Parents' Guide to

A Very Secret Service

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Smart French spy comedy offers laughs, smoking, and nudity.

TV Netflix Comedy 2016
A Very Secret Service Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

Miguel W
Miguel W Adult
December 29, 2021
age 18+

Great for ages 45 and up

The actors are great. All of them. It's charming to see how they perform. In order to understand and enjoy it more, you must be older enough to know the highlights of the early Cold War years.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The French dramatic comedy Au Service de la France, known in the United States as A VERY SECRET SERVICE, stars Hugo Becker as the young André Merlaux, a man recruited as a French secret service trainee during the Cold War. Its the 1950s, and France is struggling with independence movements of its colonies, including Algeria and African colonies. Adding to the craziness of the time is the rise of the counterculture movement, feminism, and New Wave cinema. But Merlaux, under the watchful eye of operations director Monsieur Moise (Christophe Kourotchkine) and his boss, Le Colonel (Wilfred Benaiche), is determined to make it through his elite training and become a full-fledged agent. The problem? He soon discovers that what makes France a world superpower isn't how it actively manages difficult international situations but how well the inefficient agency manages to create its own endless trail of complicated paperwork and negotiate its perpetual layers of bureaucracy.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The decidedly French (and English-subtitled) series offers lots of sophisticated humor and occasional slapstick to create a fun viewing experience. Merlaux is good-looking and charming, making him easy to like. But the real amusement comes from the arrogant and sexist agents, whose incompetence underscores the ironies of the post-WWII era.

Each 30-minute installment seems a bit more like The Pink Panther than James Bond, but folks who are drawn to spy-themed shows may like it. Fans of contemporary French comedy will find it highly entertaining. But even if you don't speak the language, it's easy to appreciate the intelligent, understated humor of the overall narrative.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the differences between American shows and those imported from other places. How are TV shows from other countries able to appeal to audiences who don't speak the language or share the same cultural values? What things are commonly featured on foreign TV shows but aren't considered appropriate for general TV audiences in the U.S.?

  • Why are spies so often featured in film and TV? What do you think the life of a spy is really like?

TV Details

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