First Look: Alexandra Ehle

Now streaming in the U.S. and Canada on MHz Choice!

Captain Marleau fans, you’re going to love Alexandra Ehle, the new MHz Choice series about a female coroner seeking justice for the bodies on her examining table. It’s written by the same woman who created and wrote Captain Marleau, Elsa Marpeau; in both series she pulls off the hat trick of creating a protagonist who seems fresh, like no one you’ve seen before. Both lead characters have a strong sense of themselves, love their work and would fall in the category of… unusual.

Alexandra Ehle’s mantra is “The body never lies.” Sounds like a heavy premise, but in the hands of creator/writer Marpeau, the series comes off as strangely effervescent. Medical examiner Alexandra (Julie Depardieu) is an enthusiast about the job and takes it upon herself to solve unanswered questions about the cause of death for her cadavers – with help from policeman/brother, Antoine (Bernard Yerèls). The accomplished character actress Depardieu (daughter of film actor Gerard Depardieu) brings an elfin magic to Alexandra – she’s a woman on a mission without being pushy, she loves cutting up dead bodies without seeming creepy. Most of the time she looks like a kid on Christmas morning. Incidentally, Depardieu was the dippy local cop in Captain Marleau Season One Episode 7, “Open Air.”

Casting for Alexandra Ehle hit it out of the park. The ensemble includes hunky Bernard Yerlès (Magellan) as the cop/brother, Antoine… Xavier Guelfi as the awkward assistant, Théo… MHz Choice favorite Sara Martins (Detectives, Murder In… Captain Marleau) as Alexandra’s boss, Diane… Émilie Lehuraux as green-haired teenager, Iggy… Quentin Baillot (Spiral) as the series’ quasi-villain… Sophie LeTellier (The Little Murders of Agatha Christie) as Ludivine, the staff entomologist and Hubert Delattre (Das Boot) as Alexandra’s taxidermist boyfriend. And just as Captain Marleau featured revered French actors, the legendary Andréa Ferréol appears in a few episodes as Alexandra and Antoine’s mom, Laurette.

Marpeau has a gift for creating free-spirited, independent, engaging women characters. She also writes about friendship between women with an insight and kindness that only an insider would possess. This clip comes after the ladies have discussed the benefits of online dating and Alexandra, with the help of Ludivine has decided to give it a try. As only she can.