The admirers of Lieutenant Mélanie Charron and Detective Sergeant Patrick Bissonnette will have to mourn. After 720 episodes, the series District 31 will end in the spring.
It was the production company Aetios which informed Radio-Canada of this decision. The main author of the series, Luc Dionne, thanked the hundreds of thousands of viewers in a video posted on his Facebook page.
“You don’t make a decision like that on a whim. After much thought and consultation, we agreed with [les producteurs] Fabienne [Larouche] and Michel [Trudeau] to move on, ”he said by way of explanation, before adding that the work of an author,“ it wears out, it wears out physically ”.
” District 31 has been, to this day, the biggest challenge of my career as an author. What an immense privilege to have been able to meet such a large audience four evenings a week for the past six years, ”he added in the Radio-Canada press release.
It is therefore the end of a real success for Quebec television. Nearly two million viewers followed the successes and setbacks of Commander Chiasson, prosecutor Sonia Blanchard, journalist Jean Brière or the panoply of investigators from the squad of 31 of the Greater Montreal Police Department. The series has been honored many times, winning several Gemini awards in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The last episode is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 21.
Sparks promised
“This grand finale will obviously be at the height of this production,” warned Radio-Canada, the squad of 31 reserving great surprises for viewers for these last 59 episodes to come. “
Producer Fabienne Larouche highlighted Luc Dionne’s unparalleled work since 2016. “Having submitted myself to this demanding discipline, I know to what extent writing a daily drama monopolizes our entire existence. Michel and I are grateful to Luc for having devoted six years of his life to it, deploying all his talent and all his in-depth knowledge of police and judicial circles to weave endlessly fascinating intrigues, ”she declared.
“The love story between the public and the universe of District 31 marked an important chapter in Quebec television. It has greatly contributed to making ICI Télé the preferred destination for evening viewers since 2018-2019, ”said Radio-Canada television director general Dany Meloul.
Fans of Quebec crime series can rejoice. They will soon have a new series to chew on. Luc Dionne is currently working on a new program comprising 24 episodes, entitled DPCP. Details of this production will be released later this year, Radio-Canada said.