Hugo Travers and France Télévisions were made to meet, as the first, founder of HugoDécrypte – a brand for distributing content on social networks – seems to embody the ambitions of the second, reaffirmed, Friday December 15, by the public audiovisual group. Namely accelerating its development in digital, rejuvenating its audience and giving priority to information.
At 26, Hugo Travers is in fact known on the Web (2.4 million subscribers on YouTube, 3.1 million on Instagram, 5.4 million on TikTok) for his explanatory videos of current events, and appreciated for his stated desire for objectivity.
No wonder, therefore, that France Télévisions offered him the opportunity to present a new show, “HugoDécrypte. The face down interview”, i.e. thirty minutes of interview, surrounded by accessories (a TV table, a buzzer, a telephone), with the participation of one or two close to the interviewee. And the secret hope of finally building a fruitful bridge between the world of the Web and that of television.
After a successful launch, on October 28, with astronaut Thomas Pesquet (1.8 million viewers at 1:20 p.m.) and the interview with the highly publicized Virginie Efira, on December 3 at 11 p.m., Hugo Travers receives in access prime time his friend Squeezie, France’s leading videographer (18.6 million subscribers on YouTube), almost 28 years old, including sixteen years of career.
“Enjoy life a little”
For the occasion, the production recreated the settings in which Lucas Hauchard – Squeezie’s Christian name – records the games he produces and puts online (Alibi, What’s Behind the Door?, The Worst Date, etc.) , all hilarious. The idea here is to introduce those who do not yet know him to this brilliant young man with light blue eyes. In a somewhat caricatured way, the first sequence invites three seniors, Michèle, Jeannot and Raymonde, to gently question him about the origin of his nickname or the meaning of the word “streaming”.
Hugo Travers then draws out his findings. From Squeezie’s first camera, given to her by her father (present by telephone a little later), to the arrival of her brother Florent, including a notification of exclusion from high school. The former Sciences Po student has difficulty understanding that Lucas Hauchard does not regret not having continued his studies, when the latter especially deplores not knowing how to “enjoy life a little beyond work” – enjoy a little bit of life instead of working all the time.
On the other hand, why bring out an extract from the show in which Thierry Ardisson more or less trapped him in 2017? Squeezie tempers. “If, in twenty or thirty years, young people are making games or content that we don’t necessarily understand, I hope that we will be curious, that we will reach out to them. Rather than winnowing them. »
Many subjects are not covered, such as his comics, Bleak 1 and 2, inspired by his Thread Horror videos, or the two GP Explorer single-seater races that he organized at Le Mans, in front of 40,000 spectators, on October 8, 2022. , and ahead of double, on September 9.
But Hugo Travers keeps his trajectory. Squeezie analyzes, with maturity, the parallel evolution of the worlds of the Web and television. “I would think it would be cool if there were crossovers. » He may be the only one who can throw them.
