History Series / AVerySecretService

** When Calot, Jacquard and Moulinier protest the suppression of the VG42 bonus (which took the form of monthly Paris-Vichy train tickets):

* ArrangedMarriage: Mercaillon orders his son Yvon to marry the neighbours' daughter, over Yvon's objections that she is 31 (he is 19) and has a moustache, because [[spoiler:Sophie broke up with André, but the caterer won't cancel an order for a 150-guest banquet -- and it seems that neither Maurice nor Irène even consider letting Sophie marry Yamine.]]

* ArrangedMarriage: Mercaillon orders his son Yvon to marry the neighbours' daughters, over Yvon's objections that she is 31 (he is 19) and has a moustache, because [[spoiler:Sophie broke up with André, but the caterer won't cancel an order for a 150-guest banquet -- and it seems that neither Maurice nor Irène even consider letting Sophie marry Yamine.]]

* TheStinger: Crop up sometimes at the beginning of the credits, more systematically in Season 2. Most of them are humorous asides, such as Calot taking Québécois lessons, or the FLN leader teaching his fellow inmates how to hijack planes.* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: The French Secret Service goes through accountants at an amazing rate. Fortunately, they're all played by the same actor.

* ChainOfDeals: This is how you shop for groceries in the Soviet Union.

* ProfessionalButtKisser: Guy, the new intern in Season 2.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: The French Secret Service goes through accountants at an amazing rate. Fortunately, they're all played by the same actor.

** However, given the comedic nature of the show, the ElectricTorture that was actually practiced at the time is only alluded to[[note]]in a wry aside by Merlaux, who, upon seeing the LieDetector, mentions an electrical device that has done wonders in Algeria...[[/note]], and the torture shown on screen only consists in slapping people repeatedly.

* InsuranceFraud: After his tenants leave en masse due to the ''[[InsistentTerminology événements]]'' in Algeria,

* AmbiguousSyntax: The referendum on Algerian self-determination, which is TruthInTelevision[[note]]The question being: "Do you approve the bill submitted to the French people by the President of the Republic and concerning the self-determination of the populations of Algeria and the organisation of the public authorities in Algeria prior to self-determination?[[/note]]. Jacquard and Moktar are so confused that they end up leaving the voting line. As for Calot, after spending ''the entire day'' in the booth trying to make sense of the question, he writes back on his ballot:

** However, given the comedic nature of the show, the ElectricTorture that was actually practiced at the time is only alluded to[note]in a wry aside by Merlaux, who, upon seeing the LieDetector, mentions an electrical device that has done wonders in Algeria...[/note], and the torture shown on screen only consists in slapping people repeatedly.

** Jacquard owns a number of rental properties in Algiers, and in an early episode it turns out that he's renting to members of the Front Liberation Nation of Algeria. At the end of the episode, he gets a call from some new prospective tenants -- Four generals, i.e the same four generals that in real life attempted to carry out a coup against the French government because they feared Algeria would become an independent state. In the last episode of series one, [[spoiler: it's revealed that Jacquard has become directly involved in the Four Generals' plot against Charles De Gaulle, claiming that independence would destroy the property market in Algiers.]]

Based in Paris during the early 1960s, the series centres on André Merlaux (Hugo Becker), a young recruit hired by the French Secret Services as a trainee officer who undergoes a series of tests and assignment under the watchful eye of operations manager Moïse. Merlaux is also reluctantly supported through his training by the three 'best' agents in the company: Roger Moulinier, who oversees African affairs; Jacky Jacquard, who is in charge of Algeria; and Jean-René Calot, representative for the eastern bloc.

'''Moïse:''' A very secret service.\\

--->'''Mercaillon:''' Vous allez entrer dans un service d'élite, Merlaux.\\
'''Merlaux:''' Au service de quoi?\\
'''Moïse:''' Au service de la France.

* SeriousBusiness: The agency's attitude toward stamps.

** After being discovered to be [[spoiler:a former nazi collaborator]] by a Mossad agent, [[spoiler: Mercaillon]] is implied to have revealed the identity and location of Adolf Eichmann in exchange for their silence.

* FishOutOfWater: Most of the first season, as Merlaux struggles to learn the job and earn his colleagues' respect.

** After being discovered to be [[spoiler:a former nazi collaborator]] by the Mossad, [[spoiler: Mercaillon]] revealed them the identity and location of Adolf Eichmann in exchange for their silence.
* TheCasanova: Moulinier has fathered quite a number of children in the line of duty.

* ComingOutStory: Constrasting with the mostly comical storylines of the show, it is played for drama for [[spoiler: Moïse]], as befitting the series setting in conservative circles of 60's France. After his sexual orientation is discovered by [[spoiler: Mercaillon]], he is being blackmailed and humiliated by him. [[spoiler: Moïse]] then tried to come out to his colleagues twice (first under duress, second time on his own volition) but is each time interrupted or overstaged by some more important events. At the end of season 2, it is still unclear if his colleagues are aware of his sexual orientation.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: all the sexism, racism, homophobia, and national chauvinism of the era is on full display.

* InsaneTrollLogic: This seems to be the essence of French bureaucracy, not to mention Soviet life in general.

-> C'est confidentiel...\\


'''Au Service de la France''' ('A very Secret Service' in English) is a 2015 French comedy-drama series created by Jean-Francois Halin and distributed by Arte - eventually it got distributed worldwide by Netflix in 2016.

In 2018, Au Service de la France was renewed for a second series.

!! This show contains examples of:

-> '''CIA Agent 1''': He sleeps with a lot of women.
-> '''Moulinier''': Yes....?
-> '''CIA Agent 2''': That's not good for a politician.
-> '''Moïse''': ....Why not?
* Main/ComingOutStory: Constrasting with the mostly comical storylines of the show, it is played for drama for [[spoiler: Moïse]], as befitting the series setting in conservative circles of 60's France. After his sexual orientation is discovered by [[spoiler: Mercaillon]], he is being blackmailed and humiliated by him. [[spoiler: Moïse]] then tried to come out to his colleagues twice (first under duress, second time on his own volition) but is each time interrupted or overstaged by some more important events. At the end of season 2, it is still unclear if his colleagues are aware of his sexual orientation.

* HistoricalInJoke: Basically the whole series. At one point one of the spies has a nightmare about France's waning influence: "I dreamt that the Chinese were in Africa and I was driving a Japanese car..." He and his buddies have a good laugh at such a ludicrous vision.
** Another instance is provided by the CIA agents who decide to not trust the French Secret Service to secure President Kennedy's visit in Paris. Because apparently, [[Main/BlackComedy he would be safer being driven around into a convertible American car with an escort of American soldiers...]]

* Main/ObstructiveBureaucrat: The whole secret service administration.

* Main/RedScare: CIA agents are tasked with organizing the visit of President Kennedy with the French Secret Service. They are completely obsessed about hypothetical communists agents and accused various French governemental bodies of being infiltrated.

-> '''Mercaillon''': You're entering an elite service, Merlaux.
-> '''Merlaux''': What service?
-> '''Moïse''': A very secret service.
(The French title of the series is ''Au Service de la France'', so in the original the TitleDrop works this way:)
-> '''Mercaillon''': Vous allez entrer dans un service d'élite, Merlaux.
-> '''Merlaux''': Au service de quoi?
-> '''Moïse''': Au service de la France.
* Main/TwinThreesomeFantasy: Calot with the cute East-German Anna and Maria. Or maybe they are just one person, Anna-Maria. It is not clear.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: all the sexism, racism, and national chauvinism of the era is on full display.