As popular comedies like The Office, Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have shown, wacky characters can be found in just about any workplace. Some of the wackiest, though, populate the award-winning French/Canadian web series Best Before, which is the subject of this week’s Viewfinder Podcast.

Combining the funny personalities found in workplace sitcoms with the surreal storytelling techniques of shows like Twin Peaks is Best Before (Meilleur Avant) - in French with English subtitles, currently streaming its first season of 7 episodes online in Canada only, and still on the festival circuit. The series stars Nico Racicot as Fred, a struggling and broke college philosophy student whose only way out of financial ruin is to take a job at an all-night supermarket that’s definitely unlike any grocery store he’s ever seen, let alone worked at.

Its staff and manager make it even more unusual, led by Fred’s peculiar yet highly dedicated boss Jean (played by Luc Boucher) plus the perpetually silent but always aware cashier Madame Z (played by Carolyn Fe), and Fred’s co-workers on the night shift: customer service desk worker and second cashier Constance (played by Larissa Corriveau), shelf stock man Amid (portrayed by Gardy Telus) and baker Melanie-Anne (played by Eleonore Loiselle).

Dealing with unusual patrons, splattered (and potentially living) messes to clean up, and discovering a fancy “secret employees lounge” hidden deep inside the store proves to be all in a night’s work for the intellectual Fred, who experiences the truly odd parts of life all in one place - while gradually learning how to embrace them for his own good.

Coming up now, you’ll hear my conversation with series creators Maxime Robin and Laura Bergeron, as they discuss what it took to bring the surreal world of the show’s supermarket and its equally off-kilter group of employees and customers to the screen.

For viewers in Canada only, watch Best Before at:

https://www.tv5unis.ca/meilleur-avant/

Check out the show's Facebook page (some posts in French, others in English; use Facebook translator for French posts):

https://www.facebook.com/meilleuravant1 

Best Before's Instagram page (also in French and English):

https://www.instagram.com/meilleuravant/

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Music by Audionautix.com