Minuit, le soir

Minuit, le soir

Minuit, le soir logo
Created by Pierre-Yves Bernard
Claude Legault (co-writer)
Starring Claude Legault
Julien Poulin
Louis Champagne
Julie Perreault
Country of origin Canada
Original language(s) Quebec French
No. of episodes 37
Production
Executive producer(s) Michel Bissonnette
Paul Dupont-Hébert
André Larin
Vincent Leduc
Camera setup Single camera
Running time 22 minutes
Release
Original network Radio-Canada
Picture format NTSC 480i
Original release January 12, 2005 – March 29, 2007

Minuit, le soir (French: Midnight, in the evening) is an award-winning, character-driven Quebec television show. Set and shot in Montreal, the 30-minute show revolves around the lives of three bouncers, both in private and at work. The show is notable for its portrayal of the daily hardships facing each of the principal characters. Gritty cinematography and fast-paced direction are also key elements of the show's style. All the show's episodes were directed by Daniel Grou (aka Podz).

Aired by public broadcaster Radio-Canada, the show achieved critical acclaim in local media[1] and among viewers, reaching on average 1.3 million people during its first season.[2] Minuit, le soir eventually won 17 Gémeaux Awards for its three seasons, the local equivalent of the American Emmys, the Geminis in other Canadian provinces or the British Academy Television Awards.

The title of the show evokes the bouncers' work cycle and the fact they work at night. Although title screens and promotional logos do not include the comma between minuit and le, it does appears officially in the show's title.

Minuit, le soir aired for three seasons, ending its run in 2007.

Plot

Minuit, le soir is a series about three nightclub bouncers at The Manhattan, a fictional bar set in downtown Montreal. At first, all three seem successful: they enjoy working together and feel comfortable, achieving the rough-and-tough persona of the stereotypical bouncer. In an unexpected move, their aging boss sells his bar to an up-and-coming Italian-Canadian nightclub owner, after more than some insistence on her part.

Citing better standards she fires all three main protagonists. She intends on increasing the appeal of the bar by employing inexperienced yet good-looking young men to fill their positions. Nonetheless, one of the terminated bouncers successfully convinces the new owner to reinstate all three employees, showing their love for the job and indispensable experience. After reassembling her team of bouncers, the new owner renames the bar to Le Sas (The Airlock) and assigns the doormen to her other nightclubs in the city, including Le Joystick, a gay BDSM venue.

Minuit, le soir follows the characters working and off the job. The three bouncers are usually shown together being that they are coworkers and lifelong friends. The venues include the various bars, a park where the men procrastinate and their respective apartments.

The show evolves quite rapidly, both visually and story-wise, given its half-hour format combined to a dramatic plot. The camera is at times nervous, at times fluid and often transitions through tracking shots of the city.

Music is a central part of the show. In the club scenes, pounding house, mostly written by Mathieu Desaulniers, DJ Kal & Marco G. In the key moments, a haunting cello-based score () written by Nicolas Maranda () often takes over. The team won the 2007 Gémeaux award for their efforts. The music also promotes local artists by playing their songs during club scenes.

Characters

Principals

Supporting

Awards

Minuit, le soir won a total of 17 Gémeaux Awards :

2005 (first season)

2006 (second season)

2007 (third season)

References

  1. ↑ "De la galaxie aux bars montréalais". Le Devoir. 2005-01-11. Retrieved 2006-01-13.
  2. ↑ "Minuit le soir, à l'an prochain!". Le Devoir. 2005-03-30. Retrieved 2006-01-13.
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