Watch Out 1

Out 1 is a French television miniseries from 1971, created by filmmaker Jacques Rivette and legendary French New Wave screenwriter Jean-François Stévenin. Comprising thirteen episodes, each running around 90 minutes long, the show is famous for its sprawling, labyrinthine plot, sprawling cast of characters and intricate interconnections between their stories.

The basic premise of Out 1 is a group of actors in Paris who form a secret society called the Thirteen, whose members are committed to exploring and investigating themselves and each other in pursuit of some undefined and perhaps unattainable truth. The Thirteen is led by two enigmatic figures, Lili and Thomas, who seem to have a kind of privileged status within the group. Each member is assigned a series of cryptic tasks and challenges that seem designed to push them to their limits, both mentally and emotionally.

Meanwhile, two of the Thirteen's members, Colin and Frédérique, start investigating a mysterious letter that they receive, which seems to point to some kind of conspiracy involving their fellow actors. As they delve deeper into the mystery, they encounter a number of other characters who are connected in various ways to the Thirteen and their activities, including a homeless man, a musician, a deaf-mute, and a philosophy professor.

Despite its sprawling and complex narrative, however, Out 1 is not so much a traditional "mystery" in the sense of trying to uncover some kind of answer or solution to a puzzle, but rather a meditation on the nature of human relationships, communication, and the search for meaning. The show is more interested in exploring the individual experiences and emotions of its characters than in providing a neat and tidy resolution to its various plot threads.

Perhaps the most notable thing about Out 1, aside from its length and complexity, is the way it was made. Rivette and Stévenin co-wrote the script, but much of the dialogue and improvisation was devised by the actors themselves, who often had little idea what was going on in the story at any given moment. The production was also shot in a highly unconventional way, with a small crew working with handheld cameras and natural lighting in real-world locations, giving the show a kind of rough, improvisational feel that was very different from the polished, theatrical style of most television dramas of the time.

Despite its experimental nature, Out 1 has developed a cult following over the years, and is now widely regarded as a kind of touchstone of avant-garde filmmaking. It has been praised for its complex, detail-rich storytelling, its innovative approach to performance and improvisation, and its deep insights into the human condition. The show's labyrinthine narrative is famously difficult to follow at times, and even fans of the show often have trouble keeping track of all the different plot threads and characters, but its ability to evoke a sense of mystery and intrigue is unmatched in the history of television.