The Summer of ’36 is now streaming on Netflix as of June 1, 2026. Having previously aired on TF1, this French historical miniseries stars Julie de Bona, Sofia Essaïdi, and Nolwenn Leroy, and is set in Nice during the period when the first paid holidays begin to transform the Côte d’Azur.
Summer of '36
Series | 2026
Available on Netflix since June 1, 2026
Drama, Historical | 1 season, 6 episodes of 52 minutes
Created by Marie Deshaires, Catherine Touzet and Iris Bucher
Starring Julie de Bona, Sofia Essaïdi, Nolwenn Leroy
Nationality: France
Summer 1936, in Nice. The bourgeoisie, used to refined sojourns on the Côte d’Azur, welcome a new wave of holidaymakers—workers and families who are finally enjoying paid vacations for the first time. In this uneasy cohabitation of two worlds, four women from different backgrounds find themselves somehow tied to a murder at the chic Riviera hotel.
The series roots its plot in a turning point of French social history: the introduction of the first paid vacations under the Popular Front. This new relationship with holidays, leisure, and the seaside provides the setting for a story that intertwines class tensions, the destinies of women, and a police investigation.
With this fiction, Iris Bucher continues a historical thread already linked to series such as The Charity Bazaar and The Fighters. The premise stays largely the same: following heroines facing a collective upheaval, in a narrative where the intimate intertwines with the national story.
Summer of ’36 adds a whiff of murder mystery to this sprawling narrative. The screenwriters insist the investigation rests on observation, deduction, and clues, in a vein reminiscent of Agatha Christie. The absence of modern tools gives the crime plot a more classic engine, powered by the relationships between the characters and the secrets swirling around the Riviera Hotel.
The Summer of ’36 may appeal to Netflix subscribers drawn to historical series, female-led dramas, and period crime investigations. In its six episodes, the show fuses the sunlit glamour of the Côte d’Azur with the social backdrop of the Popular Front and a criminal case that could upend the family, romance, and professional lives of its characters.
To go further, also check out our selection of Netflix’s June 2026 releases, our guide to streaming releases across all platforms, and today’s pick: What to watch today on streaming.
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