Simon-Olivier Fecteau first cut his teeth in humor and directing with Les Chick’n Swell. Then, advertising, the web (In audition with Simon) and fiction (These guys) gave him the ammunition to jump headlong into the biggest show of the year. You might think he thrives on marathons. That of the race which allowed him to get back and keep in shape. And that of bye which leaves no respite and which he has been leading for 8 years with his long-time collaborator, producer Guillaume Lspérance.
• Read also: Here are 12 personalities who are likely to end up at “Bye Bye 2023”
A few hours before turning the page on 2023, he promises a review of the nail-biting year and a host of surprise guests who will be added to Claude Legault, Guylaine Tremblay, Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais and Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse. A modest contribution to maintain tradition and nourish our culture.
Photo provided by ICI Télé
At what point do you start thinking about bye ?
On January 1st, my first instinct is to say that I won’t do it again. Then, throughout the year, when an event occurs, I write it down in a file. My mind is always in mode bye. But the big months are in the fall, starting at the end of August. There is a lot of stuff that we write and rewrite. We’re talking about a ratio of 3 or 4 to 1, 80 sketches to 28. While we’re shooting, Maxime Caron, the script editor, and I are constantly creating. A few days before the broadcast, the focus groups allow us to tweak things, cut sketches or change the order. We underestimate the importance of the order of the sketches. It changes everything by putting the emphasis in a different place.
THE bye is one of the rare shows where there is very elaborate makeup and prosthetics. It brings together a lot of professions. Do you have a deadline for making your requests to them so that they can create the characters?
I have the advantage of working with a team that has incredible experience. Stéphane Tessier, who designs the prostheses, is a genius at transformation. He is at the top of his game. Everyone is used to changing sides quickly until the end. Ultimately, the filming is finished [depuis le 15 décembre], but we are open if anything comes up between now and 27-28. We could find a way to incorporate a joke.
It hasn’t been a good year. How can you laugh at subjects that aren’t funny at first glance?
Whether they are political, social, cultural subjects, they must be in our collective unconscious. Sketches have a liberating power for certain people. I’m glad it’s not my first bye because it’s not a fun year actually, but we have to treat it so that it’s fun. The war took up a lot of space. The one in Ukraine was replaced in the media by the one in Palestine. We won’t go there. There’s nothing funny about it. But we don’t have a bye who gets cold feet. We’re going to be biting. We selected subjects intelligently. Our limit is to be on the edge of the limits. We’re in the news, but the number one goal is to be funny.
In 8 years, what have you learned from your experience?
Lots of things. The importance of timing. Time has an influence on our perception. The news is the last three months. Besides, Infoman help him bye by reminding people of what happened during the year. We are complementary.
THE bye is a tradition that we all have memories of. It comes with a lot of pressure. Where will you be to watch it on the 31st?
At home, with family, with friends. Since last year, I have been organizing a party. I like to see the reactions of people around me, I look at Twitter (X) for a bit then I put down my phone. I know I would have done everything I could to put on a good show. You have to know how to take a step back. Even if there are almost 5 million people listening, even if the criticism can go from one side to the other. THE bye is part of our culture, our traditions. It’s set up like hockey or pie. Nowhere else in the world do we have a show like this. I’m really proud to give my little grain of salt to this.
►Bye Bye 2023 Sunday December 31, 11 p.m. on ICI Télé. A behind-the-scenes show bye will follow.