"Lance et compte" (1986) TV series 1986-1988

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Jean-Claude Lord

Writers:

Louis Caron (writer)
Réjean Tremblay (writer)

Release Date:

September 1986 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

The personal and professional life of NHL hockey player Pierre Lambert. This series depicts accurately the underworld of hockey...

Plot Keywords:

Hockey | Mother Daughter Relationship | Betrayal | Adultery | First Of Series

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Daniela Akerblom	...	Geneviève
Mary Lou Basaraba	...	Judy Mercier
Andrew Bednarski	...	Jimmy Mercier
Denis Bouchard	...	Lucien Lulu Boivin
Sylvie Bourque	...	Linda Hebert
Mark Brennan	...	Gilles Champagne
Claude Chagnon	...	Jimmy Thompson
Pierre Chagnon	...	Albert Simard
Serge Christianssens	...	Charley
Gilbert Comptois	...	Ben Belley
Michel Daigle	...	Nounou
Jean Deschênes	...	Paul Couture
Thomas Donohue	...	Phil Aubry
Todd Field	...	Andres Johansson
Michel Forget	...	Gilles Guilbeault
Bernard Fortin	...	Maurice Gauthier
Edgar Fruitier	...	Michel Trépanier
Annette Garant	...	Maryse Couture
Danielle Godin	...	Fabienne
Michel Goyette	...	Francis Gagnon
Martin Grignon	...	Michel Mathieu
Jean Harvey	...	Denis Mercure
Eric Hoziel	...	Mac Templeton
Marie-Chantal Labelle	...	Ginette Létourneau (1986)
Jean-Pierre Leduc	...	1er dépisteur
Jean-Sébastien Lord	...	Hugo Lambert (1986)
Robert Marien	...	Robert Bob Martin
Carl Marotte	...	Pierre Lambert
Macha Méril	...	Maroussia Lambert
Marc Messier	...	Marc Gagnon
David Nerman	...	Steve Bradshaw
Richard Niquette	...	André Simon
Marina Orsini	...	Suzie Lambert
Aubert Pallascio	...	Dr. Bergeron
Nicholas Podbrey	...	Hugo English voice
Yvan Ponton	...	Jacques Mercier
Julien Poulin	...	Donat
Hélène Reeves	...	Suzanne
Sophie Renoir	...	Marilou (1986)
August Schellenberg	...	Allan Goldman
Linda Singer	...	Honey
Sam Stone	...	Rico
Lise Thouin	...	Nicole Gagnon (1986)
Jacques Tourangeau	...	(1988)
Vlasta Vrana	...	Popov
Timothy Webber	...	Gary Bennett
France Zobda	...	Lucie Baptiste

Also Known As:

Cogne et gagne (France)
He Shoots, He Scores

Runtime:

Canada:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

France | Ireland | Canada

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada

Company:

Communications Claude Héroux International

Trivia:

While the series was in French, the CBC also dubbed the series into English in hopes of reaching a wider audience. The English version was pulled from the air after two seasons of poor ratings.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Bob Gratton, ma vie/My Life: Éroticomotel (#3.7)" (2009)

A Quebec cult classic

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Hockey is a religion in Quebec, and this TV phenomenon captured the hearts of the Quebecois people as much as a real playoffs round. 'Lance et compte' episodes would be vehemently discussed amongst people, as much as a finale of 'Lost' is today.

Written by sports journalist Réjean Tremblay, 'Lance et compte' explored the more obscure backstage of the glamorous hockey scene - the injuries, the backstabbing, the affairs, the minor leagues. The show's team, the fictional National de Québec, was inspired by the Nordiques de Québec. It is believed Réjean Tremblay based his story lines on events that he witnessed during his career as a sports journalist: disputes between teammates, locker room mutinies against coaches, late partying and affairs.

The success of this show was mostly due to the flaws and humanity found in the characters. Rising rookie star Pierre Lambert became a popular icon in Quebec City, his sister Suzie Lambert charmed viewers with her temper and her wit, tough coach Jacques Mercier was the one we loved to hate and ambitious sports journalist Linda Hébert was a feminist icon. The TV show launched the careers for most of these actors.

'Lance et compte' captivated a whole generation and has spawned quite a few sequels. However, none of them managed to capture the same grit as the original. 'Lance et compte' was written during a time when hockey was still about the game, when hockey players weren't being traded to a different team every year, and when rivalries still meant something. The plot line remained simple and focused on the brilliant interactions between the actors, staying away from the complex conspiracies played out in its less successful sequels.

And the icing on the cake remains the powerful, chilling finale which has us holding our breaths until the very end. I still have goosebumps thinking about it.