I can't say enough good things about this document-style show on TV5 called
Thalassa. It opens your eyes to a wealth of information, from the perspective of the oceans and the seas, but also coastal cities, architecture, way of life, local specialties and historical buildings.
I've been holding on to several shows I had PVRed over the past 2 years and have finally decided I had to view them all. The show had been hosted by Georges Pernoud, who retired in the summer and was replaced by a younger presenter. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much in the way of new shows since Pernoud retired but I suspect filming will begin again as spring approaches.
Just to give you an example of the kind of trivia that comes up as the show delves into historical structures, they spent time showing the lighthouse in Gatteville (aka Le Phare de Gatteville) situated at the tip of Barfleur in the lower Normandy region of France. It was built between 1829-1834 and was the tallest lighthouse in the world at the time, but that's not what's most fascinating about it.
It's this:
365 marches (une par jour de l'année), 52 fenêtres (une par semaine) et 12 paliers (un par mois)
The lighthouse features 365 steps (for each day of the year), 52 windows (one for each week) and 12 stair landings (one for each month).
Not too sure what happens during leap years but the whole idea of someone building a structure with these parameters is fascinating.
This is just one example of the many interesting facets that Thalassa delves into.