Souris Noire Le Crime de Cornin Bouchon Pre-owned book

Souris Noire – The Crime of Cornin Bouchon: kids’ noir from the golden age of French TV

Remember Souris Noire? That low-key, moody French kids’ series from the late 80s on FR3, where each episode felt like a short film noir adapted for junior detectives. Goosebumps before Goosebumps. X-Files for pre-teens. And among its weirdest, most unforgettable titles: The Crime of Cornin Bouchon.

Aired in 1987, this strange and evocative story became a cult episode — not because of jumpscares, but because of its uncanny tone. It’s narrated like a memoir, filmed like a dream, and written like a forgotten noir novella. One kid investigates. A name disappears. Whispers echo in the stairwells. And nothing feels safe.

Souris Noire never talked down to kids. It trusted them to handle ambiguity, discomfort, and real emotion. The music was minimalist, the dialogue sparse, and the vibe? Darkly poetic.

In The Crime of Cornin Bouchon, you don’t get clear answers. You get unease. An urban legend in slow motion. And somehow, that made it even more unforgettable.

Now largely forgotten by mainstream media, Souris Noire lives on in nostalgia blogs, rare VHS transfers, and the memories of kids who liked their mysteries a little too real.