YouTube and France.tv: On Demand – "Derush" Program
Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, recently stated, "For more and more people, watching TV means watching YouTube." This shift has not escaped the attention of investigative journalist Élise Lucet, who hosts the French news magazines "Envoyé spécial" and "Cash Investigation." Lucet has recently launched "Derush," her own YouTube channel, in a bold move to capitalize on this trend.
To ensure its success, Lucet has enlisted the sponsorship of Squeezie, a popular YouTuber with over 19 million subscribers. In the first episode of "Derush," which premiered on October 27, 2024, Lucet and Squeezie sat side by side on a couch, equipped with buzzers, and reacted to two iconic "Envoyé spécial" reports.
The program is tailored to Squeezie’s audience, featuring "Video Games: The Addicts," a report on the early days of gaming consoles that aired in 1992 (four years before his birth), followed by "The Webcammed" (2001), which explored the rise of webcams.
To appeal to YouTube viewers, Lucet adjusts her style, using more informal language and adapting to the platform’s conventions. However, she remains incisive and hard-hitting, earning praise from Squeezie ("You’re a killer"). The exchanges between the two hosts, spanning generations and perspectives, are both informative and entertaining.
Online comments reflect the positive reception of "Derush." Viewers appreciate its blend of fun and intellectual engagement, with older viewers discovering Squeezie and younger viewers becoming acquainted with Lucet.
On February 16, 2025, "Derush #2" featured Sébastien Frit, another popular YouTuber, alongside Lucet. His biographical films on celebrities like Beyoncé and Snoop Dogg inspired the episode’s focus on the 2Be3 boy band and the challenges of early fame. The second segment addressed youth drug use, drawing on a 2003 "Envoyé spécial" report.
Seb’s own experiences with cannabis add a personal touch to the discussion, while humor lightens the tone. Lucet tackles sensitive topics such as legalization and prevention without shying away from political commentary.
Despite Seb’s initial skepticism about the viability of collaborations between traditional television and the Web, "Derush #1" has gained over 1.5 million views, rivaling the average audience of "Envoyé spécial."
"Derush" is available on YouTube and France.tv.
