Regarding the situation of docudrama on French television over the last twenty years, we can say that the choice of the genre, the frequency with which it is used and the subject-matters to which it is applied largely depend on the broadcasting channel, on the chosen time slot and on whether the producer intends to entertain, inform or provoke. As far as privately-owned channels are concerned, very often, the purpose of docudrama is to attract a large audience and to compete with public service channels over the fulfilling of the public service remits. This paper explores the following topics: the televisual environment, docudrama and the treatment of History, but also of controversial political issues and trial by media.
