Caméra Café is a French-born format of comedy television series exported around the world. Two movie spin-offs have been made in France under the titles of Espace détente and Le Séminaire. It was originally a French television show created by Bruno Solo, Yvan Le Bolloc'h, and Alain Kappauf and it was broadcast from September 2001 to December 2004 on the M6 channel.
700 episodes of 3 minutes each have been produced and were broadcast again on M6 in 2004. The show revolves around a dysfunctional office. Its originality stems from the fact that, within the fiction, the camera is fixed into the automated coffee machine of the office space.
The title is a French pun on "Caméra Cachée", (literally "hidden camera", or Candid Camera for the related TV show).
Contents
Plot
The main originality of the series is the coffee machine, located in the relaxation area of the company, which becomes the point of view of the viewer during each episode. In front of it, parade the employees of the company "Geugène Electro Stim" (G.E.S.) all are caricatured to the grotesque humor, even cynical at times.
This place of choice allows the viewer to live from within the everyday atmosphere of the head office of a large company in the French (such as the presence of a driver for the president, a director of human resources and 'a full-time psychologist), with professional or private discussions that often turn into caricatures.
Some extras pass from time to time down the hall and sometimes serve as spectators in some skits at strategic moments.
Cast
Main
Bruno Solo as Hervé Dumont, Purchasing director and Union representative
Yvan Le Bolloc'h as Jean-Claude Convenant, Commercial
Secondary
Armelle as Maéva Capucin, Head of archives and inventory and Carole's assistant
Alexandre Pesle as Sylvain Müller, Accountant
Jeanne Savary as Jeanne Bignon, Secretary and Jean-Guy's assistant
Gérard Chaillou as Jean-Guy Lecointre, Chief human resources officer
Valérie Decobert as Frédérique Castelli, Nancy's secretary
Alain Bouzigues as Philippe Gatin, Network administrator
Shirley Bousquet as Nancy Langeais, Chief financial officer
Sylvie Loeillet as Carole Dussier-Belmont, Chief commercial officer
Philippe Cura as André Markowicz, Chauffeur
Noémie Elbaz as Julie Hassan, Switchboard operator
Karim Adda as Vincent Schneider, Postal service employee
Marc Andréoni as Serge Touati, Company psychologist
Chantal Neuwirth as Annie Lepoutre, Trainee
Tom Novembre as Stanislas Priziwielsky, Digix's accountant
Sophie Renoir as Eva Kovalsky, Carole 's substitute during her illness
Lucien Jean-Baptiste as Franck Marchand
Guest
Aïssa Maïga as Violette, Jean-Claude's ex
Bruno Lochet as Didier Farjex, The chef of the canteen
Bruno Salomone as Thierry
Catherine Benguigui as Mireille
Catherine Jacob as The interior designer
Chantal Lauby as Emma
Christelle Cornil as Yvonne, The maintenance employee
Édith Scob as Madame Bouvard
Élie Semoun as The Security guard
Fred Testot as The window cleaner
Guillaume Depardieu as Simon, a former prisoner in reintegration
Gustave Kervern as The plumber
Mathilda May as The Boss's wife
Pascal Obispo as himself
Raphaël Lenglet as Dimitri, Eva's son
Riton Liebman as The director
Valérie Mairesse as Anabelle, depressed cleaning lady
Adaptations
Caméra Café has seen great export success, having been adapted in:
United States (failed pilot)
Republic of Ireland (2002–2003)
Canada / Quebec (2002–2012, 2021–)
Greece (2002)
Italy (2003–2008; 2011–2012; 2017)
Poland (2004)
Spain (2005–2009)
Portugal (2006)
Philippines (2007–2009)
Indonesia (2008-)
Chile (2008)
Australia
China (2008-2010)
Belgium / Flanders
Luxembourg
Switzerland (2008-)
Macedonia
Brazil
La Réunion, the show is both in Créole and French, depending on the origins of the characters.
Colombia (2008-)
Vietnam (2010-2011)
Turkey (2009-2010)
Cambodia (2012)
Romania (2015-)