Seventeen years after its stop on TF1, the return of Le Maillon Weak has been scheduled on M6 in October 2024. Comedian Vincent Dedienne, a fan from the start, takes over the reins from Laurence Boccolini.
After 17 years of absence (apart from a short-lived appearance on C8 in 2017-2018), Le Maillon Weak, a cult game which was the heyday of TF1 from 2001 to 2007, makes a resounding return to the small screen and on M6. And for this resurrection, which was scheduled for Wednesday October 16, the channel saw the big picture by entrusting the helm to comedian Vincent Dedienne, an absolute fan of the program since its launch, so much so that he knows all of it. the international variations and is unbeatable on the lines of Laurence Boccolini, who embodied the program until his death.
If the concept and basic rules remain faithful to the original show, this new version from M6 promises some major surprises. No more anonymous candidates, make way for celebrities! Personalities from varied backgrounds such as Florence Foresti, Julie Gayet, Marc Lavoine, Bernard Campan, Pierre-François Martin-Laval, and Camille Combal will take turns in tackling questions of general culture, under the keen eye of Vincent. Dedienne.
Sequences already very funny and appreciated
The comedian, who had carte blanche for this special broadcast, insisted on maintaining the impertinent and brittle tone of Laurence Boccolini, who was the salt of Le Maillon Weak. But he also brings his personal touch with a spicy humor of which he alone has the secret. This is evidenced by the few trailers and hilarious extracts posted on social networks in recent weeks, which gave a fairly tempting taste of the program.
During the rounds of the 2024 version of the Weak Link, expect scathing remarks that will spare no one and widespread criticism. “Who doesn’t understand anything so much that they’re still waiting for Laurence Boccolini to arrive?” he says to a candidate. An atmosphere ultimately not so far from a Burger Quiz, between questions with schoolboy humor, cringeworthy scenes and celebrities who keep their good humor, even if they can take it for their rank.
But Vincent Dedienne is not content with playing the troublemaker. As a true admirer of the game, he wanted to pay tribute to the Weak Link version of Laurence Boccolini that he cherished so much. From the musical design to the dramatic atmosphere, including his clothing style (he even wears the famous pair of black-rimmed glasses!), everything is done to immerse viewers back into the atmosphere of the original show.
A burst of new features in the 2024 Weakest Link
If nostalgia is there, this new version nonetheless remains anchored in its time. Among the new features, note the arrival of digital tablets instead of the famous slates to designate the weak link in each round. Visual questions also arise. But the greatest innovation lies in the structure of the game itself: the evening will see two teams of 8 candidates compete and will end with a grand final between the two “strong links” of each group.
As Vincent Dedienne perfectly sums it up, we had to “manage to be nostalgic at the same time, to still relish all the things we loved in the 2000s, but at the same time to still be a little contemporary, a little modern. A successful bet for this highly anticipated return?