About this season
Jonathan Meades scrutinises the 95 per cent of France that Brits drive through and don't notice en route to the 5 per cent that conforms to their expectation
Episodes (3)
E1
1. Fragments of an Arbitrary Encyclopaedia
Aired 18 January 2012
Jonathan explains why Lorraine has become the symbolic heart of France and a stronghold of a romantic nationalism expressed by diverse means.
E2
2. A Biased Anthology of Parisian Peripheries
Aired 25 January 2012
Jonathan inspects the Parisian palaces of tyrannical colonial dynasties and the village where the Ayatollah Khomeini lived in exile.
E3
3. Just a Few Debts France Owes to America
Aired 1 February 2012
Jonathan looks at how the French delude themselves that they are indifferent towards the USA, despite huge evidence of cultural indebtedness.