Saint-Granier

Panorama of the programs and hosts who made the heyday of radio in the 1950s.

Stéphane Petitbourgeois is having trouble with his son-in-law Hubert, who has an extra child every year and is expecting his ninth, making thirteen people in the same apartment. However, a competition promises twenty million to the youngest grandfather of twelve grandchildren. Stéphane begins to encourage Hubert. But Pat became sterile from that day on. Finally, after two years, a child is announced. In fact, triplets were born, and after a few twists and turns, Stéphane became the youngest grandfather of twelve grandchildren.

Smalltown confectioner Lespinasse, hopeful of being reelected as chief councillor, is opposed by Darcepoil, the local druggist. Darcepoil arranges for the incumbent's defeat by having Pantaflon, a nightclub singer, lure him to the nudist camp on the Isle of Levant, where Lespinasse is photographed surrounded by half-naked women. At home, he is berated by his wife and thrown out of office; but he returns to Levant with the penitent Pantaflon and is welcomed by the nudists and voted camp president. His forgiving wife follows him and herself becomes a nudist.

Charming, charming but unstable, Rudy is married to Lydia. He dreams of becoming a famous painter. His father-in-law offers him a contract: if he stays in the same job for at least two months, he can devote himself to painting. Under the name of his friend Ravot, Rudy is hired to teach gymnastics at a girls' college. Things soon get complicated. The jealous Lydia, who plays student, keeps an eye on her husband. The headmistress glares at him, and the arrival of the real Mme Ravot doesn't help matters. The contract is almost not honored, but as in the best comedies, everything works out.

When Nadia, his unfaithful mistress, breaks up with him, Patrick Lambert decides to kill himself. But before he reaches the point of no return he is stopped in the act by Camille, a burglar who has just broken into his house. Thanks to him and also to Rosita, Camille's girlfriend who falls for him, Patrick forgets his gloomy thoughts. It is the beginning of a series of crazy misunderstandings and adventures.

Misfortunes and disarray of the little clown Leroy who is upstaged by a comrade, Bertini, and sees himself abandoned by his girlfriend Ginette, preferring his collaborator to him.

Tartarin is the local hero in the small provincial town of Tarascon. He shows off about imaginary adventures in Africa, where he has never been, as a Lion Hunter, which he is only in his imagination. Even though the locals know he has never been to Africa, they keep hoping he will leave one day. After a misunderstanding, and much gossip, everyone thinks that Tartarin plans to actually take the trip.

The son of a rich soap manufacturer gets himself in predicaments trying to prove to his father that he's responsible enough for marriage.

A couple of dancers performs in a night club. The man is jealous of Gina, his partner,and keeps making scenes to her, going as far as bullying her on the stage during their act. A man gets killed. The dancer is suspected for being jealous of all the other men. Another potential culprit could the father of Gina since he overprotected his daughter. The real culprit will be unmasked after the police detective finds the murder has something to with the Occupation period.

Bob bets 250,000 francs that he can tell the truth and nothing but the truth for twenty-four hours.

Hubert has married a little provincial girl and, to disgust her with Parisian life, he takes her out every evening.

Madeleine Lebeau, a woman who charges for her easy virtue, has a plan that has some of her customers paying more than others; she tells them she is pregnant and, to avoid complications, the men pay her money and don't hang around for the birth. Yves Furet, a shiftless gambler, who not only encourages her in her business ventures but is also her fiancée, shares the fruit of her non-labor. She latches onto a wealthy widower, Henri Vilbert, who throws her a curve-ball when, after she tells him she is pregnant, he is overjoyed as he has fallen in love with her and is looking forward to becoming a father. She plays along for a while, but becomes ashamed when she sees how Vilbert is devoting his whole life to a child that she isn't carrying. She fakes a miscarriage and his kindness makes her feel guilty and she confesses, but he doesn't believe her. So she tries another plan.

This is the story of two brothers: the good one, the virtuous gent, an acclaimed singer, and the bad one who leads a wild life.

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.