# Les Douze Coups de midi

Les Douze Coups de midi (previously called Les 12 Coups de midi, transl. "The twelve strokes of midday") is a French game show hosted by Jean-Luc Reichmann and broadcast everyday on TF1 since June 28th 2010.

## History

Les Douze Coups de midi is an adaptation from the Argentine show El Legado on Telefe (the first version was named Crésus, broadcast in 2005 and 2006 on TF1 and hosted by Vincent Lagaf'). This show consists of an individual quiz which can lead to winning numerous prizes and a jackpot.

## Broadcasting

This game was broadcast TF1 to collect the midday audience, as a reply to the success of Tout le monde veut prendre sa place, a game show broadcast at the same time on France 2.
Since October 2010, Jean-Luc Reichmann hosted the game with a virtual character, a fairy called Eulalie (voice by Véronique Le Nir). Later, this fairy becomes a simple voiceover, but keeps her name and her voice actor before her replacement by Zette which she dubbed by Isabelle Benhadj.
From May 12, 2020 to October 9, 2021, to respect safety mesures due to COVID-19 pandemic in France, the show is broadcast without audience, and a new character, Docteur Maboul, makes his appearance. His role is to clean up the candidates' desks.

## Description

The winner of the show, now Maître de midi (transl. "Master of Midday"), puts his title on the table to try and win more prizes until his elimination.
At the end of the show, each correct answer reveals one tile on a rectangle of 13x10 tiles hiding hints for the discovery of a celebrity. Since January 27, 2023, only a "coup de maître" (transl. "Master's stroke") with five correct answers lets the Master of Midday make a guess, to try to win the jackpot.
The show has known some evolutions since its creation. Since January 2018, the last round "L'étoile mystérieuse" (transl. "The Mysterious Star") was made harder by replacing the celebrity's picture by a number of hints, leading to guess said celebrity. The last four tiles hide this celebrity.

## Visual identity

From September 2016 to September 2019, for the 100th mysterious star, the show changed its logo and artistic direction.
In September 2019, the show changed its studio, its logo and its artistic direction.
Depending on vacation or holiday period, the logo becomes red during Christmas and New Year (golden in winter 2023), golden and yellow (pink in 2022) during summer. During fall, the logo is green since 2023. During Halloween the logo is orange since 2023.

## Audiences

* On June 28, 2020, the launch of the game was welcomed by 2.9 millions peoplewith a peak at 4.6 millions at the end.
* After a decrease in September 2010, around 2.3 million people were watching from home, the numbers go up again in October, and stabilize at more than 3 millions.
* Ever since then, the game regularly gains audience, with a peak at 4.5 millions on February 1, 2011, it is the leader at this time of the day.
* On December 26, 2016, no less than 4.73 million people watched the show, with a peak at 6.5 millions in the end.
* In April 2019, following Quesada scandal, audience decreased before coming back to normal shortly later.

## Records

Émilien, still competing in the game, has the record for victories and gains in the history of televised games in France, followed by Bruno with €1,026,107 and a Qui veut gagner des millions? (French adaptation of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire) contestant named Marie who won €1,000,000 in the show on August 27, 2004

### Ranking

The next list ranked the twenty best contestants as number of successive appearances.
| Legend | Contestants ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd. | Contestant still in the game |
| # | Contestant | Participations | Global money | Debut appearance | Final appearance | Master strokes | Stars |
| 1 | Émilien | 538 | €2163687 | September 25, 2023 | present | 162 | 19 |
| 2 | Bruno (Fifou Dingo) | 252 | €1026107 | January 20, 2021 | October 5, 2021 | 92 | 9 |
| 3 | Éric | 199 | €921316 | November 21, 2020 | June 19, 2021 | 62 | 7 |
| 4 | Christian | 193 | €809392 | July 4, 2016 | January 14, 2017 | 64 | 7 |
| 5 | Paul | 153 | €691522 | April 29, 2019 | October 10, 2019 | 59 | 6 |
| 6 | Stéphane | 153 | €568343 | August 20, 2022 | January 20, 2023 | 44 | 5 |
| 7 | Céline | 125 | €489495 | March 14, 2023 | July 24, 2023 | 37 | 4 |
| 8 | Véronique | 100 | €447226 | April 5, 2018 | July 21, 2018 | 39 | 4 |
| 9 | Léo | 98 | €410591 | August 31, 2020 | December 6, 2020 | 31 | 4 |
| 10 | Timothée | 83 | €353348 | March 24, 2017 | June 14, 2017 | 29 | 3 |
| 11 | Benoît | 82 | €397946 | January 18, 2019 | April 9, 2019 | 28 | 3 |
| 12 | Bruno (Lille) | 80 | €393650 | August 8, 2013 | October 26, 2013 | 34 | 3 |
| 13 | Xavier | 76 | €335856 | January 5, 2013 | March 21, 2013 | 32 | 3 |
| 14 | Alexandre | 75 | €417828 | November 12, 2010 | January 25, 2011 | 37 | 5 |
| 15 | Sylvain | 75 | €335593 | April 26, 2015 | July 15, 2015 | 30 | 4 |
| 16 | Lucia | 73 | €380670 | April 13, 2012 | June 24, 2012 | 30 | 5 |
| 17 | Laurent | 72 | €310607 | January 13, 2022 | March 25, 2022 | 20 | 3 |
| 18 | Cyrille | 71 | €356186 | February 12, 2011 | April 23, 2011 | 28 | 4 |
| 19 | Sébastien | 68 | €233626 | October 16, 2012 | December 23, 2012 | 20 | 3 |
| 20 | Vincent | 62 | €253442 | February 8, 2014 | April 10, 2014 | 22 | 3 |