''The Bureau'' (original title: ') is a French

espionage thriller Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intellig ...

television series created and co-written by

Éric Rochant Éric Rochant (born 24 February 1961) is a French film director and screenwriter. He is an alumnus of the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC), from the generation of Arnaud Desplechin and Noémie Lvovsky. Rochant is of Jewish ...

and produced by TOP – The Oligarchs Productions and

Canal+ Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

, which revolves around the lives of agents of the

DGSE The Directorate-General for External Security (, , DGSE) is France's foreign intelligence agency, equivalent to the British MI6 and the American CIA, established on 27 November 1943. The DGSE safeguards French national security through intellige ...

(General Directorate of External Security), France's principal external security service. Originally aired in France from 27 April 2015, it was launched in the United States and Canada on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

on 1 June 2016 as part of a new international "Episodic Cinema" label, quickly reaching the Top Five. In the United Kingdom, the series was released exclusively by

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...

on 17 June 2016. The first season received positive reviews in both France and other countries, and won several awards. The second season has been universally acclaimed, and has even been seen by some as the best television ever produced in France. The third and fourth seasons, respectively aired in France beginning 22 May 2017 and 22 October 2018, have met with further acclaim, with praise for the show's acting, pacing, plot and realism. There is also a fifth season.

Synopsis

''The Bureau'' is based upon real accounts by former spies and inspired by contemporary events, and centres on the daily life and missions of agents within France's

Directorate-General for External Security The Directorate-General for External Security (, , DGSE) is France's foreign intelligence agency, equivalent to the British MI6 and the American CIA, established on 27 November 1943. The DGSE safeguards French national security through intelli ...

, its principal external security service. It focuses on the "Bureau of Legends", responsible for training and handling deep-

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of c ...

agents (operating 'under legend') on long-term missions in areas with French interests, especially in North Africa and the Middle East. Living under false identities for years, these agents' missions are to identify and recruit good intelligence sources. The series features intelligence officer Guillaume Debailly, codenamed "Malotru" (literally "Lout") who returns to Paris after six years undercover in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

. He has to face the challenge of reconnecting with his daughter, ex-wife, colleagues, and even his old self. But his return to 'normal life' proves difficult, especially when he discovers that Nadia, who was his love in Damascus, is now also in Paris. The first season follows his attempts to navigate the rules of life as a spy, and his increasingly tenuous position with Nadia. The second season continues with the same themes, four months later, but also focuses on another character from the first season, Marina Loiseau. She is leaving for

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

to work undercover as a specialist in

seismology Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic ...

, in order to gather intelligence about Iran's nuclear weapons programme. Guillaume has been promoted to deputy director but also becomes a

double agent In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organi ...

on behalf of the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

. He becomes increasingly desperate to resolve the situation with Nadia, which culminates in serious consequences for them both. Meanwhile, the DGSE has the challenge of a bloodthirsty French jihadist who is publicly taunting France.

Cast and characters

Some character codenames are based on Captain Haddock's expletives. *

Mathieu Kassovitz Mathieu Kassovitz () is a French actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has won three César Awards: Most Promising Actor for '' See How They Fall'' (1994), and Best Film and Best Editing for '' La Haine'' (1995). He also re ...

as Guillaume Debailly, codename "Malotru" (''Lout''). After six years undercover in

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, he returns to Paris but finds it difficult to re-adapt to a more normal life. When he learns that Nadia El Mansour, his lover in Damascus, is in Paris, he breaks the rules and renews their affair, returning to his false identity as Paul Lefebvre. (season 1– ) *

Sara Giraudeau Sara Giraudeau (born 1 August 1985) is a French actress. Career She grew up with two parents who were actors, and made her first on-screen appearance when she was only 10, in the movie ''Les caprices d'un fleuve'' directed by her father. In 20 ...

as Marina Loiseau, codename "Phénomène" (''Phenomenon'') later "Rocambole", a young and brilliant woman who has been cast to become the next deep-cover agent while working as a seismologist. She is under intense training to prepare an infiltration of the Iranian nuclear industry and later the Russian cybercentre. (season 1– ) *

Jean-Pierre Darroussin Jean-Pierre Darroussin (born 4 December 1953) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was born in Courbevoie, France. Theater Filmography Actor *1992: '' Riens du tout'' (directed by Cédric Klapisch starring Fabrice Luchini, Daniel Berlioux ...

as Henri Duflot, codename "Socrate" (

Socrates Socrates (; ; – 399 BC) was a Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher from Classical Athens, Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the Ethics, ethical tradition ...

), Director of the Service of Clandestines, a unit within the

also known as the ''Bureau of Legends''. (season 1–3, guest season 4-5) *

Léa Drucker Léa Drucker (born 23 January 1972) is a French actress. She played Catherine Durand in the French-British television series '' War of the Worlds''. She won the César Award for Best Actress in 2019 for her role in the film '' Custody''. Early ...

as Dr Laurène Balmes, a new recruit as a psychiatrist specialised in behavioural psychology. She assists the agents in manipulating their targets, but is also working as a

for the

. (season 1–3) *

Zineb Triki Zineb Triki (; born 1980) is a French-Moroccan actress. She is known for her role as Nadia El Mansour in the French television series ''The Bureau (TV series), The Bureau''. Zineb Triki was born in 1980 in Casablanca, Morocco. She attended a Fren ...

as Nadia El Mansour, a Syrian professor of history and Debailly's lover from Damascus. Their relationship and her role in seeking to resolve the Syrian conflict form the crux of the first season. (season 1–3, 5, guest season 4) * Gilles Cohen as Colonel Marc Lauré, codename "MAG" (acronym standing for "Moule à gaufres" or ''Waffle iron''), Director of Intelligence and Henri Duflot's boss. (season 1–4) * Florence Loiret-Caille as Marie-Jeanne Duthilleul, Debailly's handler, who becomes Loiseau's handler after Debailly's return from Syria. During season 3, she succeeds Henri Duflot as head of the Bureau. (season 1– ) *

Jonathan Zaccaï Jonathan Zaccaï (born 22 July 1970) is a Belgian actor, film director and screenwriter. He is the nephew of René Kalisky. His acting credits include ''The Beat That My Heart Skipped'', '' A Distant Neighborhood'', '' The True Story of My Lif ...

as Raymond Sisteron, a colleague of Debailly. (season 1– ) * Pauline Étienne as Céline Delorme, a regional expert on the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

and

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. * as Sylvain Ellenstein, a DGSE agent specialised in electronic surveillance. (season 1– ) *

Mathieu Demy Mathieu Demy (born 15 October 1972) is a French actor, film director, and producer. He is the son of French film directors Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy. Career Demy started as a young actor in Agnès Varda's films ''L'une chante, l'autre pas'' ...

as Clément Migaud, head of the Iran service. *

Alexandre Brasseur Alexandre Brasseur (born Alexandre Espinasse; 29 March 1971) is a French actor. He was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the son of actor Claude Brasseur, the grandson of actor Pierre Brasseur and actress Odette Joyeux. Filmography *''Le Souper'' (1 ...

and

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 Pépé and Mémé (''grandpa'' and ''grandma''), two DGSE agents in charge of operational support (tailing, escort, logistics, intimidation). (season 1–2, 5) * Patrick Ligardes as Marcel Gaingouin, Director of Operations of the DGSE. *

Mathieu Amalric Mathieu Amalric (; born 25 October 1965) is a French actor and filmmaker. He has won several César Awards and the Lumière Awards. He is best known internationally for his roles in the James Bond film '' Quantum of Solace'', in which he pla ...

as Jean-Jacques Angel (JJA), director of the DGSE security service (DSEC) (supposedly based on

James Jesus Angleton James Jesus Angleton (December 9, 1917 – May 11, 1987) was an American CIA officer who served as chief of the counterintelligence department of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1954 to 1975. According to Director of Central Intelligence ...

). (season 4–5 ) * Stefan Godin as Pierre de Lattre de Tassigny, Director General of the DGSE. *

Alba Gaïa Bellugi Alba Gaïa Bellugi (born Alba Gaïa Kraghede Bellugi; 5 March 1995) is a French actress of Danish and Italian origin. She is best known for her performance as Elisa in ''The Intouchables ''The Intouchables'' (, ), also known as ''Untouchable'' ...

as Prune Debailly, the daughter of Guillaume Debailly. * Elodie Navarre as Emilie Duflot, the wife of Henri Duflot. (season 1–3) *

Artus Artus or Arthus is a Breton surname or name which means "bear" (cf. arth), and may refer to: * Amédée Artus (1815–1892), French conductor and composer of operettas * Alexandre Artus (1821–1911), French conductor and composer of classical music ...

as Jonas Maury, the Syrian analyst * Rajae as Rajae Rina, the Palestinian analyst *

Alice Belaïdi Alice Belaïdi (born 18 March 1987) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than 20 films and television shows since 2010. Theatre Filmography References External links * 1987 births Living people French film actresses Fren ...

as Sabrina Boumaza (season 2) *

Melisa Sözen Melisa Sözen (born 6 July 1985) is a Turkish actress. Biography Starting her professional career at the very early age of 15, she studied in theatre department of Pera Fine Arts High School. Sözen starred in many Turkish TV hits including ''Ç ...

as Esrin *

Jean-Marie Rollin Jean-Marie is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Jean-Marie Carroll (born 1956), English musician and composer * Jean-Marie Abgrall (born 1950), French psychiatrist, criminologist, specialist in forensic med ...

as Edouard Rubin * Irina Muluile as Daisy Bappé ("The Mule"), Operational support in France (field surveillance, escort, logistics). (season 1– ) *

Oleksiy Gorbunov Oleksiy Serhiyovych Horbunov (; born on 29 October 1961) is a Ukrainian film, television and stage actor. He has been named an Honored Artist of Ukraine (1991) and a People's Artist of Ukraine (2016).

as Mikhail Dmitrievich Karlov, Deputy Director of the FSB. (season 4–5) * Anne Azoulay as Liz Bernstein. * Stefan Crepon as César, who works with Sylvain in electronic surveillance, and ends up becoming a field agent. (season 4-5)

Broadcast

''The Bureau'' originally came to French television in 2015 on the premium network Canal+ with a ten-episode first season. This was the best performing new drama on the French premium pay net since '' Les Revenants'' in 2012. It was quickly renewed for a second season, broadcast in 2016, and further renewed for a third season in May 2016. In the United States and Canada, the series was first launched exclusively on

where it remained in the Top Five most downloaded TV seasons for two weeks, with several episodes in the top 100 most downloaded and a 4.5/5 viewer rating. In the United Kingdom, the series was released exclusively on

on 17 June 2016. In the United States, seasons 1-5 are now available to Amazon Prime customers, but require the purchase of either

AMC Networks AMC Networks Inc. is an American mass media and entertainment corporation headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York City. The company owns and operates the AMC cable channel, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, and We TV. It also owns the art ho ...

Sundance Now AMC Networks Inc. is an American mass media and entertainment corporation headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York City. The company owns and operates the AMC cable channel, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, and We TV. It also owns the art hous ...

AMC+ AMC+ is an American subscription video on demand streaming service owned by AMC Networks that was launched on June 11, 2020. The service is a premium bundle that includes the live feeds and program libraries of the company's television networks ...

premium channel additions. In Germany, it was sold to RTL Crime for broadcast in 2016. In Australia, it aired on public broadcaster SBS, and all five seasons were available on their free streaming service SBS On Demand until 30 November 2023.

Reception

Critical reception

The programme was well received by audiences and critics. In its domestic market, the first season received very positive reviews. ''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

'' commented on its "mastery of its subject" and "rigorous construction of narrative arcs" and lauded its "different and credible tone". ''

Le Nouvel Observateur (), previously known as (2014–2024), (1964–2014), (1954–1964), (1953–1954), and (1950–1953), is a weekly French news magazine. Based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, ' is one of the three most prominent French news magazines ...

'' compared it to ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American historical drama, period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on cable network AMC (TV channel), AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, with seven seasons ...

'' and congratulated it on "staging that exceptional routine with flair and breathing life into a convincing team of heroes". The second season was immensely popular. ''

Télérama ''Télérama'' is a weekly French language, French cultural and television magazine published in Paris, France. The name is a contraction of its earlier title: ''Télévision-Radio-Cinéma''. Fabienne Pascaud is currently managing editor. Ludovic ...

'' called it "captivating, subtly written, staged and acted: a mission accomplished" and ''

Le Figaro () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...

'' stated that "to this day, this series is the best ever made in France". ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' described the series as "moody, cynical & stylish ... consistently smart and understated". ''Broadwayworld'' also wrote a positive review, describing it as "a riveting spy story told with psychological sophistication and cinematic flair".

Awards

Season 1

Series Mania Series Mania () is an international festival dedicated to television series, held annually in Lille, France. It is the largest TV series event in Europe and an important premiere platform. ''Series Mania'' comprises an institute of the same name ...

Festival 2015: ** International Press Jury Award - Best Male Actor (

) * French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Award: Best Series * French TV Critics Association Awards (A.C.S.): Best Male Actor (Mathieu Kassovitz) (2015)

Season 2

* COLCOA French Film Festival: ** TV Series Jury Special Prize ** TV Series Audience Award * French TV Critics Association Awards (A.C.S.): Best Production (2016) * French TV Critics Association Awards (A.C.S.): Best Female Actor (

) (2016) *

Le Parisien ''Le Parisien'' (; ) is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of ...

: Best French Series (2016) *

: Top 10 Series 2016 (N°1) *

Globes de Cristal Award The Awards (English: Crystal Globe Awards) is a set of awards bestowed by members of the French Press Association recognizing excellence in home art and culture. The annual formal ceremony and dinner at which the awards are presented happens e ...

: Best French Series (2016)

Season 3

*French TV Critics Association Awards (A.C.S.): Best Series (2017) *French TV Critics Association Awards (A.C.S.): Best Writing (2017)

Season 4

: Top 10 Series 2018 (N°1)

Season 5

*TV France International: Export Fiction Award 2020 *Grand prix des Média: Best Fictional TV show 2020

Adaptation

An English-language adaptation starring

Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (; born 2 April 1977) is a German-Irish actor. His accolades include nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was listed at number nine on ''The Irish Ti ...

entitled '' The Agency'' was released in 2024. The director of The Bureau says in 2025, at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

, that The Agency have strictly no ties with him, as he is not under contract anymore with The Bureau series of

, but working on another project : Secret People, an international-sized espionage series for

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bureau (TV Series) French political drama television series 2015 French television series debuts Canal+ original programming Directorate-General for External Security 2010s French drama television series French spy television series