Apostrophes was a live, weekly, literary, prime-time, talk show on French television created and hosted by Bernard Pivot. It ran for fifteen years (724 episodes) from January 10, 1975, to June 22, 1990, and was one of the most watched shows on French television (around 6 million regular viewers). It was broadcast on Friday nights on the channel France 2 (which was called "Antenne 2" from 1975 to 1992). The hourlong show was devoted to books, authors and literature. The format varied between one-on-one interviews with a single author and open discussions between four or five authors.

Vincent, a twenty-five year-old intern, lives in Rennes with his mother and his eighteen-year-old brother Bernard. In order to cheer up Bernard who has just failed his baccalauréat exam, the father invites him and his older brother to spend a holiday in his villa in Morocco, where he lives estranged from his ex-wife. Vincent and and Bernard decide to get there by sailboat, accompanied by Geneviève, Vincent's fiancée. Vincent, who has never forgiven his father for leaving him when he was a child, remains hostile and withdrawn. Once in Agadir, they take part in a regatta during which Bernard gets to know Monika, a sexy uninhibited girl. But Monika is actually attracted to Vincent who, despite his dislike for any compromise of principle, finds himself torn between two women. Written by Guy Bellinger