22 Best French TV Shows On Netflix You Should Watch

Looking for the best French TV shows on Netflix to watch to dive into French pop culture? This post will show you all the must-watch French Series on Netflix.

What’s better to help cheer you up or escape your mundane reality and be transported to France than a great French TV series?

I’ve been shamelessly on a binge-watching spree lately if you couldn’t tell by the title of this post so I decided to share some of my favorites with you.

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Whether you are in the mood for rom-coms, dramas, comedies, thrillers, politics, or mysteries, you’ll find something on this list of 22 Best French TV shows on Netflix to match your interest while bringing you closer to France.

So, close the blinds, get your laptop/TV/projector ready, grab some wine and popcorn and start binge-watching these French series on Netflix.

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Best French TV Shows on Netflix

If you’re looking for good French shows on Netflix to brush up on your French language skills, master it with subtitles, or simply dive into French culture, then look no further than this list.

You have probably already gone through the famous international (English) offerings by Netflix, so time to take up some French immersion.

1. Lupin (2021)

Genre: Mystery

IMDB Rating: 7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Lupin is a brilliant and popular French TV series on Netflix that stars famous French actor Omar Sy in the titular character of Assane Diop.

It was watched by millions of people in its first 4 weeks of release and it bagged the title of the most-watched French show on Netflix.

The show is based on the literary character created by Maurice Leblanc named Arsène Lupin, who was also called the Gentleman burglar.

It has a Sherlock-esque feel, with Assane modeling his life on the early 1900s iconic character to avenge his father’s wrongful imprisonment and subsequent death.

You might find yourself empathizing with Assane or being in awe of the cinematic heists he pulls off with ease and suaveness.

Related post: Best Songs About Paris

2. Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent) (2015)

Genre: Comedy Drama

IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

A hilarious workplace comedy series, Call My Agent! or Dix pour cent, follows the lives of 4 agents at a fictional French talent agency.

It showcases the trials and tribulations in their professional lives and the ups and downs in their personal lives.

It is one of the most critically acclaimed Netflix French shows and features some real and well-known celebrities adding to the fun element.

3. Family Business (2019)

Genre: Comedy

IMDB Rating: 7.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Family Business is one of the best French TV shows on Netflix produced in-house. This lighthearted comedy series is about “businessman” Joseph Hazan and his dysfunctional family.

Joseph, who is 35 years old, is full of ideas but feels “tied down” since he has to manage and, one day, take over his dad’s kosher butcher shop.

When he learns from a reliable source that France is going to vote to legalize marijuana, he has a light bulb moment.

What follows is a heartwarming and funny sequence of events that has his family and friends turning the butcher shop into a weed-growing operation.

4. Versailles (2015)

Genre: Historical Biography

IMDB Rating: 7.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

A highly rated and award-winning show, Versailles is one of the best French TV shows on Netflix if you love historical dramas, period pieces, and/or biographies.

The show takes place in 1667 and is based on the then king of France, Louis XIV. Louis XIV decides that he wants to build the greatest palace in the world – the Palace of Versailles.

Not everything goes according to his plan, though. Riddled with a depleting budget, political interferences, and his affairs, Louis XIV’s dream takes a complicated turn.

5. A Very Secret Service (Au service de la France) (2015)

Genre: Comedy

IMDB Rating: 7.7/10

Set in 1960, A Very Secret Service is a comedy series about a fictional French spy agency that hires an intelligent and impressionable 23-year-old André Merlaux to learn their ways.

He has to navigate through government bureaucracy while using the diplomacy he has been taught by three officials of the intelligence service.

Since it is picturized around the Cold War period, it includes some actual historical events, so you get a run-through of French history while chuckling your way through this French Netflix series.

6. Lazy Company (2013)

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, War

IMDB Rating: 6.4/10

The genre of this Netflix French series might confuse you, but Lazy Company is a humorous show only based around the time of WWII with war-depicted scenes.

However, it does not follow any of the actual historical events. The show follows four incompetent American soldiers who have been parachuted into the heart of France, occupied by the Nazis.

They land in the Normandy countryside and have to do what it takes to stay alive. Their clumsy and cowardly ways will end up changing the course of history.

7. Black Spot (Zone Blanche) (2017)

Genre: Thriller Crime

IMDB Rating: 7.4/10

Black Spot is a detective drama mixed with hints of supernatural feels. This Netflix French series has haunting landscapes and gives off eerie vibes.

It involves a police chief and a prosecutor investigating a series of horrid crimes in an isolated town at the edge of a forest.

And we all know no good can come when you combine “isolated town” and “forest” in the same sentence.

The award-winning show has undertones of horror in it too, so if this kind of genre appeals to you, then go for it.

Related post: The Best French Songs of all Time

8. The Crimson Rivers (Les rivières pourpres) (2018)

Genre: Crime Mystery Thriller

IMDB Rating: 6.8/10

The 3-season crime thriller The Crimson Rivers is one of the best French TV series on Netflix.

The show is based on the age-old tale of a police commissioner and his/her sidekick solving crimes together.

This one has Commissioner Pierre Niemans, played by Olivier Marchal, teaming up with a former best-in-class student Camille Delaunay, portrayed by Erika Sainte.

The show follows this pseudo-father-daughter duo as they go around solving problematic investigations. It has won a couple of awards and nominations.

9. November 13: Attack on Paris (2018)

Genre: Investigative Docuseries

IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

This French docu-series is based on the events that unfolded on the night of November 13, 2015.

Paris and its citizens were shocked by a coordinated series of Islamist terrorist attacks that shook the capital and its northern suburb of Saint-Denis.

The attacks spanned 6 locations and included 3 suicide bombers setting off bombs, and themselves, outside Stade de France during an international football match and a group at a rock concert in the Bataclan theatre carrying out a mass shooting and a hostage-taking.

This is on top of multiple shootings outside crowded eateries on Parisian streets. The show recounts the personal stories of survivors and first responders amidst the attacks.

Related post: Famous French Love Songs You’ll Enjoy

10. Spotless (2015)

Genre: Crime Drama

IMDB Rating: 7.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

A crime-scene cleaning service owner, Jean Bastière, is a law-abiding citizen and worker.

But thanks to his irresponsible brother Martin, he is now put in an unpleasant situation and forced to “handle” or “take care” of the affairs of a powerful mob boss.

Spotless follows the antics of the brothers and the mob boss and shows how the brothers navigate through unfamiliar and uncomfortable scenarios that they are put in.

11. Standing Up (Drôle) (2022)

Genre: Dramedy

IMDB Rating: 7.3/10

This is a relatively new show compared to the other French shows on Netflix.

Produced by the same producer as the French series “Call my agent!” (#2), Standing Up or Drôle in French is about 4 up and coming comedians trying to chase their dreams of making a name for themselves in the Parisian stand-up comedy scene.

Like all struggling artists, the protagonists, too, have to juggle their personal lives with the difficulties at work.

12. The Bonfire of Destiny (Le Bazar de la Charité) (2019)

Genre: Historical/Period Drama

IMDB Rating: 7.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

This period drama, set in 1897, is based on an actual and devastating fire that broke out on 4^th May at an annual charity event for the French aristocracy and took the lives of 126 people, mostly women.

This fictionalized version follows the lives of 3 such women who attended the event but survived the fire.

The aftermath of the event has them reeling from shock, betrayal, and deception, sprinkled with some romance.

Besides the captivating story, this soap opera-esque period drama will wow you with its sets and costumes.

Related post: Best Books about France

13. The Forest (La forêt) (2017)

Genre: Crime Drama

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10

La Forêt is a mini-series comprising only 6 episodes. It is based on the disappearance of a teenage girl from a small town in southeast Belgian that is surrounded by the Ardennes Forest.

The forest region has an extensive rugged terrain with rivers, valleys, and paths all meandering through it, which makes the hunt more difficult.

Add to the mix a mysterious woman, and you have a gripping show that will keep you hooked throughout. This is one of the best French series on Netflix if you love police dramas, suspense, and crime shows!

14. Ganglands (Braqueurs) (2021)

Genre: Crime Thriller

IMDB Rating: 7/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Ganglands is a 6-episode French crime thriller series that has skilled professional thief Mehdi, portrayed by Sami Bouajila, doing whatever it takes to protect his family (where have we heard this one before?).

Also involved is Liana, a small-time thug played by Tracy Gotoas since their lives are connected through her girlfriend Shainez, who happens to be Mehdi’s niece.

What follows is a war between drug dealers and thieves. The show is fast-paced, with many action sequences.

15. Dealer (Caïd) (2021)

Genre: Crime Drama

IMDB Rating: 6.1/10

Dealer is picturized in the French ghetto regions and showcases a side of France that is not usually shown.

The show is based on a music video director and cameraman who go to one of these suburbs to film a rap video for a drug gang leader trying to make it big in the rap scene, but they get caught in the middle of a gang war instead.

I recommend watching this Netflix show in French to pick up on some French slang.

Fun fact: The French version of this series is titled Caïd, a word of Arabic origin, which in French means leader of a gang.

16. The Hookup Plan (Plan Coeur) (2018)

Genre: Rom-com

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%

If you like and enjoy rom-coms, then this French Netflix series is right up your alley. Think Sex and the City, but less polished and classy, and make it French while you’re at it.

Elsa, an almost 30-year-old female, cannot forget her ex from 2 years ago (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?).

So, her friends hatch a plan to secretly hire a male escort to bring some fun and excitement back into her life.

What could go wrong, you ask? How about a turn of tables and a change of heart? I’ll let you watch the show to figure out the rest.

17. Marseille (2016)

Genre: Political Drama

IMDB Rating: 6.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 68%

Marseille is a two-season political drama show based in (no points for guessing) the French port city of Marseille and was the first French show on Netflix to be produced by the streaming service itself.

The series stars popular actors Gérard Depardieu and Benoît Magimel. The former plays Robert Taro, who has been a mayor of Marseille for 2 decades, while Benoît plays his former protégé turned rival Lucas Barres.

Both are members of the same political party but get into a bitter war of succession involving power, corruption, betrayal, lies, deceit, and revenge.

How does all this end? Turn on your TV now to find out.

Related post: Best Books About Paris

18. Inhuman Resources (Dérapages) (2020)

Genre: Drama

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10

Eric Cantona-starred Inhuman Resources is a French miniseries on Netflix based on the book Cadres Noirs by Pierre Lemaitre.

The show follows the journey of a laid-off employee, Alain Delambre, from receiving a job interview after 6 years of being unemployed to preparing for a hostage-taker role in a role-playing scenario set up by his potential employer, only to ultimately be told that his job was given to someone else.

Out of desperation and anger, Alain decides to put his skills to use to make it a real hostage-taking scenario.

Gripping and captivating, this is one of the best French tv shows on Netflix you have to watch.

19. Johnny Hallyday: Beyond Rock (2022)

Genre: Docuseries Music

IMDB Rating: 7/10

Johnny Hallyday, born Jean-Philippe Léo Smet, was a famous French rock and roll singer known and credited to have brought rock and roll to France.

With a career spanning nearly 6 decades, Johnny’s life and career have been explored in this biographical docuseries.

Johnny Hallyday: Beyond Rock showcases archival footage and interviews involving his family and friends.

His life was nothing short of a roller coaster ride with many lows and highs, failures and successes, and this series captures it well.

20. Twice Upon A Time (Il était une seconde fois) (2019)

Genre: Romantic Drama

IMDB Rating: 6.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 56%

If you were given a chance to revisit and revive a past relationship with your ex, would you take it? Twice Upon A Time is a Netflix TV show in French that explores this idea.

The show is based on the lives of Vincent and Louise, who were once madly in love, but have since broken up in the past few months until one day Vincent chances upon a box that allows him to revisit time with his former flame.

Do you think they’ll reconcile? Or will his second chance go to waste? Sadly, this romantic sci-fi drama is only 4 episodes long.

21. Gone for Good (Disparu à jamais) (2021)

Genre: Crime Drama Mystery

IMDB Rating: 6.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 45%

Another mini-series, Gone for Good, is a French Netflix series that has Guillaume Lucchesi, played by Finnegan Oldfield, going through a bunch of tragedies that seem to be drawn to him.

He first loses 2 people very close to him, his first love Sonia and his brother Fred. A decade later, he loses his mother, and during her funeral, Judith, his current love, who brought him out of his misery and made life worth living again, goes missing.

Tragedies, losses, lies, and secrets just seem to surround Guillaume. I’ll let you watch the 5 episodes to know how it unfolds.

Related post: Best French Writers of all Time

22. Mortel (2019)

Genre: Fantasy Drama

IMDB Rating: 6.5/10

Mortel is a fantasy teen drama combined with paranormal elements. The show follows a group of high school teenagers who discover their magical/supernatural powers and how they hone the power to find one of the teens’ missing brother.

You get to see the roller coaster of emotions that teens go through and the dilemmas they face while making decisions.

All “superhero” shows need a supervillain: enter Obe and his peculiar eyewear. The show has a clichéd ending but is worth mindlessly binging on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

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Final Thoughts on the Best French TV Series on Netflix

Whether you wanted to practice your French or immerse yourself in French culture through movies and shows, I hope that you found this list of the 22 best French TV shows on Netflix helpful.

Do you think I missed out on any good ones? If so, do share their names or links with me in the comments below. Also, let me know what are your thoughts on the ones included in this post?

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