Derived from the series Askip, the middle school tells it, the new fiction Karma, too young to stay silent, broadcast on france.tv, centers on teenagers, including a gay young man played by Bastiaan VanLeeuwen, discovered by the public in the Star Academy currently on air.
There are two kinds of series about adolescence: the Euphoria or Elite vein, which actually targets an adult audience. And those that speak directly to teenagers like Karma, too young to stay silent, a new French production released this Friday, January 30, streaming on france.tv.
Created by Benoît Masocco, this new series is derived from Askip, le collège se la raconte, launched in 2020. Using documentary codes, in the style of The Office, it depicts middle school students who discuss their doubts and concerns in front of a television crew. In Karma, several of the characters are now enrolled at Joséphine Baker High School, specialized in the arts and sports.
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As with its elder, the series lets the unfiltered voice of teens be heard. But here, the mockumentary genre used in Askip is abandoned for another device that invites confession: following a scandal that divides the students, the art teacher tries to ease tensions by installing a “free expression booth”, at the crossroads between the confessional and the Photomaton, where each student can come record a video message to keep or delete.
Teenage Homosexuality in 2026
Played by Bastiaan VanLeeuwen – yes indeed, the student eliminated at the gates of the semi-final of the Star Academy currently on air –, Dorian is the series’ gay protagonist, a new student at the high school. His objective: to reconnect with his ex, Bilal (Adam Abdo)… On paper, Karma, trop jeunes pour se taire evokes Degrassi, a Canadian television franchise that followed the tribulations of teenagers from the sixth grade through graduation. In the 2000s, Degrassi: The Next Generation tackled strong themes, ranging from anorexia to domestic violence, including school bullying. Regarding homosexuality, it addressed coming out, ordinary homophobia, and the fear of family rejection.
In the French series, Benoît Masocco and his writers worked to move beyond homophobia. Dorian’s character is never singled out, ostracized, or harassed because of his sexuality. A deliberate choice from the first episode, when he stands out by joining the swimming class in mermaid mode, equipped with a bright pink mermaid tail, which earns the aspiring merman not childish mockery but an ovation from his classmates. A series that aligns with the recent evolutions of queer visibility in younger generations, to show to your teens!
