Molière pour rire et pour pleurer — Season 1
Where laughter becomes a weapon, and the stage becomes fate.
About this season
This miniseries approaches Molière not as a fixed icon, but as a man immersed in the cultural tensions of his time. It shows how his theatre emerges from direct engagement with reality: observing social environments, exposing hypocrisy, and confronting religious and political power. The narrative highlights the inner workings of a troupe, the material challenges of the profession, and the way Molière turns constraints into creative momentum. Far from the glorified myth, the series reveals a path shaped by compromise, strategy, and resistance. Ultimately, it portrays an author who uses comedy as a tool for social insight, and for whom the stage becomes the space where his freedom is truly at stake.
Episodes (6)
1. Episode 1
7.0Aired 8 November 1973 • 54 min
In 1642, Jean Poquelin, an ordinary upholsterer to the King, urges his son Jean‑Baptiste to become a lawyer. But Jean‑Baptiste is irresistibly drawn to the theatre — and to the actress Madeleine Béjart. Supported by her family, the young man founds “L’Illustre Théâtre,” a troupe devoted to tragic drama.
2. Episode 2
7.0Aired 15 November 1973 • 55 min
Faced with mounting debts and lukewarm reviews, Molière — newly self‑renamed — agrees to join the troupe of the aging Dufresne. It doesn’t take long before Dufresne entrusts him with its direction. Success follows. Back in Paris, eager to satisfy an audience constantly craving novelty, the stage director ventures into comedy.
3. Episode 3
8.0Aired 22 November 1973 • 55 min
Molière triumphs with The Pretentious Ladies, but the farce causes embarrassment. His rivals, judging the satire far too realistic, manage to have Molière’s new theatre demolished. Yet they hadn’t counted on the favor of King Louis XIV.
4. Episode 4
7.0Aired 29 November 1973 • 55 min
Molière found an ally in the person of the King. Both men were targeted and weary of the attacks from the “right‑thinking” members of the Catholic Church. So when Molière read the first three acts of Tartuffe to the King — a fierce portrait of a false devotee — the sovereign decided to have the play performed at Versailles, before the entire Court.
5. Episode 5
8.0Aired 6 December 1973 • 54 min
Molière moves from disappointment to disappointment. His plays fail to win unanimous praise, Racine — his treacherous friend — enjoys triumphant beginnings, and Armande’s jealousy grows. She reproaches him for neglecting her in favor of the young “Baron,” the son Molière never had. Poquelin then writes a toned‑down version of Tartuffe to present to the public.
6. Episode 6
8.0Aired 13 December 1973 • 53 min
Jealous of Molière’s success, Lully tries to discredit him in the eyes of the King. Crushed by debt, the composer dreams of claiming Molière’s author royalties. Meanwhile, Molière — aged and greatly weakened — has withdrawn to the countryside to write. Despite the melancholy consuming him, he refuses to give up performing The Imaginary Invalid, his final swan song.