A disastrous appearance on the morning show morning sun will result in the loss of star veterinarian Antoine Meilleur (François Bellefeuille), who is not only an on-screen celebrity but also the head of a pet products empire and owner of a veterinary clinic.
Spied on, persecuted, but above all in trouble, he has no choice but to flee the big city and go into exile on the Magdalen Islands, only to be forgotten there.
Only Dr. Armand Lapierre (Gaston Lepage), a veterinarian from the old days, accepts his help, while in Montreal his rival will use the opportunity to try to steal his throne.
Pierre-François Legendre and François Bellefeuille in the series “Temps de chien”, presented on ICI Télé from Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 9:30 p.m. Photo Karine Dufour provided by ICI Télé
The world of the series is no stranger to François Bellefeuille – filming took place in his real home on the islands – who was a veterinarian for 11 years. During his practice, he notably had to treat dogs poisoned with xylitol, perform euthanasia at the wrong time, or even perform a guided abomasum operation, as his character, Dr. Meilleur, does.
“The veterinary aspect remains in the background, but is not omnipresent… I liked getting back into it, but I didn't want the series to be just that,” admitted the comedian and co-author of this fiction.
A different experience
In an interview with the QMI agency, François Bellefeuille admitted that the creation of this first series, written in the middle of the pandemic, was a little different than he had originally imagined. “I had done Bye Bye, other things too, like sketches, but not stories like this that lasted… and besides, I was the main character. There was a lot on my shoulders,” he said.
François Bellefeuille and Émilie Bibeau in the series “Dog Time”. Photo Karine Dufour provided by ICI Télé
“I wanted a comedy that was set in reality. I wanted it to be believable and told myself that if my acting didn't make that believable, the project would fail,” he continued, saying he was confident about the future.
“But if I made a mistake, it was that I thought it would be easier to photograph with animals. We really screwed up. There are scenes that took a lot longer to shoot,” he added, citing as an example a dog who was far too happy for the type of scene he had to play.
What we know about the second season
François Bellefeuille and his friend Olivier Thivierge, with whom he is used to writing his shows, finished writing the second season before the holidays. An exercise that is much easier this time, confided the actor, who is also a producer.
“The second season is a lot more like what I imagined, but it hasn't been filmed yet. I gain experience in every phase [et] I think the profession has returned. “I will really be able to go further,” emphasized the comedian.
“It also fits a little with the character breaking free from the shackles he was in. We'll really get to know more about him and his personality. I think it will allow me to play other things that are even more fun,” he continued, specifying that this new season “will take us somewhere else.”
François Bellefeuille in the series “Temps de chien”, presented on ICI Télé from Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 9:30 p.m. Photo Karine Dufour provided by ICI Télé
There will be a few more scenes with animals and most of the characters will be back, while an important event that the scriptwriter didn't want to reveal will mean that they will experience all sorts of stories outside of filming.[qu’on] I haven’t seen it much in Quebec,” warned the comedian.
This second version will also not ignore the soil erosion, landscape degradation and climate change that are hitting the Magdalen Islands hard.
François Bellefeuille is currently working on the creation of a new solo exhibition, which he is slowly starting to delve into.
Temps de chien has been available on Tou.tv Extra since mid-November and will be presented on ICI Télé from January 10th.