''H'' is a French sitcom with seventy-one 22-minute episodes. The series was created by Abd-el-Kader Aoun, Xavier Matthew and

Éric Judor Éric Judor (born 25 July 1968 in Meaux), sometimes simply called Éric, is a French actor, director, screenwriter and comedian. He gained notoriety by forming, with Ramzy Bedia, the comedy duo Eric and Ramzy. After several feature films with hi ...

, and produced by Phillippe Berthe,

Édouard Molinaro Édouard Molinaro (13 May 1928 – 7 December 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Bordeaux, Gironde. He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès (''Oscar'', ''Hibernatus''), '' My Uncle Benja ...

, Jean-Luc Moreau and Charles Némès. It ran from 24 October 1998 to 20 April 2002 on

Canal+ Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...

. In Canada, it is shown weekly on TV5br>
The title "H" comes from the three words that characterize the series: ''Humour, Histoire et Hôpital'' (

Humour Humour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humorism, humoral medicine of the ancient Gre ...

Story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

and

Hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

Premise

The lives of the carelessly incompetent medical team at a hospital in the Parisian suburbs explode in

surreal humour Surreal humour (also called surreal comedy, absurdist humour, or absurdist comedy) is a form of humour predicated on deliberate violations of causal reasoning, thus producing events and behaviours that are obviously illogical. Portrayals of surrea ...

as they go about their daily duties.

Cast

Jamel Debbouze Jamel Debbouze (; ar, جمال دبوز, Jamāl Dabūz; born 18 June 1975) is a French-Moroccan actor, comedian, screenwriter, film producer and director. Best known for his stand-up comedy sketches, he also worked with director Alain Chabat in ...

as Jamel Driddi *

as Aymé Cesaire *

Ramzy Bedia Ramzy Habib El Haq Bedia ( ar, رمزي حبيب إل حق بيديا ; born March 10, 1972) is a French actor, screenwriter and film director of Algerian descent. He started his career as a comedian in 1994 after meeting Eric Judor with whom ...

as Sabri Saïd * Catherine Benguigui as Béatrice "Béa" Goldberg (seasons 1 and 2) *

Sophie Mounicot Sophie Mounicot (born 6 August 1960) is a French actress and writer. Theater Filmography References External links * 1960 births French television actresses French film actresses Actresses from Paris Living people 20th-century ...

as Clara Saulnier *

Jean-Luc Bideau Jean-Luc Bideau (born 1 October 1940) is a Swiss film actor. Personal life Jean-Luc Bideau is married to Marcela Salivarova, a director of Czechoslovak origin. Together, they have two children: Nicolas, head of Presence Switzerland Presence ...

as Professor Maximilien « Max » Strauss *

Linda Hardy Linda Hardy (born 11 October 1973) is a French actress and model. Life and career Hardy won the title of Miss France in 1992, and represented her country at Miss Universe 1992, Miss World 1992, and Miss Europe 1992. She then launched an actin ...

as Charlotte, Professor Strauss' daughter (season 3) *

Edgar Givry Edgar Givry (born 9 August 1953) is a French actor. He appeared in more than seventy films since 1974. He is also the official French dub of ''John Malkovich'' and ''Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and original ...

as the Director of the hospital

Guest appearances

In four seasons, many notable French actors appeared in guest starring roles or cameos. *

Marie-Christine Adam Marie-Christine Adam (born 24 September 1950) is a French actress. Filmography Theatre External links * References 1950 births Living people French film actresses French television actresses Place of birth missing (living people ...

as Philippe's Mother *

Bernard Blancan Bernard Blancan (born 9 September 1958) is a French actor. He has appeared in more than 85 films and television shows since 1989. He shared the award for Best Actor for his role in '' Days of Glory'' at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival The 59th C ...

as The Guide Michelin Inspector *

Richard Bohringer Richard Bohringer (born 16 January 1942) is a French actor. Personal life Bohringer was born in Moulins, Allier, to a French mother and a German father. He is the father of actress Romane Bohringer, and has three other children, Mathieu, Richa ...

as St. Peter *

Anne Charrier Anne Charrier is a French actress, who is credited with 7 films and 22 TV productions between 2000 and 2009. She was coached for TV by the Australian Elise McLeod. Career She is best known for her lead role in the film '' Paid'', made in 2006, ...

as Jessica *

Thomas Chabrol Thomas Chabrol (born 24 April 1963) is a French actor, director and screenwriter. Filmography On stage References External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chabrol, Thomas 1963 births 20th-century French male actors 21st-century French male a ...

as The sales representative *

Gerard Darmon Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this ca ...

as the police chief *

Mouss Diouf Pierre Mustapha "Mouss" Diouf (28 October 1964 – 7 July 2012) was a French-Senegalese actor, comedian and humorist. Acting career Born in Dakar, Diouf was known for his lead role in '' The Beast (La bête)'' and as Baba in '' Asterix & Obelix: ...

as a thief *

Gustave Kervern Gustave Kervern (born 27 August 1962), also known as Gustave de Kervern and Gustave K/Vern, is a French actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for his collaboration with Benoît Delépine. Life and career In 2004 he wrote, directed, ...

as Clément Dufresne *

Lorànt Deutsch Lorànt Deutsch (; born László Matekovics on 27 October 1975), is a French actor and writer. Deutsch was born in Alençon to a Hungarian-Jewish father and a Romanian mother. An ardent Catholic, Deutsch says he is a royalist. In 2005, Deutsch ...

as a young intern *

Jean-Claude Dreyfus Jean-Claude Dreyfus (born 18 February 1946, in Paris) is a French actor, comedian, and author. He began his career in film acting in 1973 in the film ''Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard''. Dreyfus is notable for his portrayal ...

as Cyril Strauss *

Claire Nadeau Claire Nadeau (born 1 June 1945) is a French actress. Theater Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nadeau, Claire French film actresses 20th-century French actresses 21st-century French actresses Actresses from P ...

as Eliane Strauss *

Guilaine Londez Guilaine Londez (born 1 January 1965) is a French film actress. She has appeared in more than sixty films since 1991. Filmography Theater References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Londez, Guilaine 1965 births Living people French ...

as Emilie *

Augustin Legrand Augustin Legrand is a French actor. He replaced Jonathan Goldsmith Jonathan Goldsmith (born September 26, 1938) is an American character actor. He began his career on the New York stage, then started a career in film and television. He appe ...

as a

skinhead A skinhead is a member of a subculture which originated among working class youths in London, England, in the 1960s and soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working class skinhead movement emerging worldwide in th ...

Serge Riaboukine Serge Riaboukine (born 29 December 1957) is a French actor. Theatre Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Riaboukine, Serge 1957 births Living people French male film actors French male television actors French pe ...

as The Godfather * Joey Starr as the devil *

Jean-Paul Rouve Jean-Paul Rouve (born 26 January 1967) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He is a member of the troupe "Les Robins des Bois". He has appeared in more than thirty film and television productions since 1993. Personal li ...

as The steward *

Élise Tielrooy Élise Tielrooy (born May, 7 1967) is a French actress of film, stage and television. Theater Filmography References External links * 1964 births Living people French film actresses French stage actresses French television act ...

as The psychologist *

Vincent Desagnat Vincent Raphaël Charles Desagnat (; born 9 March 1976) is a French actor, skateboarder and, television and radio presenter. Life and career Vincent Desagnat was born in Paris, the youngest son of director and screenwriter Jean-Pierre Desagna ...

as A caregiver * Danièle Évenou as The inspector *

Frédéric Bouraly Frédéric Bouraly (born 3 May 1960) is a French actor. Theater Filmography Dubbing Frédéric Bouraly was the French voice of several characters from animation Movies and TV Series. References External links {{DEFAULTSORT:Boural ...

Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best players ...

Philippe Khorsand Philippe Khorsand (February 17, 1948 – January 29, 2008) was a French actor. His father was Iranian and his mother was French. He first appeared in a number of small roles in the 1970s. One of his most memorable roles as husband and father in ' ...

Urbain Cancelier Urbain Cancelier (born 2 August 1959) is a French comedian and actor, primarily known for his collaborations with French film director Jean-Pierre Jeunet Jean-Pierre Jeunet (; born 3 September 1953) is a French film director, producer and scre ...

Pierre Palmade Pierre Palmade (born 23 March 1968) is a French actor, comedian, stage director and playwright. Biography Pierre Palmade began his career in sketch comedy shows on stage and on television in the late 1980s, and in the 1990s he wrote and played ...

Patrick Poivre d'Arvor Patrick Poivre d'Arvor (PPDA; né Patrick Jean Marcel Poivre, ; born 20 September 1947) is a French TV journalist and writer. He is a household name in France, and nicknamed "PPDA". With over 30 years and in excess of 4,500 editions of televis ...

Micheline Presle Micheline Presle (; born Micheline Nicole Julia Émilienne Chassagne; 22 August 1922) is a French actress. She was sometimes billed as Micheline Prelle. Starting in 1939, she starred in over 50 French and English language films that were made in H ...

Christine Ockrent Christine Ockrent (born 24 April 1944) is a Belgian journalist whose career has principally centered on French television. She interviewed Amir Abbas Hoveyda, the former Iranian prime minister, in Evin prison after the Islamic revolution in 197 ...

Jean Dell Jean Dell (born 17 March 1961) is a French actor and writer. Career After starting out in radio, he turned to the stage, film and television, where he will create and perform several sketches of the show Les Grosses Têtes Les Grosses Têtes ...

Richard Gotainer Richard Gotainer (born 30 March 1948) is a French singer, actor, and publicist. He writes most of the lyrics to his songs, often to music by Claude Engel. Early life Gotainer was a Boy Scout. He met and befriended the animator Jacky.. He is of Pol ...

Characters

*Djamel Driddi - Switchboard operator in Orthopedics. He is ready to do anything to earn money and willing to place himself in difficult situations: cross-dressing, selling rats, trafficking expired

pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...

s in the hospital, disguising himself as

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

, etc. He is a pathological liar and often uses the expression "dis-moi pas que c’est pas vrai" (''Don't tell me that it's not true!'') *Aymé Césaire - a male nurse. He is the son of an Austrian woman (who ends up having an affair with Sabri) and a man from

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

. He is a cowardly hypochondriac, often cynical and arrogant. He is obsessed with women and suffers from hyper-sexuality. He claims to be fluent in " Ebonics" but is instead fluent in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

. He is named after the Martiniquais poet,

Aimé Césaire Aimé Fernand David Césaire (; ; 26 June 1913 – 17 April 2008) was a French poet, author, and politician. He was "one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature" and coined the word in French. He founded the Par ...

. *Sabri Saïd - a stretcher-bearer and later a barman at the bar "Barbylone" near the hospital. Although a comic character, he can be a "bad guy" : he poisons Aymé, Clara, and Professor Strauss, and locks Jamel out on his balcony. *Clara Saulnier - the chief nurse in Orthopedics. An older woman, she is domineering and persistent. Before becoming a nurse, she was an alcoholic prostitute and porn star. She shares a love-hate relationship with Aymé. *Beatrice "Béa" Goldberg - a doctor. She is a nice but unattractive young woman. She can also be considered the most "normal" of the characters. Unlucky in love, she finally falls for Jean-François Nguyen, a French-Vietnamese lawyer, but their wedding is broken up on the day of the marriage. *Professor Maximilien "Max" Strauss - Head surgeon. He is obsessed with sports, collectibles, money, and various sexual fetishes. Because of his incompetence, he is the defendant in several malpractice suits. He is unable to manage his group (who spend most of the day goofing off) and cannot remember their names correctly. He has a daughter named Charlotte, and the show hints that he may be the son of

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

. *Edgar - the hospital administrator. Intelligent and ambitious, his plans are always thwarted by Professor Strauss, Aymé, or Sabri.

List of episodes

Distribution

A DVD featuring the "Best of H" as well as a box set featuring all four seasons have been released. The full series is also streamable on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:H (French Tv Series) 1998 French television series debuts 2002 French television series endings French television sitcoms Television shows set in France Television shows set in Paris Canal+ original programming