Maison Close is a French

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

which premiered 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 ...

on October 4, 2010. The series was developed by

Mabrouk El Mechri Mabrouk el Mechri (born 18 September 1976) is a French director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography El Mechri was born in Versailles near Paris, France. He has directed a number of films. After his three shorts ''Mounir et Anita'', ''Generation C ...

and is based on a concept created by Jacques Ouaniche. It is a drama set in a nineteenth-century

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

ian

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

. On December 7, 2010, Canal + renewed ''Maison Close'' for a second season which premiered on February 4, 2013. But in May 2013, the series had been cancelled by Canal+ after the second season, following a decline in ratings.

Premise

Paris, 1871. In ''Le Paradis'', a luxury brothel, three women try to escape from their troublesome circumstances. Vera is 35 years old, the end of her career as a prostitute drawing nearer. She puts all her hopes on her main client, the only one rich enough to redeem her debt. Hortense is the madam of ''Le Paradis''. She must hold on to her girls whilst dealing with an extortionist from the Parisian suburbs. Rose arrives in search of her mother, a former prostitute. She is trapped with a pimp and forcibly conscripted into ''Le Paradis''.

Cast and characters

Main

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 Véra *

Valérie Karsenti Valérie Karsenti (born 26 August 1968) is a French television, film, stage and voice actress. She is best known for her role as Liliane in the sitcom ''Scènes de ménages''. Biography Valérie Karsenti was born in Pantin in the department ...

as '' Hortense'' Gaillac. *

Jemima West Jemima West (born 11 August 1987) is a French actress. She is bilingual, growing up for most of her life in Paris, France. She is best known for playing ''Isabelle Lightwood'' in the film adaptation of '' The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'' ...

as Rosalie "Rose" Tranier *

Catherine Hosmalin Catherine Hosmalin is a French actress. Personal life While promoting the movie "Mince Alors", Hosmalin told to Laurent Ruquier Laurent Hugues Emmanuel Ruquier (; born 24 February 1963) is a French television presenter, radio host and com ...

as Marguerite Fourchon * Clémence Bretécher as Valentine * Deborah Grall as Bertha * Blandine Bellavoir as Angèle * Nicolas Briançon as Pierre Gaillac (season 1) * Michaël Cohen as Louis Mosca (season 2)

Recurring

Dany Verissimo Dany Verissimo (born 27 June 1982), is a French actress and model. She originally worked from 2001 to 2002 as a pornographic actress under the stage name Ally Mac Tyana before starting a mainstream career. She also uses the name Dany Verissimo-Pe ...

as Camélia * Sébastien Libessart as Torcy ; Season 1 * Dan Herzberg as Gaston Lupin * Serge Dupuy as Brice Caboche *

Lannick Gautry Lannick Gautry (born 3 March 1976) is a French actor. Theater Filmography External links * 1976 births Living people People from Saint-Germain-en-Laye French male film actors French male stage actors French male television ac ...

as Edgar *

Arnaud Binard Arnaud Binard (born 18 January 1971 in Bordeaux) is a French actor and producer mainly known for his roles in many romantic or detective television hit-series broadcast throughout the French-speaking world such as ''Sous Le Soleil'' (1998-1999 ...

as Francis Arnoult * Antoine Chappey as Charles Blondin * Garlan Le Martelot as Edmond Blondin * Juana Pereira da Silva as Louison "Louise" * Olivier Claverie as senator Gaudissart * Quentin Baillot as baron du Plessis * Pierre Casadei as the general ; Season 2 *

Fatou N'Diaye Fatou N'Diaye is an actress, originally from Senegal, born 1980 in Saint-Louis du Sénégal. Biography At 8 years old, she left Senegal with her mother, and moved to Paris. In 1997, aged 16/17, she was discovered by Oliviero Toscani, commerci ...

as Pauline * Martin Loizillon as Bak * Lubna Gourion as Jeanne *

Michaël Abiteboul Michaël Abiteboul is a French actor. Filmography Theatre References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abiteboul, Michael French male film actors Living people 21st-century French male actors Year of birth missing (living peop ...

as Kertel * Jean-Marie Frin as commissioner Angélus * Aurélien Wiik as the doctor * Susana Blazer as Zoe * David Salles as Paul * Elmano Sancho as Delvaux * Sophie-Charlotte Husson as Joséphine * Francis Seleck as Bayle * Sylvain Rougerie as Lubeck * Afonso Lagarto as Themier le Borgne

Episodes

Season 1 (2010)

The first season premiered on

on October 4, 2010. The season finale aired on October 25, 2010. * ''Épisode 1'' * ''Épisode 2'' * ''Épisode 3'' * ''Épisode 4'' * ''Épisode 5'' * ''Épisode 6'' * ''Épisode 7'' * ''Épisode 8''

Season 2 (2013)

The second season premiered on

on February 4, 2013. The season finale aired on February 25, 2013. * ''Épisode 1'' * ''Épisode 2'' * ''Épisode 3'' * ''Épisode 4'' * ''Épisode 5'' * ''Épisode 6'' * ''Épisode 7'' * ''Épisode 8''

Production and development

Jacques Ouaniche imagined the series in 2007, taking as a starting point a "trapped young girl forced to prostitute in a nineteenth century Parisian brothel". Production of the first season began on October, 2009 and ended on January, 2010 in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. On December 7, 2010, Canal + renewed ''Maison Close'' for a second season to consist of 8 episodes. Production of the second season began on January, 2012 and ended on May, 2012 in

. In May 2013, the series had been cancelled by

after the second season, following a decline in ratings.

Home media release

* The first season was released in France on DVD on October 26, 2010, and on Blu-ray on March 1, 2013. The second season was released on both DVD and Blu-ray on March 1, 2013. The complete serie was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 9, 2013. * The first season was released in United Kingdom on DVD and Blu-ray on September 3, 2012. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 19, 2013. * The first season was released in United States on DVD and Blu-ray on January 27, 2015. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 16, 2015.

Adaptations

On November 9, 2012, it was revealed that an English-language adaptation was in development and that

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

and

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

and Stephen Levinson's ''Leverage'' would develop the project. The remake should be identical to the original version except for the cast and the language. Although the project has not been canceled, HBO no longer communicates about it since the announcement.

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, id=tt1521186, title=Maison Close 2010s French drama television series 2010 French television series debuts 2013 French television series endings Serial drama television series Television series set in the 19th century French-language television shows Television shows set in France French LGBT-related television shows Television shows set in Paris Canal+ original programming Prostitution in television Works about prostitution in Paris Television shows filmed in Portugal