 Canada Netflix
 France Canal+
 Italy Fox Crime
 Japan AXN Mystery
 Mexico Once TV
 Switzerland SF1 and TSR1
 United Kingdom BBC Four
 United States Netflix
 Croatia HRT3

Series Two was repeated on BBC Four at 9pm on Saturdays from 9 June 2012[14]

References

  1. ^ IMDB: "Spiral, season 1" retrieved 18 April 2011
  2. ^ IMDB: "Spiral, season 2" retrieved 18 April 2011
  3. ^ IMDB: "Spiral, season 3" Accessed 10 December 2009.
  4. ^ http://www.commeaucinema.com/serietv/engrenages-connaitra-3-saisons-supplementaires-sur-canal,157058
  5. ^ Holmwood, Leigh (4 April 2007). "More European drama for BBC4". London: MediaGuardian. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
  6. ^ The Guardian 1 April 2011: "Will Spiral become your new favourite Saturday night Euro cop drama?" Retrieved 18 April 2011
  7. ^ Eurocrime blog 27 March 2011: "BBC4 is spoiling us (aka the return of Spiral)" Retrieved 18 April 2011
  8. ^ Engrenages (Spiral) - Netflix acquired the show
  9. ^ Series 1, BBC website, undated.Retrieved: 9 February 2013.
  10. ^ Series 2, BBC website, undated.Retrieved: 9 February 2013.
  11. ^ Series 3: The Butcher of La Villette, BBC website, undated.Retrieved: 9 February 2013.
  12. ^ BBC Four Schedule, BBC website, 9 February 2013.Retrieved: 9 February 2013.
  13. ^ BBCShop.com: "Spiral Series 4" retrieved 19 January 2013
  14. ^ Spiral, BBC Four website, Undated.Retrieved: 2 June 2012.
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