After 50 years of history, numbers and letters about to open a new chapter. The France 3 program, which has been broadcast every day for decades, switches to weekend programs from 3 September. Viewers will be able to find the cult game every Saturday and Sunday at 5:15 PM. On this occasion, some minor changes and new features have been made, but the main change is on the members side of the show. If Laurent Romejko continues his role in animation, both referees of the show will change. If Arielle Boulin-Prat and Bertrand Renard will be on the air for the first two weekends (programs have already been recorded), they will be replaced on-screen from September 17. The show’s producer, Patrice Laffont, reveals the identity of the new faces of the game in an interview with Télé 7 Jours and also discusses this new formula for the show.
How do you evaluate the transition to the weekend release for Numbers and Letters, after 50 years of daily existence?
The chain made a decision. We’ll see what it will give. Saturday and Sunday are always more complicated. For our slightly older viewers, Saturday is often the day people get away from it all. I still think that fifty years later, the show has a reason to disappear. However, France Télévisions wanted to protect the brand. I am passionate enough about this show to last a lifetime, and maybe I am for that matter! (laughs) So I thought of a way to make the show a little different without touching the basics. A 50-year-old game, you can’t turn it upside down anyway. It was also necessary to figure out how to replace Arielle Boulin-Prat and Bertrand Renard, the two pillars and memories of the program. But we have to keep going and keep going.
Who did you choose to replace him as the referee of the game?
The first is Stéphane Crosnier, who immediately imposed himself on me. A very charismatic ex-candidate, outnumbered. He was great in many tournaments. numbers and letters. But he also has a very good sense of television, as he has worked as a sports editor at BFM TV and RMC Sport. The second is Blandine Maire, who teaches in the junior department. She has a great history because she has worked as a lawyer and journalist on television, she worked at Olivier Minne or Fort Boyard. Funny little anecdote: He was in the mountains during casting, so he sent us a little video of his little studio! Everyone had gathered.
How did they react when you asked them to join the program?
They jumped on the opportunity! (laughs) Now we inform them, we train them. They will have to work because there is a lot to prepare for the “duels” part of the game. It’s time to explain a little more cultural stuff to the audience, so we need to prepare articles for each issue.
What changes have you made to the game for this new version?
We wanted to add a little more tension. With the arrival of Blandine Maire and Stéphane Crosnier, the animation will perhaps be a little more trio, less mechanics, and the mechanics of the game will remain the same, even if Laurent Romejko remains the master of the game. On the other hand, rounds of duels will improve a bit: now there will be only four duels instead of five, with a new point system that will make it possible to witness the score reversal. There is also a significant change on the award side: At the end of the show, there will be two word lists for the finalist to find. A first with words to discover that will be worth 100 euros each, and a second with a specified theme, so it will help the island a little, that each word discovered will fetch 50 euros. After five wins in the game, the candidate can choose to leave with their winnings or try to get ten wins. If he chooses to continue, the gains during the last word will be greater. However, if he loses before the tenth victory, he will only have 500 euros left and he will lose his accumulated winnings. This money will go to a cat, which will be won by a candidate who manages to rank ten victories in the show.
Is the game still popular with candidates?
During the prison, there are people in their 20s or 30s who discovered the show. And they registered en masse for the elections! We saw a huge difference on this side: now we have a lot of candidates aged 20-30, whether we get it or not, but a year ago this did not exist. There is still a real appeal to this program.
Interview with Aurélien Gaucher
Numbers and letters, from September 3 at 17:15 on Saturday and Sunday in France 3
Source: Programme Television
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
