The television of intimacy. Meeting a social need

Summary: French television, which until recently was no more than an intermediary between the establishment and the general public, developed a new type of programme in the 1990s based on emotion, confession and individual messages. The 'television of intimacy' provoked strong criticism for its voyeuristic and exhibitionist aspects and for abusing its power by actively intervening in public life. In this conclusion to her book La Television de l'intimite, the author argues that the new programmes meet a need to express expectations, hopes and criticisms that the social fabric does not satisfy.