M6 celebrates successful ratings for “Love is in the Meadow” and “France’s Got Talent,” but struggles with poor reception for “The Golden Bachelor.” TF1 pulls “Gladiators” from prime time after disappointing viewership, with plans to air the remaining episodes later. Upcoming highlights for TF1 include the 14th season of “Dancing with the Stars” and a new season of “The Voice,” featuring returning coaches and fresh contestants, generating excitement among fans.
Strong Performances and Disappointing Outcomes for French TV
M6 has celebrated the impressive ratings of its 19th season of “Love is in the Meadow” and the successful finale of “France’s Got Talent,” which featured stars like Hélène Ségara, Marianne James, Sugar Sammy, and Eric Antoine. However, the network had to acknowledge the lackluster response to “The Golden Bachelor,” a new entertainment show that failed to capture the audience’s interest, leading to some harsh critiques on social media. Meanwhile, TF1 is also grappling with tepid viewer engagement for one of its entertainment programs, although several new productions, such as “Brocéliande” and “Cat’s Eyes,” have successfully resonated with audiences this autumn.
Changes Ahead for Gladiators on TF1
According to reports from Le Parisien, following disappointing viewership numbers on December 27 and January 3, TF1 has decided to pull the next three pre-recorded episodes of “Gladiators” from its Friday night prime-time lineup. The initial episode attracted just under two million viewers, piqued by the media buzz surrounding this format, which has thrived in other countries for years. TF1 had assembled a notable trio—Jean-Pierre Foucault, Denis Brogniart, and Hélène Mannarino—to draw attention to the show.
Unfortunately, the second episode saw the viewership drop significantly, with only 950,000 tuning in, yielding a mere 5.2% audience share. Puremédias reported this decline with the headline “Gladiators Collapses,” showcasing the viewership statistics across various age demographics. In contrast, France 2 dominated the night with the TV movie “César Wagner,” attracting 4.2 million viewers, followed by France 3’s “The Secret Box,” which garnered 2.1 million, and M6’s “Beauty and the Beast,” which came in third with 1.7 million viewers.
As a result, TF1 will air the final three episodes of “Gladiators” later on January 10, moving them to the second and third slots of the evening, replacing “Vendredi tout est permis avec Arthur.” In its place, a performance by ventriloquist Jeff Panacloc will entertain viewers, as confirmed by Le Parisien. Following that, on January 17, Arthur will host another familiar program, “The Tourists.”
Looking ahead, TF1 may have a brighter 2025 on the horizon, with exciting upcoming content. The 14th season of “Dancing with the Stars” is already generating buzz, featuring a revamped jury and a diverse lineup of contestants, including Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou, former Miss France Eve Gilles, and host Sophie Davant. Fans are curious if there will be new dramatic developments following last year’s tensions between Natasha St-Pier and Inès Reg.
The anticipation continues with the upcoming season of “The Voice,” as a teaser has been released, hinting at the return of two new coaches, renowned singers Zaz and Patricia Kaas, who will join Vianney and Florent Pagny—who is back after his health challenges. Viewers are eager to see what twists and turns the new season will bring.