The French Drama Shows you Need to Stream Now!

Have you run out of French drama series to watch after finishing Dix pourcent and Lupin? Here is a list of French TV shows on a wide range of subjects from historical to detective dramas that will help strengthen your listening skills and vocabulary. There is truly something for everyone!

Netflix

Women at War / Les Combattantes 

Year: 2022

Subgenre: Historical

This gripping series is set in the Vosges mountains of France near the German border during World War II. It follows four very different women whose paths cross during wartime including a sex worker from Paris, the newly appointed manager of a local factory, a nun running a hospital in her convent, and a nurse that is under fire for performing abortions. Les Combattantes offers an intimate lens into the lives of women during this period of instability in Europe.

Marseille

Year: 2016-18

Subgenre: Political

In this political drama, the mayor of Marseille Robert Taro finds himself faced with a challenger he never expected, his former protegee Lucas Barrès. Just as Taro looks to step down from his long-held position, Barrès threatens to upend his grand plans of opening up a huge waterfront casino. What ensues is a battle for influence and power set to the backdrop of the stunning port city. 

The 7 Lives of Lea / Les Sept Vies de Léa 

Year: 2022

Subgenre: Time Travel 

Set in the dramatic Gorges du Verdon, high-school senior Léa stumbles on the body of the victim from an unsolved murder case in the 90s. The next morning she wakes up in the body of Ismaël, the boy who was murdered. Léa becomes invested in figuring out what happened to Ismaël and she continues to wake up in the different bodies of his acquaintances, including her mom and dad, which helps her get closer to uncovering the truth. 

Amazon Prime

The Bureau / Le Bureau des Légendes 

Year: 2015-20

Subgenre: Intelligence Agency

This fast-paced thriller series follows DGSE agents (the French equivalent of the CIA) as they go undercover in risky situations abroad. The first season centers on Guillaume Debailly who has just returned to Paris after living in Damascus for six years under a fake identity. Debailly struggles to reintegrate into daily life which intensifies with the mysterious appearance of Nadia, his lover from Damascus who may hold secrets of her own. 

Anthracite

Year: 2024

Subgenre: Detective

Journalist Solal Heilman has suddenly gone missing in the small Isère town of Lévionna. Heilman’s disappearance leads his daughter Ida to mount an investigation and follow her father’s tracks. In Lévionna, she meets Jaro, an ex-convict serving his parole and together the unlikely pair team up to find Solal. Along the way, their investigation uncovers other deep secrets hidden in the town including a mysterious sect.  

Enjoy watching!