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Series / Nestor Burma

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Nestor Burma is a French Detective Drama series that ran in 39 episodes and 8 seasons from 1991 to 2003. It is based on the novels of the same name by Léo Malet.

Nestor Burma (Guy Marchand) is a French Private Detective. A jazz music lover and practitioner, he comes off as nonchalant and oftentimes faces financial difficulties much to the annoyance of his lovelorn secretary Hélène. However, he's not a sleuth to be underestimated, relentlessly investigating murders, missing persons, kidnappings and extortion cases in every arrondissement of Paris. And he's also quite the womanizer, much to the dismay of Hélène.


This series provides examples of:

  • Affirmative-Action Legacy: Commissioner Florimond Faroux (played by Pierre Tornade) was in the series from the first to the sixth season. In the seventh and eighth seasons, he was replaced by a woman, Commissioner Béatrice Niel (played by Élisa Servier).
  • The Alcoholic: It's not rare for Burma to get drunk.
  • The Casanova: Burma often has affairs with women he bumps into when on his investigations, while he has a on-and-off relation with his secretary Hélène.
  • The Commissioner Gordon: Commissioner Faroux always handles the police side of the cases Burma works on and arrests the culprits.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Burma very often comes up with a witty remark, most often in the Private Eye Monologues.
  • Determinator: Burma never gives up on a case, even when it lacks clues.
  • Hardboiled Detective: Burma can be quite cynical and hard-drinking.
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: The episodes' titles often contain the name of a place following a mention of what happens there that's causing the detective drama.
  • Inner Monologue: Burma's Private Eye Monologues entirely happen in his head.
  • Kindhearted Cat Lover: Deep down, Burma is a good man, and he has a cat name Rififi.
  • Private Detective: Burma is a private eye. An eccentric and financially struggling one at that.
  • Private Eye Monologue: Burma's thoughts are regularly voiced out when he's alone.
  • Sexy Secretary: Hélène Châtelain, Burma's secretary, is quite attractive, and he has an on-and-off affair with her.
  • Signature Instrument: Burma plays Jazz instruments (the actor himself practiced them), particularly the saxophone and clarinet, when he lacks of clues to advance in a case, often leading to a "Eureka!" Moment.
  • Tuckerization: Actor Jean-Pierre Castaldi once played a character named "Castagna".

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