A French speaking channel with a good range of programmes (TV5 Europe)

Member Name: meumeu77

Product:	TV5 Europe
Date:	06/11/08 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good for French students/teachers and French-speaking audiences

Disadvantages: Lacking in children's programmes

TV5 Monde is a French-speaking channel available on Virgin Media on 825. It's part of our XL package.

I said "French-speaking" because it doesn't just show programmes from French channels but also Canadian, Swiss and Belgian ones.

It is great for people learning/teaching French but it is also great for French people who live in England or anywhere else in the world as it enables them to keep in touch with their culture and to find out about the other French speaking countries.

I personally try to watch the Belgian news at lunchtime. I find the presenter friendly and there are differences of vocabulary between French from France and French from Belgium, which always make me smile (for instance they don't say numbers in the same way and I find it very charming!).

Most programmes shown are good quality ones although one of the daily French soaps "Sous le soleil" is so corny it's almost sickening but I suppose people with little understanding of French can follow the plot easily! So that's the only exception of average programme I can think of.

There are some really good films (drama, comedy, etc), some really informative documentaries (on economics, ecology, animals, films...).

I agree with the previous review on the lack of children's programmes. As a mother, I try to subject our son to as much French as possible at home but I feel TV5 need to introduce more programmes for children.

Be warned though that censorship is not as obvious in French programmes and there can be some swearing/nudity in the daytime. You've been warned! ;o)

Summary: A good French-speaking channel with a good range of programmes