With Paris Police 1910, Canal+ concludes the historical trilogy conceived by Fabien Nury after Paris Police 1900 and Paris Police 1905. This final season, airing every Monday until May 25, gradually moves beyond the simple police procedural to explore another power of the Belle Époque: that of a sensationalist press willing to do anything to sell newspapers. The screenwriter draws a direct parallel between this theme and our own era, dominated by social media and fake news.
A real criminal case at the heart of the series
The story begins in 1908 with the Steinheil affair, a sensational news story that captivated the entire nation. Marguerite Steinheil was found bound and gagged in her home on Impasse Ronsin, while her husband and mother were discovered murdered. Very quickly, this socialite became the target of a frenzied press that dubbed her "the Funeral Pump."
The investigation is led by Antoine Jouin, played by Jérémie Laheurte, a character who appeared in previous seasons. Among those surrounding him are Louis Lépine, the famous police prefect played by Marc Barbé, Joseph Fiersi, and Jeanne Chauvin. The series thus blends criminal investigation, political struggles, and media frenzy in a Paris rife with antisemitism, conspiracy theories, and sex scandals.
In an interview with Allociné, Fabien Nury explained that he worked extensively from journalistic archives of the period. According to him, this season functions as a “fake true crime,” inspired by a case that generated “tens of thousands of articles” at the beginning of the 20th century.
A modern critique of the “blackmail press”
For Radio France, Fabien Nury describes this period as the golden age of a commercial and aggressive press, capable of both fabricating narratives and reporting facts. In 1910, nearly 10 million newspapers were read daily in France for a population of less than 40 million.
At the center of this media machine appears the character of Monsieur La Bruyère, director of the newspaper Le Matin, played by Micha Lescot. Inspired by a real person, he embodies, according to the series creator, an “evil”, cynical and manipulative figure, obsessed with scandal and sales.
Fabien Nury even compares the influence of this Belle Époque press to the current power of news channels, platforms, and social networks. Behind its historical setting, Paris Police 1910 thus emerges as a very contemporary reflection on the shaping of public opinion and the spread of misinformation.
Presented as the final chapter of the saga, this third season consists of six episodes of approximately 52 minutes broadcast on Canal+ and available on myCANAL.
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