Maigret (1960 TV series)

British TV drama series (1959–1963)

Maigret

Genre| Crime drama
Created by| Georges Simenon
Written by| Giles Cooper (19 episodes) and 9 others
Starring|

* Rupert Davies
* Ewen Solon
* Neville Jason
* Helen Shingler

Theme music composer| Ron Grainer
Opening theme| The Maigret Theme
Country of origin| United Kingdom
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 4
No. of episodes| 52,[1] (plus a pilot episode in 1959)
Production
Executive producer| Andrew Osborn
Running time| 50 minutes [1]
Production company| BBC
Original release
Network| BBC TV
Release| 1960 (1960) –
1963 (1963)

Maigret is a British television series made by the BBC and which – following a pilot episode broadcast in 1959 – ran for 52 episodes from 1960 to 1963. [1]

Based on the Maigret stories of Georges Simenon, the series starred Rupert Davies in the title role.

Unlike most BBC series produced in the 1960s, all episodes (bar the pilot) have survived intact, and are available as a complete set on DVD and Blu-ray.

In 2022 the series was broadcast by UK television channel Talking Pictures TV.

## Cast

[edit]

### Main

[edit]

* Rupert Davies as Police Judiciaire detective Commissaire Jules Maigret [1]
* Ewen Solon as Lucas [1]
* Neville Jason as Lapointe [1]
* Victor Lucas as Torrence
* Helen Shingler as Madame Maigret

### Guests

[edit]

* Stratford Johns
* Leon Cortez as Lapie
* Terence Alexander
* Roger Delgado
* William Franklyn
* John Carson
* Michael Goodliffe as Dr Javet
* Barry Foster
* Paul Eddington as Harry Brown
* Warren Mitchell as Aristide
* Patrick Troughton as Gaston Meurant
* Peter Barkworth as Sergeant
* Penny Morrell
* Magda Miller
* Peter Blythe
* Redmond Phillips
* Peter Sallis
* Derek Benfield[2]

Rupert Davies took up the role as the Police Judiciaire detective Commissaire Jules Maigret in 1960, after Basil Sydney, who had played Maigret in the pilot episode, was unable to continue. [1]

Although staying largely true to the storyline of the books, the series featured only three of Maigret's team of detectives (the "faithful four"[3]), omitting any casting for Janvier, although the character is mentioned in several episodes.

Rupert Davies

The choice of Davies to play Maigret was enthusiastically approved by Simenon himself. Remembering the role in a 1964 interview Davies said "When Andrew Osborn, the producer of the show, offered me the part on Good Friday in 1960, I knew very little about Maigret. I knew he was a famous French fictional detective, but that was all." Rather than read the books to get the feel for the character, Davies thought it would be better to meet Maigret's creator and hear from him how he saw the character. The BBC agreed and a meeting was arranged between Davies and Simenon in Lausanne.[4]

"The moment Simenon saw me he shouted: "C'est Maigret, c'est Maigret. You are the flesh and bones of Maigret!" Davies later remembered. "That was a wonderful beginning. Then he drove us to his lovely château in the village of Échandens, where I met his wife. Later he began to coach me in Maigret's idiosyncrasies."[4]

Simenon himself said of Davies "At last, I have found the perfect Maigret!"[5]

## Production

[edit]

The series was written by a set of ten writers, each contributing individual episodes; the most prolific being Giles Cooper, credited with nineteen episodes, and Roger East, with twelve.

Directing was similarly shared by sixteen directors, with Gerard Glaister and Terence Williams responsible for eight each, Andrew Osborn seven, and Eric Tayler six. Each episode was shot in black-and-white and lasted 50 minutes, and (as it was made for the BBC) was intended to be screened without commercial breaks. It was shot mainly in studio, though many of the exteriors were filmed on location in Paris. Interior set designer Eileen Diss spent months scouring France for French items to be used on set, including furniture, ornaments, posters, and cigarette packets; she noted in a 1961 interview that, "Half these things may never be in sharp focus on the screen. But when in a close-up you see a terribly French door-knob behind someone's left ear, it does make just that much extra difference."[6]

Series costar Ewen Solon broke his leg in a stunt while jumping from a wall. Subsequent scripts had to be rewritten to account for the obvious damage which could not be hidden or shot around.[7]

Theme music and various incidental music was composed by Ron Grainer[8] for which he won an Ivor Novello award.[8] Apart from the pilot, all 52 episodes remain within the BBC's archives.[9]

On Sunday, February 9, 1969, BBC One London aired Maigret at Bay as part of its series BBC Play of the Month.[10] This feature-length movie was based on the 1964 novel Maigret Defends Himself (Maigret se défend), and featured Rupert Davies, Helen Shingler, and Neville Jason reprising their series roles of Commissaire Maigret, Madame Maigret, and Lapointe, respectively.[11]

## Episodes

[edit]

(with dates of first broadcast on BBC TV)

Pilot episode

Title  | First shown  | Based on  | Notes[12]
Maigret and the Lost Life | 12 April 1959 | Inspector Maigret and the Dead Girl
Maigret et la Jeune Morte | 1954 novel: Starring Basil Sydney as Maigret
Series 1
Title  | First shown  | Based on  | Notes[13]
Murder in Montmartre | 31 October 1960 | Inspector Maigret and the Strangled Stripper
Maigret au « Picratt's » | 1951 novel: Rupert Davies takes over as Maigret
Unscheduled Departure | 7 November 1960 | Maigret Has Scruples
Les Scrupules de Maigret | 1958 novel
The Burglar's Wife | 14 November 1960 | Maigret and the Burglar's Wife
Maigret et la Grande Perche | 1951 novel
The Revolver | 21 November 1960 | Maigret's Revolver
Le Revolver de Maigret | 1952 novel
The Old Lady | 28 November 1960 | Maigret and the Old Lady
Maigret et la Vieille Dame | 1950 novel
Liberty Bar | 5 December 1960 | Liberty Bar
Liberty Bar | 1932 novel
A Man of Quality | 12 December 1960 | The Death of Monsieur Gallet
Monsieur Gallet, décédé | 1931 novel
My Friend the Inspector | 19 December 1960 | My Friend Maigret
Mon ami Maigret | 1949 novel
The Mistake | 26 December 1960 | Maigret's Mistake
Maigret se trompe | 1953 novel
On Holiday | 2 January 1961 | A Summer Holiday
Les Vacances de Maigret | 1948 novel
The Experts | 9 January 1961 | Inspector Maigret and the Killers
Maigret, Lognon, et les Gangsters | 1952 novel
The Cactus | 16 January 1961 | Maigret Takes a Room
Maigret en meublé | 1951 novel
The Children's Party | 23 January 1961 | The Crime of Inspector Maigret
Le Pendu de Saint-Pholien | 1931 novel
Series 2
Title  | First shown  | Based on  | Notes[13]
Shadow Play | 23 October 1961 | The Shadow in the Courtyard
L'Ombre chinoise | 1932 novel
The Simple Case | 30 October 1961 | Maigret and the Headless Corpse
Maigret et le Corps sans tête | 1955 novel
Death of a Butcher | 6 November 1961 | Maigret's Failure
Un échec de Maigret | 1956 novel
The Winning Ticket | 13 November 1961 | Maigret's Dead Man
Maigret et son mort | 1948 novel
Inspector Lognon's Triumph | 20 November 1961 | Maigret and the Surly Inspector
Maigret et l'Inspecteur malgracieux | 1946 short story
The Lost Sailor | 27 November 1961 | Death of a Harbour Master
Le Port des brumes | 1932 novel
The Golden Fleece | 4 December 1961 | The Lock at Charenton
L'Écluse No 1 | 1933 novel
Raise Your Right Hand | 11 December 1961 | Maigret in Court
Maigret aux assises | 1960 novel
The Liars | 18 December 1961 | Maigret Goes to School
Maigret à l'école | 1954 novel
A Crime for Christmas | 26 December 1961 | Maigret's Christmas
Un Noël de Maigret | 1950 short story
The Reluctant Witnesses | 1 January 1962 | Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
Maigret et les Témoins récalcitrants | 1959 novel
The White Hat | 8 January 1962 | Madame Maigret's Own Case
L'Amie de madame Maigret | 1950 novel
Murder on Monday | 15 January 1962 | Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard
Maigret et l'Homme du banc | 1953 novel
Series 3
Title  | First shown  | Based on  | Notes[13]
Voices from the Past | 24 September 1962 | Maigret in Society
Maigret et les Vieillards | 1960 novel
The Madman of Vervac | 1 October 1962 | The Madman of Bergerac
Le Fou de Bergerac | 1932 novel
The Countess | 8 October 1962 | Maigret and the Countess
L'Affaire Saint-Fiacre | 1932 novel
The Wedding Guest | 15 October 1962 | Guinguette by the Seine
Guingette à deux sous | 1931 novel
High Politics | 22 October 1962 | Maigret and the Minister
Maigret chez le ministre | 1954 novel
Love from Felicie | 29 October 1962 | Maigret and the Toy Village
Félicie est là | 1944 novel
The Dirty House | 5 November 1962 | Maigret in Retirement
Maigret se fâche | 1947 novel
The Crystal Ball | 12 November 1962 | To Any Lengths
Signé Picpus | 1944 novel
The Crooked Castle | 19 November 1962 | Maigret at the Crossroads
La Nuit du carrefour | 1931 novel
Death in Mind | 26 November 1962 | A Battle of Nerves
La Tête d'un homme | 1931 novel
Seven Little Crosses | 3 December 1962 | Sept Petites Croix dans un Carnet | A non-Maigret short story included in the 1951 collection Maigret's Christmas (Un Noël de Maigret)
The Trap | 10 December 1962 | Maigret Sets a Trap
Maigret tend un piège | 1955 novel
The Amateurs | 17 December 1962 | Maigret and the Lazy Burglar
Maigret et le Voleur paresseux | 1961 novel
Series 4
Title  | First shown  | Based on  | Notes[13]
Poor Cecile | 1 October 1963 | Maigret and the Spinster
Cécile est morte | 1940 novel
The Fontenay Murders | 8 October 1963 | Maigret Afraid
Maigret a peur | 1953 novel
The Lost Life | 15 October 1963 | Maigret and the Dead Girl
Maigret et la Jeune Morte | 1954 novel: (remake of 1959 pilot)
The Cellars of the Majestic | 22 October 1963 | Maigret and the Hotel Majestic
Les Caves du Majestic | 1939 novel
A Man Condemned | 29 October 1963 | Maigret has Doubts
Une confidence de Maigret | 1959 novel
The Flemish Shop | 5 November 1963 | The Flemish Shop
Chez les Flamands | 1932 novel
A Taste of Power | 12 November 1963 | Maigret's First Case
La Première Enquête de Maigret, 1913 | 1949 novel
The Log of the Cap Fagnet | 19 November 1963 | The Sailors' Rendezvous
Au rendez-vous des Terre-Neuvas | 1931 novel
The Judge's House | 26 November 1963 | Maigret in Exile
La Maison du juge | 1940 novel
Another World | 3 December 1963 | Maigret and the Millionaires
Maigret voyage | 1957 novel
The Crime at Lock 14 | 10 December 1963 | The Crime at Lock 14
Le Charretier de la Providence | 1931 novel
Peter the Lett | 17 December 1963 | The Strange Case of Peter the Lett
Pietr-le-Letton | 1931 novel
Maigret's Little Joke | 24 December 1963 | Maigret's Little Joke
Maigret s'amuse | 1957 novel

## Home media

[edit]

In May 2021, Network Distributing announced the Blu-Ray release of the series (to be released August 2021), with a DVD release soon to follow.[14]

The DVD set of 14 discs does not include the booklet found in the Blu-Ray edition. Sleeve notes inform that the series has been "remastered from original film elements", most likely meaning Kinescope films as distributed world-wide, "original fullscreen TV format".

In 2023, Kino Lorber released the series on Blu-Ray for Region A.[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Pitts 2004.
2. ^ "Maigret (1959-1963)".
3. ^ Maigret's faithful four at trussel.com; retrieved 17 May 2016
4. ^ a b Maigret (1960) on Television Heaven
5. ^ Winn 2009.
6. ^ Kerridge, Jake (15 August 2021). "Rescued from obscurity: one of TV's greatest ever detective series". Retrieved 23 December 2023.
7. ^ Wise, Arthur (1973). Stunting in the Cinema. London: Constable. p. 205\. ISBN 0-09-459090-7.
8. ^ a b "Ron Grainer". BBC. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
9. ^ "Maigret at lostshows.com".
10. ^ "Maigret at Bay". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 9 February 1969.
11. ^ "Maigret: Classic Mystery Series Starring Rupert Davies Now Available for Streaming". The British TV Place. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
12. ^ Basil Sydney at trussel.com; retrieved 15 May 2016
13. ^ a b c d Rupert Davies at trussel.com; retrieved 15 May 2016
14. ^ "Maigret: The Complete Series [DELUXE LIMITED EDITION] SOLD OUT".
15. ^ Galbraith IV, Stuart (9 March 2023). "Maiget: Season 1 (Blu-Ray Review)". The Digital Bits. Retrieved 26 December 2023.

## Sources

[edit]

* Pitts, Michael R (2004). Famous Movie Detectives III. Scarecrow. p. 89\. ISBN 978-0810836907.
* Winn, Christopher (2009). I Never Knew That About Wales. Random House. p. 39\. ISBN 978-1407028231.

## External links

[edit]

* Maigret (1960–1963) at IMDb
* Maigret on Whirligig
* Maigret fansite
* Maigret on Television Heaven
* Georges Simenon novels (French Wikipedia)

* v
* t
* e

Georges Simenon's Maigret

Novels|

* The Strange Case of Peter the Lett
* The Crime at Lock 14
* The Death of Monsieur Gallet
* The Crime of Inspector Maigret
* A Battle of Nerves
* Maigret and the Yellow Dog
* Maigret at the Crossroads
* Maigret in Holland
* The Sailors' Rendezvous
* Maigret at the Gai-Moulin
* Guinguette by the Seine
* The Shadow in the Courtyard
* Maigret Goes Home
* The Flemish Shop
* Death of a Harbour Master
* The Madman of Bergerac
* Liberty Bar
* The Lock at Charenton
* Maigret Returns
* Maigret and the Hotel Majestic
* Maigret in Exile
* Maigret and the Spinster
* To Any Lengths
* Maigret and the Toy Village
* Maigret's Rival
* Maigret in Retirement
* Maigret in New York
* A Summer Holiday
* Maigret's Dead Man
* Maigret's First Case
* My Friend Maigret
* Maigret and the Coroner
* Maigret and the Old Lady
* Madame Maigret's Own Case
* Maigret's Memoirs
* Inspector Maigret and the Strangled Stripper
* Maigret Takes a Room
* Maigret and the Burglar's Wife
* Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters
* Maigret's Revolver
* Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard
* Maigret Afraid
* Maigret's Mistake
* Maigret Goes to School
* Inspector Maigret and the Dead Girl
* Maigret and the Minister
* Maigret and the Headless Corpse
* Maigret Sets a Trap
* Maigret's Failure
* Maigret's Little Joke
* Maigret and the Millionaires
* Maigret Has Scruples
* Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
* Maigret Has Doubts
* Maigret in Court
* Maigret in Society
* Maigret and the Lazy Burglar
* Maigret and the Black Sheep
* Maigret and the Saturday Caller
* Maigret and the Dosser
* Maigret Loses His Temper
* Maigret and the Ghost
* Maigret on the Defensive
* The Patience of Maigret
* Maigret and the Nahour Case
* Maigret's Pickpocket
* Maigret in Vichy
* Maigret Hesitates
* Maigret's Boyhood Friend
* Maigret and the Killer
* Maigret and the Wine Merchant
* Maigret and the Mad Woman
* Maigret and the Loner
* Maigret and the Flea
* Maigret and Monsieur Charles

Short stories|

* The Barge with Two Hanging Bodies
* The Affair of the Boulevard Beaumarchais
* The Open Window
* Inspector Maigret Hesitates
* Jeumont, 51 Minutes' Wait!
* Inspector Maigret's War of Nerves
* Journey into Time
* Rue Pigalle
* The Stronger Vessel
* The Old Lady of Bayeux
* The Inn of the Drowned
* Stan the Killer
* At the Étoile du Nord
* Storm in the Channel
* Maigret and the Frightened Dressmaker
* Inspector Maigret and the Missing Miniatures
* The Unlikely M. Owen
* The Group at the Grand Café
* The Man on the Run
* Under the Hammer
* Death Threats
* Maigret's Pipe
* Not the Sort to Get Murdered
* Elusive Witness
* The Most Obstinate Man in Paris
* Maigret and the Surly Inspector
* Maigret's Christmas

Film adaptations|

* Night at the Crossroads (1932)
* The Yellow Dog (1932)
* A Man's Neck (1933)
* Picpus (1943)
* Cecile Is Dead (1944)
* Majestic Hotel Cellars (1945)
* The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1950)
* Maigret Sets a Trap (1958)
* Maigret et l'Affaire Saint-Fiacre (1959)
* Maigret Sees Red (1963)
* Maigret and His Greatest Case (1966)
* Maigret (2022)

Television adaptations|

* 1960 TV series
* Italian TV series
* 1988 TV film
* 1991 TV series
* 1992 TV series
* 2016 TV series

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