The first of six new episodes of The little life will be called “L’absence” and will explain why the matriarch of the Paré family, the beautiful Jacqueline (Serge Thériault), does not appear in the resurrection of this sitcom worship.
No, Moman wasn’t killed. No, no other actor will don the jacket and hat of this turkey-loving housewife and Evan Joanness. The creator of The little lifeClaude Meunier, almost swore it on Wednesday during an ultra-crowded press conference, which brought together the biggest names in Quebec showbiz.
Without being physically present, “Moman will be there in our hearts and in our heads,” says Claude Meunier. But how? Here is the most plausible hypothesis, which has not been confirmed or denied by the production, I specify.
Moman would have gone to buy cigarettes at the convenience store (even if she doesn’t smoke, hello absurd), or she would have left the house to order groceries and never came back.
Thus, Moman remains present in the scenario and feeds intrigues without showing up in the retro setting. It works very well on paper. We will taste the six new half-hours of the 2023 cuvée from The little life – a good Chateau Stew! – in the fall on Tou.TV’s Extra, just in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this classic Quebec television comedy.
The case of Serge Thériault, who suffers from severe depression, remains delicate for Claude Meunier. Serge Thériault is half of The little lifeit’s half of Ding and Dong and it’s a delicate story of sanity.
PHOTO ROBERT MAILLOUX, PRESS ARCHIVES
Serge Thériault and Claude Meunier in The little lifein 1998
We feel Claude Meunier uncomfortable talking about his former stage accomplice. Claude Meunier recently contacted Serge Thériault to offer to take over his Jacqueline, and Serge, who has completely retired from public life, declined.
“Serge can’t be here. I don’t want to talk about Serge, it will be up to him to do so. But it’s sad that Serge isn’t here and he also finds it sad. Life goes on, the family goes on, ”recalls Claude Meunier, who seemed annoyed by the questions about the absence of his comrade.
“I don’t want to go in there. I don’t want to comment on the documentary [Dehors Serge dehors] out of respect for Serge. It’s complex and complicated to talk about that, ”continues the interpreter of Popa.
Characters The little life of 2023 will all have aged 30 years and no mythical couple in the series have broken out.
Rénald (Marc Labrèche), known as Pinson, has retired from the credit union, while Lison (Josée Deschênes), alias Creton, has landed a side job, a small career in advertising. Josée Deschênes recently learned that young people, who discovered this crazy universe with the Saturday night covers, use the expression “cretoner” when they dress the same color from head to toe.
Our good Thérèse (Diane Lavallée) has sunk into spirituality and her lying husband Réjean (Marc Messier) “comes out of a strange place”, according to Claude Meunier. Same thing for the protester and single Caro (Guylaine Tremblay), who “comes back from afar”.
As for Rod (Bernard Fortin), he remains the Rod Stewart of the poor of the Paré family, only older, and Pogo (Rémy Girard) is still not the most unfrozen pogo in the box. A former usher at the Forum, Pogo still lives with Linda (Sylvie Potvin), a childhood friend of Jacqueline.
The kitchen vintage des Paré, the colorful costumes, the piano of the opening credits, everything will look like the original version of The little life except the wigs, which will have grayed. “The series has a timeless side to the tenth degree. It’s as funny as it was, ”notes Marc Messier, alias Réjean Pinard, who speaks of him in the third person singular when he discusses with Ti-Mé.
PHOTO ÉRIC MYRE, PROVIDED BY RADIO-CANADA
Besides Serge Thériault and Michel Côté, all the actors of the original series of The little life will be present in the new episodes of the cult series.
With director Josée Fortier and director Pierre Séguin, both members of the original creation unit of The little lifethe method of making episodes will remain stuck to that of sitcoms Americans.
In mid-April, the actors will perform – in order – their texts twice, in front of two different audiences at the Grandé studios in Montreal. Four cameras will capture the scenes, as well as the audience’s laughter, and the best bits will remain in the edit.
Special guests, who have not been revealed, will spice up the new half-hours. Jean-Lou, the flamboyant homosexual played by Michel Côté, will not return to the sitcom.
At the time, Claude Meunier used the words fif And fifi in the sketches starring Jean-Lou and his friend Mr. Bricole (Gilles Renaud), which would no longer pass today, he admits.
Radio-Canada has never removed gags from the texts of The little lifeexcept for a line where the actor Alexis Martin, disguised as a priest, sang that the lord was his Grand Marnier.
About the episode that was temporarily removed due to Normand Brathwaite’s “blackface”, Claude Meunier “thinks it was a storm in a teacup”.
And yes, we can still say shepherd’s pie in 2023, and it may be this year that Thérèse will make her first real corn-steak-potatoes!