The series was screened on BBC Two on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm in July and August 2006 and consisted of four episodes.
Rantzen had the best knowledge of French of the three celebrities, and at the end of the series, her task was to interview a politician on a television show.
Atkinson started the show with no knowledge of French (although he has a little knowledge of Spanish) and faced the steepest learning curve so that at the end of the month, he could give a short analysis of a football match on French radio.
The contestants often did not take it seriously, which led to several entertaining confrontations between the students and their tutors, especially Atkinson with his teacher Christine.
There was some criticism over the programme, particularly the area where the students were, as the Provençal have a strong regional accent, an experience akin to learning English in Newcastle.