5 questions to François Avard, co-author of Le Bonheur

UPDATE DAY

A prolific author, script consultant and script-editor, François Avard has that irreverent side that pleases. He puts his love of words to work to stir the cage, highlight absurdities, point out flaws in our society.

Children's series (Ramdam, Réal-IT, Crazy pig), comedies ( C.A., Bob Gratton, Les beaux malaises, La Maison bleue) and a few Bye Bye feature on his curriculum vitae, with several designers calling on as much to his judgment as to his sense of punch. Almost 20 years ago, with his accomplice Jean-François Mercier, he gave life to the Bougons and allowed more audacity in a more consensual television. For a second season, with his co-author Daniel Gagnon, he seeks happiness in a world that is not going right.

What goes wrong is a good breeding ground for humor. Will François, despite all his pitfalls, continue his quest for happiness in the countryside this season?

He was ready to return to the city after dragging his family against their will in this rat hole. Mélanie has her bed & breakfastand he can't come back to town because he loves her. He still has his plan to write a novel, and by staying, it's a way of settling accounts with everything that annoys us. But he will have to earn a living and will be forced to return to private teaching. He will teach future teachers. Not sure he's the best at this time to train anyone.

Is it harder to be humorous now? It is said that the second season will be grittier. Should you dimmer (moderate)?

The dimmeris controlled by the broadcaster, the producer. But I have to say that we didn't really have any limits. We do black humor. I don't see why we should tone down the humor. Our role is to focus on what is wrong. In Happiness, we rail against the rich, against religion, against impotence. The Bougons were very proactive in a world where we wanted them to be silent. Francis expresses his impotence. He has no control over anything.

You work closely with some of our popular comedians (Martin Matte, Louis-José Houde). Did you have a special bond with Michel Charrette for the creation of this character? 

It's very rare that authors are invited on the sets. The one with whom I have the most ties is Daniel Gagnon, my co-author. We are on the same wavelength, we talk to each other every day. We make plans, we give each other ideas, we connect, we blowreplicas. We have a great community spirit. The same humor. He was also a teacher. Of history. I have a baccalaureate in teaching French. You can't say in an episode who wrote what. It's emulation. It's contagious. We're heavy and better. Michel did something extraordinary with François. He inspires us. It feeds us.

Is happiness a barometer of our society?

There are all kinds of people. Those who have rose-colored glasses, a more constructive, optimistic vision. And the most sarcastic, caustic. But no one is listening. We're looking at the same company, but it looks like we don't care about the solutions.

Infoman's Year in Review ended with a rise of milk from François. It takes up a scene that went viral from the start of season 1. How did it feel to find your character on this occasion?

It's extremely flattering to know that this scene marked. The Infoman team called us, Daniel and me, to write the text. It was a treat. Daniel and I do not have the opportunity to be too stuck on the news because in fiction, the broadcasts are done much later. We must stay in a long topicality. But there, it allowed us by talking about lost cows and remembering that the UPAQ has never caught anyone… 

Happiness< /strong> Wednesday 9:30 p.m. on TVA