Big blow for fans of the show Numbers and letters. As it was revealed a few days ago, the program is replaced by a new entertainment presented by Cyril Féraud, this one therefore changes time slot and Bertrand Renard, specialist in figures since 1975, and Arielle Boulin-Prat, pro of letters present since 1986, have been discarded. Since then, between the two experts and France Televisions it is the war. And the fans in all this? They fear for the future…
The Parisian went to meet the fans of this game which has existed for 51 years under this name – before the show did not include the numbers and was named The longest word. And apparently, they are afraid that these upheavals sign the end of the program which has more than a hundred clubs in France. Listening to them, the audiences are likely to plunge by broadcasting Numbers and letters only on Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m. The reason ? This is often the time for outings or family reunions. A point of view widely shared by other fans who say they are disappointed. The show, which was a daily fixture, was also watched a lot in retirement homes because it “works the memory“, explains Michèle Dupont-Lauper, president of the club of Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire) for nine years.
And precisely, the clubs feel in danger. They already were, but this change in programming risks aggravating the situation. Francis Flahaut (Touquet club) explains: “If the show is put on the sidelines, it will have an impact. In the region, there are already only seven clubs left out of the fortnight that existed when I arrived in 1986. When you part ways with two long-timers of the program in such a violent way, that means something: they want to get rid of the format.”
Jean-Louis Poncet, from the club of Saint-Priest-en-Jarez (Loire), also finds on his side that the eviction of Arielle Boulin-Prat and Bertrand Renard was brutal. And that is precisely what is causing a lot of talk at the moment. The duo had talked about how “inhuman” from which he was dismissed. And he had explained that their departure had more complex origins than the contractual disagreement put forward by the channel. Since then, they have taken a lawyer, France Télévisions has replied to the revelations made on their fixed-term contracts renewed for 36 years for Arielle, and 47 years for Bertrand whose identity of his replacement has been revealed.
War or not between the two parties, ultimately, the first victims of these changes and this conflict are the fans.