Claude Meunier managed to convince his old accomplice Serge Thériault to reprise his role of Môman for the last scene of the final chapter of The little life, which will be offered from Tuesday to Tou subscribers. TVExtra. The brief return of the actor, who disappeared from the spotlight around ten years ago following a depression, offers a moment of great emotion, which does not, however, succeed in making us forget the weaknesses of this reincarnation of the show. most popular in the history of Quebec television.
Journalists were able to watch two of the six new episodes of The little life. A rare thing: one hundred people from the public were also able to attend the press viewing, reserved for actors from The little life a welcome worthy of rockstars. Proof that Claude Meunier’s work still benefits from popular approval, even if it lacks critical recognition.
The media had been particularly harsh with Christmas Story and the Ti-Mé Show, the latest projects drawn from the world of the iconic sitcom of the 1990s. It is said that Claude Meunier’s caricature humor is dated. But at the end of the day, this 2023 version of The little life is perhaps not the disaster predicted.
There, 25 years later, we find the members of the Paré family in all their extravagance. Ti-Mé (Claude Meunier), still in love with his emptying, cannot admit that Jacqueline (Serge Thériault) has left him, but is already looking for the rare gem on Tinder. Rénald (Marc Labrèche) has a heart condition and is more stingy than ever since he retired. As for Thérèse (Diane Lavallée), she remains the naive wife of profiteer Réjean (Marc Messier), who has just been released from prison after a failed bank robbery.
Still up to date?
The first episode sometimes makes you smile, sometimes laugh, with its improbable twists and turns and its puns so characteristic of the work of Claude Meunier. The second, in which the character of Pogo (Rémy Girard) suffers from Alzheimer’s, proves less effective. The jokes fall flat, and we end up losing the thread because the story becomes so confusing.
That said, the success of The little life 2.0 there is no doubt. The cardboard sets and wigs have not stood the test of time very well, but nostalgia supersedes all the faults of this sitcom which oozes the 90s. The little life has become a cultural reference, a comfort series, and not just for baby boomers.
“I think it’s aged well. I thought that during the filming, there were going to be a lot of 70-year-old people in the audience. But no. There were a lot of young people, a lot of groups of students. There was parental transmission with The little life », remarked Claude Meunier to journalists, after the press viewing.
A cameo from Mom
In addition to the first two episodes, journalists were also able to watch the final scene of the last episode of The little life. Against expectations, Serge Thériault, visibly very weakened, resumes his role of Môman for a few minutes. A major surprise, while Claude Meunier has been repeating for two years that all the original actors of The little life agreed to reprise their role, except Serge Thériault.
The filming of this scene lasted around thirty minutes on 1er last June. The public was not present in the studio. The interpreter of Môman did not meet the other members of the cast either, who seemed moved on Monday when seeing for the first time the scene where Serge Thériault appears briefly.
“He is doing relatively better. He started leaving his house again. I spoke to him again last week. […] I was in close contact with him, and very quickly he accepted. It was expected that if his condition allowed it, he would do it, provided it was short and sweet. […] Like everyone else, when he put his suit back on, he got a lot of money, I think,” confided Claude Meunier, who prefers not to go into details when it comes to the state of health of his great friend.
On TV in February
The last six episodes of The little life will be offered from Tuesday on Tou.Tv Extra, but will not be broadcast on television until next February. Claude Meunier reiterated Monday that he disagreed with Radio-Canada’s decision not to present the series immediately on television.
At his side, the main director of ICI Tou.Tv tried to respond to the author’s criticisms. “People have adopted a way of listening to shows today. They have no more patience. They no longer have patience for advertising. And if we don’t offer this way, we’re a bit out of the game”, supported Christiane Asselin.