My favorite, of course, was l’Ecole des Fans, very much in the genre of Art Linkletter’s House Party and Kids Say the Darndest Things, but with one slight difference. Small children would come on the program and sing a song made popular by a famous French singer that happened to be the invited guest that week. Often the melody and the lyrics were quite difficult, but these young kids would surprise us with their renditions. (Vanessa Paradis sang on the show when she was eight years old.) Other children would come and play an instrument, but the best part of the show, however, was when Jacques Martin would ask them simple questions and the responses were more often than not hilarious!

The French world of entertainment are paying homage to this man, but with a silence that is quite noticable from the President of France. The First Lady now married to President Sarkozy was once married to Jacques Martin! Legend has it that when Nicolas Sarkozy, then the mayor of Neuilly s/Seine, married Jacques Martin to Cécilia Ciganer-Albeniz in 1984, it was love at first sight for the president! And supposedly for her as well, because although she ended up having two daughters with Jacques Martin, she left him while her daughters were only six months (!) and two and a half years old to be with Mr. Sarkozy!

After a stroke in 1998 which left him partially paralyzed, Jacques Martin left television and his public life; and although he has left his mark, and his work has carried on, it hasn’t been the same! Still, the wonderful memories I have, and I’m sure for many others as well, he remains in the hearts and minds of all of us who spent a part of our Sundays laughing with him and being entertained by him as we sat in front of our TVs. We are saddened by his passing. Adieu Jacques Martin….adieu.

Meilleurs moments de L’école des fans avec Jacques Martin

Jacques martin – l’école des fans, meilleurs moments
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For more great videos of l’Ecole des Fans, click here.

Photo Credits: Flickr

Post from: The Paris Traveler