Best French TV Shows to Watch in Australia to Learn French (Levels A2–B1)
Once you've got some basic French under your belt — you can order a coffee, introduce yourself, follow simple conversations — it's time to move past children's shows and into content made for a general audience. This is where things get genuinely fun: real dialogue, real humour, real culture, still at a pace you can follow.
Here's what I recommend to my students moving through A2 and into B1, and where to actually find it in Australia.
A2: still gentle, now with real plots
Extra French This is the show literally built for language learners, and it shows in the best way. A sitcom-style series with deliberately clear dialogue, organised around exactly the topics you're learning at this stage — shopping, work, relationships, holidays. It's a little cheesy, but that's part of the charm, and the pacing is forgiving. Free on YouTube, which makes it an easy one to start with.
Les Aventures de Tintin If you enjoyed this one at A1, it holds up well into A2 too — the plots get more engaging as you understand more, without the language ever getting away from you.
Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie French adaptations of Agatha Christie mysteries, each set in a different era. The dialogue is clear and every episode is self-contained, and if you already know Christie's stories, that familiarity does a lot of the comprehension work for you — leaving more attention for the language itself.
A2–B1: your first "real" French shows
Lupin A modern heist thriller following a gentleman thief pulling off elaborate cons across Paris. The lead character's speech is clear and the plot is genuinely gripping — the kind of show that makes you want "just one more episode," which means more French listening practice without it feeling like homework. Expect a natural mix of formal and casual speech, which is exactly the range you want to start recognising at this stage. Streaming on Netflix.
The Hook-Up Plan (Plan Coeur) A warm, funny romcom about a woman whose friends secretly hire her a male escort to help her get over a breakup. The dialogue is everyday and conversational rather than dense, which makes it a comfortable bridge between A2 and B1. Streaming on Netflix.
Family Business A fast, madcap comedy about a family turning their kosher butcher shop into France's first legal cannabis shop. Contemporary, colloquial French with a lot of energy — great once you're ready for dialogue that moves at a natural pace. Streaming on Netflix.
B1: comfortable with everyday conversation
Dix Pour Cent (Call My Agent!) My top pick for B1 learners, hands down. A comedy-drama set inside a Parisian talent agency, with real French celebrities appearing as exaggerated versions of themselves each episode. The dialogue moves at a natural pace and mixes sharp, witty writing with a lot of everyday professional vocabulary — the kind of French you'll actually use. Streaming on Netflix.
Marseille A political crime drama set in the port city of Marseille, with a cast and setting that reflects genuine cultural mix of the region. It leans more serious than the other B1 picks here, but the characters speak clearly despite the heavier subject matter, making it accessible earlier than you might expect from a crime drama. Streaming on Netflix.
Where to actually watch these in Australia
Netflix — Your best source for this level by far. Lupin, The Hook-Up Plan, Family Business, Dix Pour Cent (Call My Agent!), and Marseille are all there, making Netflix the strongest platform in Australia for French-language originals once you're past beginner content.
YouTube — Extra French is available for free here, which makes it a great no-cost entry point into this level.
SBS On Demand — Still worth checking regularly; SBS rotates French films and series through its library and is free to stream in Australia without a VPN.
Disney+, Binge, Apple TV, and Prime Video — Selection at this level varies title by title and changes often. Worth a quick search on each if you have a subscription already, but none of them are a guaranteed home for a specific show the way Netflix is for Lupin and Call My Agent.
As always, audio and subtitle language options shift over time, so double-check the settings on the exact title rather than assuming.
How to get the most out of this level
Switch to French subtitles, if you haven't already. At A2–B1, reading along starts reinforcing vocabulary you're not quite catching by ear alone.
Pick shows with plots you actually care about. At this level, motivation matters more than perfectly matched difficulty — a show you want to keep watching will teach you more than a "perfect level" show you find boring.
Rewatch instead of pausing constantly. Let an episode play through once, then go back to a specific scene that stood out and study it more closely.
Start noticing register. Shows like Lupin and Call My Agent! shift between formal and casual French depending on who's talking to whom — start paying attention to that shift. It's one of the more advanced skills that separates textbook French from real French.
Want to build a lesson around a show you're already watching? I'm Mathilde, a native French tutor based in Sydney, working with students online and face-to-face at every level. Bringing in a scene from something you're genuinely enjoying is one of the best ways to make progress feel effortless. Book a free 30-minute trial lesson and let's build a plan around what you love watching.
