“Roll the sausage!”: the return of “Intervilles” is a bit sluggish
"Can you pinch me, Nagui? We're really relaunching Intervilles. I'm feeling like a kid again!" Bruno Guillon says in the first few minutes of the live broadcast. Along with Valérie Bègue, Camille Cerf, Magali Ripoll and Yoann Riou, he is one of the presenters hired by France 2 and Nagui to relaunch the cult TV game show created in 1962 by Guy Lux and Claude Savarit, after 12 years on TV . A modernized version without the "Chananana" from the opening credits, unrecognizable in its remix commissioned for the occasion, and without the cows either, replaced by two mascots named Topa (in reference to the "Top à la vachette" gimmick).
For its 2025 summer season, the public channel has set up its metallic circus in a field on the outskirts of Beauvais (Oise), for its confrontation with the town of Coulanges-lès-Nevers (Nièvre). The colorful events are striking, as is the famous wall of champions to be climbed by sheer force of arms, adorned with two immense horns (cow horns, of course!). A scaffolding backdrop that will disappoint those nostalgic for the arenas of the southwest where the show has long worn out its suitcases. Cheerleaders and DJs electrify an overheated audience and overexcited hosts. "Even the referee is drunk," jokes Nagui about the troublemaker Yoann Riou, who is holding his breath until 11:20 p.m.
"5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Go!" A zip line over a swimming pool, a football match with a player from the opposing team on a slippery surface and races on treadmills disguised as hot dogs or sausages: the crazy events follow village festival attractions like tug-of-war. The director (the nevertheless very experienced Gérard Pullicino, known for his "Taratata" ) no longer seems to know where to turn and, like him, we the viewers are a little lost among the 2,000 spectators.
As children, let's admit it, we pestered our parents for the right to watch "Intervilles." This game was the holy grail of all children in the 1980s and 1990s. Three decades later, we say to ourselves that "we must never return to the hidden times of memories," as Barbara sang. "Intervilles" is reserved for children at heart. You have to love the slides, the falls, the funny costumes, the schoolboy jokes, and the post-event bad faith contests, which, modernity obliges, are decided by video refereeing. As adults, all this leaves us a little cold... Just like Coulanges' final victory after a crazy comeback on the Wall of Champions.
Therefore, we laugh at the unexpected, the big failures, inevitable over 2.5 hours of live broadcasting. The overly difficult challenges where the conveyor belt invariably goes the wrong way. The destruction of part of the set that forces us to take a break 53 seconds before the end of a game. Or Nagui's monumental blunder when he takes two French people on the phone for a remote game, with a cruise to be won. But the host makes a mistake and announces the victory of Anthony, in reality the loser... before being corrected by his cast and congratulating Marie, the real winner. In short, we've grown old. And Intervilles too?
Le Parisien
