Montreal: The lovable rogues are back. Les Bougon, the hit series about an irreverent clan who milk Quebec’s social assistance programs, started shooting its second season on April 19. Directed by Daniel Grou, Les Bougon is the creation of writers Francois Avard and Jean-Francois Mercier. It’s from producers Fabienne Larouche and Michel Trudeau at Aetios Productions, in conjunction with Radio-Canada and Telefilm Canada.

The series was a runaway success with Quebecers last season generating an average weekly audience of nearly 2 million viewers.

Season two’s 96-day shoot, filmed primarily in an apartment in Montreal, continues where the first season left off, with the Bougons refusing to adopt a work ethic.

‘But they don’t buck – or bilk – the system as much as in the first season,’ reveals Avard. ‘That would be too repetitive. Instead, we see the characters interacting with the system more, being victimized – persecuted by the system and eventually winning. The daughter, a prostitute, hits rock bottom with drugs and sex addiction for the first 12 episodes.’

Les Bougon II is shooting 24 half-hour episodes, up from 13 last season, with a budget of $375,000 per ep. Yves Belanger is DOP and Andre Guimond is the art director responsible for the show’s thrift-store authenticity.

Star players include Remy Girard (The Barbarian Invasions, Seraphin) as Paul Bougon and Louison Danis (24 Portraits) as his wife, Rita. Other family members are played by Antoine Bertrand, Helene Bourgeois Leclerc, Rosalee Jacques, Claude Laroche and Pierre Ebert.