''La petite vie'' was first a stage sketch of the comedy duo

Ding et Dong ''Ding et Dong'' was a Canadian comedy duo from Quebec, consisting of Serge Thériault as "Ding" and Claude Meunier as "Dong". They are most noted for their eponymous 1990 comedy film, which was based on their prior stage show.Claude Meunier Claude Meunier (born September 4, 1951) is a Canadian actor, dramaturge, comedian and film director. Meunier was born in Montreal, Quebec and studied law at the Université de Montréal. Filmography Author Television * 1976 - '' La Fricas ...

and

Serge Thériault Serge Thériault (born April 23, 1948 in Quebec City) is a Canadian comedian and actor from Quebec. He is best known for his collaborations with Claude Meunier, including the ''Ding et Dong'' comedy duo and the spinoff television series ''La Petite ...

, and later a hit

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

aired by

Radio-Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

from 1993 to 1999. In total, 59 episodes were created plus 3 specials, two for Christmas and one for New Year's 2000. Widely considered a classic of the Quebec television, it was the first Canadian TV show (of either English or French language) to ever gather more than 4 million viewers, a performance it achieved twice in 1995 (since surpassed by ''Bye Bye 2018'' with 4.41 million).

Synopsis

The stories of ''La petite vie'', sketch and television show, revolve around the strange couple simply known as ''Pôpa'' and ''Môman'' (Quebec

Joual ''Joual'' () is an accepted name for the linguistic features of Quebec French that are associated with the French-speaking working class in Montreal which has become a symbol of national identity for some. ''Joual'' is stigmatized by some and ce ...

for ''pa'' and ''ma''). The sketch was memorable for the pillow talk scenes with the beds comically placed straight up so the actors, seemingly laid on the bed but still standing (a pun with the French saying «''histoire à dormir debout''» "''story to sleep standing-up''", a story that doesn’t make sense), would be clearly visible to the theater public. This would be kept in the sitcom, where the context made it even more surreal. While the sketch usually featured only the couple, the sitcom introduced a vast array of relatives, creating very bizarre but endearing caricature of a '' Québécois''

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

family.

Characters

Paré family

*Aimé "Ti-Mé" Paré (

Claude Meunier Claude Meunier (born September 4, 1951) is a Canadian actor, dramaturge, comedian and film director. Meunier was born in Montreal, Quebec and studied law at the Université de Montréal. Filmography Author Television * 1976 - '' La Fricas ...

) *Jacqueline "Moman" Paré (

) *Réjean Pinard (

Marc Messier Marc Messier, M.S.C. (born August 16, 1947) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. Background Born in Granby, Quebec, Messier's 45-year acting career included the participation in several well-known films and television series. After finishing his ...

) *Thérèse Paré (Diane Lavallée) *Rénald "Pinson" Paré (

Marc Labrèche Marc Labrèche (born November 20, 1960 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian actor, comedian and host. Background The son of Quebec comedian Gaetan Labrèche, Marc Labrèche had an interest in stage acting from his childhood. His career began in ...

) *Lison "Creton" Paré (Josée Deschênes) *Caro Paré (Guylaine Tremblay) *Rodrigue "Rod" Paré (Bernard Fortin) *Stimé (

Stéphane Rousseau Stéphane Rousseau (; born September 17, 1966) is a Canadian actor and comedian. He starred in the Academy Award-winning film ''The Barbarian Invasions''. He has also been in ''Asterix at the Olympic Games'' (2008). His latest movies is ...

)

Friends

*Paul « Pogo » Gauthier (

Rémy Girard Rémy Girard (born August 10, 1950) is a Canadian actor and former television host from Montreal, Quebec. Acting career Girard played the role of Rémy, the main character, who is dying of terminal cancer, in the Canadian film ''The Barbarian In ...

) *Linda Gaudette (Sylvie Potvin) *Jean-Lou ( Michel Côté) *Bobby (

Gilles Renaud Gilles Renaud (born 25 September 1944) is a Canadian actor who has starred in cinema and television in Quebec. In 1983, he received a Genie Award nomination for Best Actor for the film '' A Day in a Taxi (Une journée en taxi)''. He is also a ...

) *Agathe « Bobonne » (

Véronique Le Flaguais Véronique Le Flaguais (born 30 November 1947 in Paris, France) is a French actress who has acted in many Canadian productions. Her work includes a Genie Award nomination for her supporting role in '' Surviving My Mother'', '' Rumeurs'', ''Jesus ...

) *Momo (

Benoît Brière Benoît Brière (born June 20, 1965) is a Canadian actor from Quebec.Patricia Belzil"Benoît Brière" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', October 23, 2008. He is most noted for his performance in the film '' Seducing Doctor Lewis (La Grande séduction)' ...

)

References

External links