France 2 has delivered an expansive roster of over 20 shows, dating from 1972 all the way to 2020. Le Grand Échiquier and Le 20H represent the pinnacle of France 2’s programming, launching in 1972 and 1975. Our curated list, current as of September 2026, showcases over 20 of France 2’s highest-rated series.



Le Grand Échiquier is a French variety television program created and presented by Jacques Chancel. It aired at 8:30 pm on the first channel of the ORTF from January 12, 1972 to July 12, 1972, then on the second color channel of the ORTF from September 1972 to December 1974, and finally on Antenne 2 from January 1975 to December 21, 1989. The program returned to France 2 on December 20, 2018 and is hosted by Anne-Sophie Lapix.

Astrid Nielsen works in the library of the judicial police. She has Asperger's syndrome. With an incredible memory, she excels at analyzing files of ongoing investigations. The district commander decides to use it to the fullest, entrusting her with very complex investigations which have remained unsolved to date.

For more than twenty-six years, the show has offered reports abroad, surveys of social phenomena and portraits. Because it is sometimes difficult to understand the life of your neighbor or of everyone you meet in the street, Special Envoy will do it for you: listen, question, understand, investigate.

Live performances, more live performances. Every episode features a lineup of French and international artists, cult classics, unexpected duets, and original covers... A truly prestigious music stage, graced by both the biggest names and those on their way to stardom.

A game show set and filmed on the real Fort Boyard in France. The contestants have to complete in physical and endurance challenges to win prize money.

Host Jacques Martin invites different talented children from various backgrounds to showcase their beautiful voices. The participants entertain and wow the audience with their lovely performances.


Claire is surprised when she gets arrested for the murder of her childhood friend after she returns to Montpellier.

This series tells the daily life of a couple : Jean and Alexandra. From easy cases: in bed, in the living room, in the kitchen, by phone... to rare ones: lost on an island or in the country, in Hong Kong, during a wedding... Jean and Alexandra's life is not exactly a long, quiet river.


Télématin is a French breakfast television news show, broadcast on France 2 since January 7, 1985. It is broadcast in Metropolitan France weekdays from 6:30 to 9:00 am CET. TV5 broadcast the show in Canada in its entirety until September 2011: it now shows a 90 minute version between 6:30 and 8:00 am Eastern Time, when the French original version is now 2h30 long. Télématin is hosted by William Leymergie. The show is daily seen by around 40% of the French morning audience, a very high percentage for French TV. In Metropolitan France, the newscasts are presented at 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00, with newsflashes at 6:30 and 8:50, and two press reviews at 7:20 and 8:30. The 6:30, 7:30 and 8:50 newscasts are usually presented by a female reader and the hourly newscasts by a male. The usual readers are Nathanaël de Rinquesen, Sophie Le Saint, Julien Benedetto, Sophie Gastrain, Patrice Romedenne and Frédéric Vion.

Complément d'enquête is an investigative newsmagazine presented by Benoît Duquesne and shown in Metropolitan France on France 2 weekdays late in the evening, and, in Canada, bi-monthly on TV5. A similar investigative programme, Panorama, is shown in the UK on BBC television.

Faustine Bollaert receives different guests who wish to share their story on a specific theme, whether it is a sentimental, family, friendly or professional environment. They evoke their experience and enrich it with exchanges with other witnesses. Different professionals regularly intervene in the program to give advice.




Scripted reality show inspired by real events and invented stories presented by lawyer Nathalie Fellonneau.
