Jonathan Meades On France(2012)

Jonathan Meades On France is a documentary series that challenges how British travellers experience the country. Meades examines the vast majority of France that passes unnoticed through car windows—the overlooked towns, landscapes, and culture that exist beyond the postcard clichés. While most visitors rush toward familiar destinations that match their preconceptions, Meades reveals the authentic France that lies in between: the regional character, architectural heritage, and local life that define the real nation. The series dismantles the myth of a monolithic France, instead celebrating the diversity and complexity of the regions most tourists miss entirely. Meades brings his characteristic wit and erudition to exploring how geography, history, and human settlement have shaped French identity far from the beaten path.