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Maigret (1960 TV series)

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Maigret
Series titles against a brickwall
GenreCrime drama
Created byGeorges Simenon
Written byGiles Cooper (19 episodes) and 9 others
Starring
Theme music composerRon Grainer
Opening themeThe Maigret Theme
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes52,[1] (plus a pilot episode in 1959)
Production
Executive producerAndrew Osborn
Running time50 minutes [1]
Production companyBBC
Original release
NetworkBBC TV
Release1960 (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

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Main

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Guests

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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

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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

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(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

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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

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  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

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