A page turns for “questions for a champion”: “This decision was not easy”

“But she does not question the deep attachment we carry on this program,” he said, stressing that she was going to continue “living (…) on weekends, where her audience is the strongest and most unifying”.

For his part, the president of Fremantle France, Bruno Fallot, expressed his “surprise” and his “sadness” after the diffuser’s decision.

“At a time when France Télévisions is going through an unprecedented budget crisis. However, we understand the need to make financial arbitrations,” he said in a statement.

“However. Furthermore, managing to reduce a program as unifying as ‘questions for a champion’ questions the means given to the public service to fulfill his mission,” continued the producer.

He sees in this change “a major break with a daily historical programming. which punctuates the afternoon ends of page turns “questions champion”: “this the French and remains regularly leader in his” audience.

Houelbecq, to ​​fan – Page turns "questions champion": "this

Adaptation of the British game “Going for Gold”, “Questions for a champion” was created in France in 1988. Applicants must answer questions of general culture (often raised) in several rounds and the winner returns the next day.

The program was presented for more than 27 years by the emblematic Julien Lepers, replaced by Samuel Étienne in early 2016.

Julien Lepers had challenged his dismissal in justice. but the industrial tribunal then the Paris court of appeal had considered that he was not abusive.

Over the years, the show has marked the hexagonal popular culture, partly thanks to the whimsical personality of Julien Lepers. Michel Houellebecq, one of the most influential French writers in the world, thus quoted it several times in his novels.

“We generally take away page turns “questions champion”: “this from the show the impression that people are happy. and yourself we feel happier and better,” he said to the narrator (depressed) of “platform” (2001).

In 2022. France Télévisions had decided to no longer schedule another of its emblematic games during the week, “figures and letters”, created in 1972. After two seasons where he was only broadcast on weekends, he definitively disappeared at the start of the 2024 school year.

“I do not know what the future of ‘questions for a champion’ will be made. But if the game is threatened. we will not be able to use the hearings’ argument,” said Samuel Étienne on Saturday on the social network X.

In recent days, the show has been watched by some 1.1 million viewers, according to Fremantle.

“We have the will to preserve this popular and demanding meeting, which does honor to page turns “questions champion”: “this public service,” said Sitbon-Gomez.