“It was a leap into the unknown“: Dominique Chapatte, journalist, producer and presenter of the show turbo, M6’s cult show, remembers March 7, 1987 perfectly. 35 years ago, he launched the very first issue of the show dedicated to cars on what was then called “the little chain “. “When we start a program, and even a television channel, we ask ourselves questions: what would become of us in the following years? We had a lot of adversities, in particular ministers who demanded a channel that was once again 100% musical and not a channel broadcasting American series. And then we had to fight these adversities and gradually settle“, smiles “with humility” the journalist on franceinfo.
The show, which brings together between 800,000 and one million viewers each week, has evolved over the seasons, but also mentalities. “The sentence that comes up ritually, eternally, is ‘I grew up with your show’, smiles Dominique Chapatte. The audience of turbo has aged, like all television channel audiences, and has lost a certain youthfulness. There is a disaffection with the automobile, for various reasons. But he has matured“, he analyzes, saluting the “soul” of turbothose loyal viewers”who need us to talk to them about new models, to make them dream with travel, because the car is, for them, from morning to night“.
To celebrate with dignity the 35 candles of turbo, M6 will broadcast an exceptional program on Sunday March 27 at 11:20 a.m.: Dominique Chapatte receives the star of the French team and Real Madrid, Karim Benzema. Like a wink: the footballer is the same age as the show. On franceinfo, the journalist recounts his meeting: “It is representative of a certain French style. He has made a name for himself and it must be recognized that he has qualities: he is generous, kind… and sportingly, he is one of the greatest strikers in the world! And he’s crazy about cars: like all these young people who have succeeded, he’s having a blast, and he’s right. Without any jealousy, he has money and he takes advantage of it. He is generous with others”, emphasizes Dominque Chapatte.
Before sliding: “I tiptoed a little bit because I thought he was going to do like some stars, look at his solid gold watch and tell me after 10 minutes that he had something else to do. .. No not at all. He was available until the end, so much so that the managers of the circuit on which we shot, north of Madrid, came to get him to ask him to stop because they were going to close.“. But Dominique Chapatte and Karim Benzema had time to enjoy two racing cars, a McLaren 765 LT and the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo, on this track, with a top speed of 270 km/h!
TURBO celebrates its 35th anniversary with Karim Benzema ➡https://t.co/pRa5EjDysz#RMAPSG #TURBO35ans pic.twitter.com/i6Mk3ogyaD
— TURBO M6 (@turbofr) March 9, 2022
Despite the speed, Dominique Chapatte was invited to look back: who is the most striking personality encountered for Turbo? “Unquestionably, the stature of Gérard Depardieu. He was an ambassador for a German brand. I spent three fabulous days by his side. I came back from there, still today, with the difference between an actor and an actor: all his conversation, he acts. And it’s exciting, you’re fascinated. And yet I met quite a few, like Fangio in Argentina… But Depardieu what!“
Finally, when asked about the project to merge the TF1 and M6 channels, Dominique Chapatte believes that “it is essential that the chains keep their signatures“, before slipping that he would “resign well” for 35 more years, “if God lent me life, but you have to have the humility of your passage on Earth“.