The Research Section will soon be back in action. According to information revealed on April 20, 2023 by the VL Média website, confirmed by TF1, the detective series hosted by Xavier Deluc is preparing to return to the air. A year after a finale which brought together nearly 5.07 million faithful, according to Médiamétrie, fans can rejoice at the return of the soap opera.
A sign of a new beginning (as indicated by the title of the last part broadcast in April 2022), the detective series will take off for a new destination. According to VL Média, some indiscretions reveal to us that filming will start in 2023 on Reunion Island. According to our colleagues from Le Parisien, it will take place “from May 10 to June 6”, more precisely “in the Bélouve forest, within the national park”.
For 16 years, the detective fiction produced by Dominique Lancelot attracted an average of 5 to 6 million viewers in front of their screens. If success is achieved, “nothing excludes other TV films from being launched but at this stage nothing has been decided”, indicates TF1 to VL Média. “All eyes are currently on this great comeback.” The rest of the events in the next episode…
On the casting side, the first names have been revealed for this bonus event which will take the form of a double episode, of 45 minutes each, under the sign of “reunion”. The opportunity for fans of investigations to meet Xavier Deluc, whose emblematic character is now retired, as well as his colleagues Franck Sémonin, Élise Tielrooy and Fabienne Carat. But also other key faces of the small screen.
Still according to the Ile-de-France daily, the actors Olivier Sitruk (Balthazar), Isabelle Vitari (Our dear neighbors) and Élodie Varlet (Plus belle la vie) will make an appearance in the soap opera. But, also, Soan Arhimann, winner of The Voice Kids in 2019, seen at the cinema in Le Petit piaf with Gérard Jugnot. This is not the first time that the Research Section has set down its suitcases in the Overseas Territories since New Caledonia served as the setting at the start of season 13, marking the return of Manon Azem (interpreter of Sara Casanova) in guest.
This Tuesday, January 9, 2024, TF1 formalized the return of Research Section with the broadcast of a special episode entitled Mortelle hike. For this investigation under the sun of Reunion, our main heroes go on an incredible adventure. Here is what you need to know about the plot revealed by the channel in its press release.
“Bernier, newly retired, goes on a trek to the island of Reunion with his former colleagues. The program is idyllic but as soon as they arrive at the lodge cut off from the world where they are to spend the night, a hiker from their group is found dead , hanging from a tree, in a macabre setting,” we can read in the summary. “While the fine team was thinking of disconnecting and enjoying the sublime nature of the island, they find themselves at the heart of a mystery whose forces surpass anything they have known so far…”.
A journey that does not promise to be easy for our adventurers. “Deprived of any means of communication and unable to warn the local authorities, Bernier is forced to return to service for a new disconcerting investigation.” While waiting to discover the first images, this special episode of Research Section will be broadcast on Thursday February 1 at 9:10 p.m. on TF1.
