Intervilles

Intervilles

Company type	Television game show
Industry	Entertainment, Television
Founded	July 17, 1962 (1962-07-17)
Headquarters	France
Area served	France, International adaptations
Products	Television game show

Intervilles () is a French comedic game show that first appeared on television in 1962, inspired by an Italian format. The program showcases teams representing different French municipalities competing in various contests, some involving live cattle known as vachettes.

With a broadcast history spanning over five decades, albeit with interruptions, it stands as one of France's longest-standing game shows and has been widely adapted internationally. Alongside Fort Boyard and La Carte aux trésors, it remains a staple of the French summer television lineup. Its influence extended to the creation of the pan-European competition Jeux sans frontières and seasonal spin-offs such as Interneige and Interglace.

Broadcast

The show debuted on RTF on July 17, 1962, before continuing on ORTF from 1964 until 1973. After a 12-year hiatus, Intervilles returned to screens via France 3 in 1985, then transitioned to TF1 between 1986 and 1999, despite a controversy involving cheating in 1997. France Télévisions brought it back on France 2 in 2004 and subsequently on France 3 from 2006 through 2009.

A special edition commemorating its 50th anniversary was broadcast on France 2 in 2013, followed by an international adaptation airing on Gulli between 2014 and 2016. Although a revival without the inclusion of vachettes was announced for 2019, by October 2023 presenter Nagui noted that financial difficulties faced by participating cities had deprioritized the project. Nevertheless, in September 2024, France Télévisions confirmed plans to relaunch the series during summer 2025.

Background and history

The concept of Intervilles originated as an adaptation of the Italian show Campanile sera, pitting two towns against each other in various challenges and obstacle courses. It was introduced in 1962 to provide programming during periods when the 1962 Tour de France was not aired due to conflicts over advertising. Creator Guy Lux restricted participation to towns with populations under 20,000 to foster local community spirit. The inaugural episode saw Saint-Amand-les-Eaux face off against Armentières in Dax before an audience of approximately 6,000. The show's popularity was such that French President Charles de Gaulle reportedly adjusted his schedule to watch it. It also served as inspiration for the British series It's a Knockout.

During the 1990s, the host admitted that certain games were manipulated to sustain viewer interest, including applying soap to surfaces when favored teams were leading. Following allegations of cheating published by Le Canard enchaîné, Chiabodo was dismissed by TF1. He faced accusations of covertly signaling quiz answers to assist Puy du Fou in securing victories in both 1996 and 1997. The mayor of Mont-de-Marsan, whose town competed against Puy du Fou in 1997, publicly accused the show of dishonest practices. Puy du Fou responded with defamation lawsuits, while the previous year's losing team, Pont-Saint-Esprit, also pursued legal action against Chiabodo for disruptive conduct. Chiabodo's own lawsuit against Le Canard enchaîné seeking damages amounting to 400,000 francs resulted only in minimal compensation.

In celebration of its half-century mark, a special episode aired on France 2 in 2013 featuring a replay of the original final between Dax and Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, aiming to rekindle interest ahead of a planned revival in 2014.

Vachettes

Intervilles gained recognition for featuring horned cows and young bulls, known as "vachettes." The inclusion of bulls originated after producer Lux visited Buglose in South West France, where he observed the widespread appeal of cattle exhibitions. Joseph Labat, a local breeder, provided the bulls, a collaboration that has continued across three generations. These juvenile bulls entered the arena with rubber coverings on their horns to ensure safety and were unleashed to challenge contestants, frequently engaging by charging with their horns. The vachettes were not trained but chosen based on their disposition.

During the 2000s, a particular cow named Rosa became a notable figure, appearing in every episode from 2004 to 2009 and returning for the 2013 special edition. Rosa was famed for her intelligence and aggressive behavior in toppling sets, even inspiring a dedicated game titled "Rosa Strike." Enthusiasts often visited the Labat farm to see her, and her passing in 2020 attracted nationwide media coverage in France.

In 2019, France Télévisions declared plans to relaunch Intervilles without featuring vachettes, which triggered protests from southern French communities where bullfighting traditions are prevalent. Opponents accused the broadcaster of succumbing to animal rights pressures and forsaking cultural heritage. Former presenter Nagui endorsed the decision, citing concerns about animal welfare; however, Teddy Labat defended the animals' treatment and criticized Nagui’s limited insight into backstage operations. In response, fifty municipalities called for a boycott until the return of the cows. Production was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France.

Hosts

Year	Channel	Presenters
1962		Guy Lux	Simone Garnier	Roger Couderc	Léon Zitrone		rowspan="12" Template:N/A	rowspan="12" Template:N/A
1963				Claude Savarit
1964
1970
1971
1973
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991					Denise Fabre	Philippe Risoli	Patrick Roy and Pascal Brunner	Évelyne Leclercq

Year	Channel	Lead hosts		Supporting hosts			Referees
1995		Jean-Pierre Foucault	Fabrice	Nathalie Simon	colspan="2" rowspan="3" Template:N/A	Olivier Chiabodo	rowspan="5" Template:N/A
1996
1997			Thierry Roland
1998			Julien Courbet Delphine Anaïs colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Laurent Mariotte Robert Wurtz
1999			Fabrice {{ill|Nathalie Simon (presenter)|lt=Nathalie Simon|fr|} Olivier Grandjean

Year	Channel	Primary hosts	Secondary hosts	Assistant hosts/referees
2004–2005		Nagui Juliette Arnaud Template:N/A Template:N/A Robert Wurtz (until Tours-Saintes 2007) Olivier Alleman (assistant)

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Year	Channel	Lead Hosts	Co-Hosts	Assistants	- | 2025 || || Nagui || Bruno Guillon || Camille Cerf || Valérie Bègue || Magali Ripoll || colspan=2 |Yoann Riou |} Additional spin-off editions Lux developed and presented several derivative shows, including: Jeux sans frontières, a pan-European contest featuring both summer and winter versions Interneige, a winter-themed adaptation of Jeux sans frontières hosted at ski resorts (1964–1968, 1976–1981, 1987) Intercontinents, an international tournament held between 1987 and 1988 Interglace, a winter edition of Intervilles broadcast in 1987, 1989, and 1995 Interchallenges, aired in 1988 Intervilles Juniors (later renamed Inter-Juniors), a children’s version running from 2007 to 2009 Intervilles global adaptations The worldwide iteration, known as Intervilles International or alternatively as The Biggest Game Show in the World, was broadcast from 2005 until 2016. National teams competed against each other under the supervision of referee Olivier Grandjean throughout all twelve seasons. While initially filmed in France, production relocated to Budapest, Hungary in 2014 and then to Hainan Island, China in 2015. This series was produced by Mistral Productions and aired across most participating nations. Country Title Presenter(s) Network Airing Period Algeria Intervilles Algeria Template:Unknown Canal Algérie 2015 Template:Country data Armenia Լավագույներից Լավագույները (The Best of the Best) Template:Unknown H2 2011 Template:Country data Belarus Битва титанов (Clash of the Titans) Lucia Lushchik Evgeny Bulka Dmitry Tankovych (2009) Olga Bogatyrevich ONT 2009–2011 Template:Country data China 城市之间 Intercities (Between Cities) Zhen Cheng CCTV-5 2015 Czech Republic Aréna národů (Arena of Nations) Aleš Háma Aleš Valenta Prima televize 2012 Egypt The Biggest Game Show in the World Dalia Buhairi MBC 2014 France Intervilles International Cécile de Ménibus Joan Faggianelli Gulli 2014–2016 Greece The Biggest Game Show in the World Nadia Boule ANT1 2013–2014 Hungary Játék határok nélkül (Game Without Borders) Varga Edit Harsányi Levente (2014) Gundel Takács Gábor (2015) M1 (2014–15) Duna (2015–16) 2014–2016 Indonesia The Biggest Game Show in the World Asia Arie Untung RCTI 2012, 2014 Template:Country data Kazakhstan Namys Doda (Намыс дода) Nurlan Koyanbayev Qazaqstan 2015 Philippines The Biggest Game Show in the World Asia Joey De Leon Richard Gomez Mr. Fu TV5 2012 Romania Saint-Tropez Games Dan Negru Antena 1 2006 Russia Большие гонки (The Great Race) Dmitry Nagiev (2005–2012) Kirill Nabutov (2014) Channel One 2005–2012, 2014 Spain Grand Prix Internacional Antonio Montero Díaz FORTA 2014 Thailand The Biggest Game Show in the World Asia Phoomjai Tangsanga Channel 5 2012 Template:Country data Ukraine Ігри патріотів (Patriot Games) Pavel Kostitsyn Inter Megasport First National 2005–2006 Битва націй (Battle of Nations) Kuzma Skryabin Grigory German (commentator) ICTV 2011 Template:Country data Vietnam The Biggest Game Show in the World Asia Template:Unknown VTC 9 2012 International versions Intervilles has inspired numerous adaptations worldwide, separate from the European and global editions, including: : El Gran Juego de las Provincias (aired on El Trece, 2006) : Almost Anything Goes! (broadcast by Network Ten, 1976–1978) and It's a Knockout (Network Ten, 1985–1987, 2011–2012) and : Zeakamp (on BRT and NCRV, 1968–1987) alongside Stedenspel ( and NPO 3, 2010) : both national and winter versions aired on CCTV : Telematch (produced by WDR (ARD), 1967–1980), followed by Spielohne Grenzen (Das Erste, 1989), and later Deutschland Champions (Das Erste, 2003–2004) : Intervilles (broadcast on RTI 1, 2014) : Intervilles (aired on TVM, 2000) : Campeões Nacionais (SIC, 2003) and later Todos Gostam do Verão (SIC, 2009) : Crazy Games (SABC 2, 2006) and subsequently Summer Games (SABC 2, 2007–2009) : Cuando calienta el Sol (TVE1, 1995), followed by El Grand Prix del verano (TVE1, 1996–2005, resumed in 2023; FORTA, 2007–2009), then Peque Prix (TVE1, 1998–2000; Canal 9 and Telemadrid, 2007), and finally Grand Prix Xpress (CMMedia and Canal Extremadura, 2010–2011) : Stadskampen (TV4, aired between 1997–2001 and again in 2005) along with Postkodkampen (TV4, 2010–2011) : several versions including It's a Knockout (BBC1, from 1966 to 1988; ITV, in 1990; S4C for Wales, between 1991–1994; Channel 5, from 1999 to 2001), plus Anything Goes! (BBC1, 1984–1985), Fair Game (BBC1, 1985), and Simply the Best (ITV, 2004) Northern Ireland: Town Challenge (BBC One Northern Ireland, aired from 1997 to 2002) Wales: Siarabang (S4C, debuted in 1989) : ABC aired Almost Anything Goes during 1975–1976 and its junior version, Junior Almost Anything Goes! in 1976–1977; additionally, syndicated broadcasts of All Star Anything Goes! occurred between 1977 and 1978 : Trò chơi liên tỉnh was broadcast on VTV3 from 1996 to 1998 External links Official website