Maigret (1960 TV series)

Maigret
Series titles against a brickwall
Genre Crime drama
Created by Georges Simenon
Written by Georges Simenon 12 episodes, 1960–1961)
Giles Cooper (7 episodes, 1960–1961)
Margot Bennett (5 episodes, 1960–1962)
Roger East (5 episodes, 1960–1962)
Donald Bull (2 episodes, 1962–1963)
Elaine Morgan (2 episodes, 1963)
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(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 52 (plus a pilot episode in 1959)
Production
Executive producer(s) Andrew Osborn
Running time 50 minutes
Production company(s) BBC
Release
Original network BBC One
Picture format 1.33 : 1 Black & white
First shown in 1960
Original release 1960 – 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.

Based on the Maigret stories of Georges Simenon, the series starred Rupert Davies as the Sûreté detective Commissaire Jules Maigret, and featured Ewen Solon as Lucas, Helen Shingler as Madame Maigret and Neville Jason as Lapointe.[1]

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.[2]

"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 Enchandens, where I met his wife. Later he began to coach me in Maigret's idiosyncrasies."[2]

The haunting theme music was composed by Ron Grainer.[1] Apart from the pilot, all 52 episodes still reside within the BBC's archives.[3]

Episodes

(with dates of first broadcast on BBC TV)

Pilot episode

  1. Maigret and the Lost Life (12 April 1959) (Starring Basil Sydney as Maigret)

Series 1

  1. Murder in Montmarte (31 October 1960) (Rupert Davies takes over as Maigret)
  2. Unscheduled Departure (7 November 1960)
  3. The Burglar's Wife (14 November 1960)
  4. The Revolver (21 November 1960)
  5. The Old Lady (28 November 1960)
  6. Liberty Bar (5 December 1960)
  7. A Man of Quality (12 December 1960)
  8. My Friend the Inspector (19 December 1960)
  9. The Mistake (26 December 1960)
  10. On Holiday (2 January 1961)
  11. The Experts (9 January 1961)
  12. The Cactus (16 January 1961)
  13. The Children's Party (23 January 1961)

Series 2

  1. Shadow Play (23 October 1961)
  2. The Simple Case (30 October 1961)
  3. Death of a Butcher (6 November 1961)
  4. The Winning Ticket (13 November 1961)
  5. Inspector Lognon's Triumph (20 November 1961)
  6. The Lost Sailor (27 November 1961)
  7. The Golden Fleece (4 December 1961)
  8. Raise Your Right Hand (11 December 1961)
  9. The Liars (18 December 1961)
  10. A Crime for Christmas (25 December 1961)
  11. The Reluctant Witnesses (1 January 1962)
  12. The White Hat (8 January 1962)
  13. Murder on Monday (15 January 1962)

Series 3

  1. Voices from the Past (24 September 1962)
  2. The Madman of Vervac (1 October 1962)
  3. The Countess (8 October 1962)
  4. The Wedding Guest (15 October 1962)
  5. High Politics (22 October 1962)
  6. Love from Felicie (29 October 1962)
  7. The Dirty House (5 November 1962)
  8. The Crystal Ball (12 November 1962)
  9. The Crooked Castle (19 November 1962)
  10. Death in Mind (26 November 1962)
  11. Seven Little Crosses (3 December 1962)
  12. The Trap (10 December 1962)
  13. The Amateurs (17 December 1962)

Series 4

  1. Poor Cecile! (1 October 1963)
  2. The Fontonay Murders (8 October 1963)
  3. The Lost Life (15 October 1963)
  4. The Cellars of the Majestic (22 October 1963)
  5. A Man Condemned (29 October 1963)
  6. The Flemish Shop (5 November 1963)
  7. A Taste of Power (12 November 1963)
  8. The Log of the Cap Fagnet (19 November 1963)
  9. The Judge's House (26 November 1963)
  10. Another World (3 December 1963)
  11. The Crime at Lock 14 (10 December 1963)
  12. Peter the Lett (17 December 1963)
  13. Maigret's Little Joke (24 December 1963)

References

  1. 1 2 Maigret (1959–1963) at IMDb
  2. 1 2 Maigret (1960) on Television Heaven
  3. ↑ "Maigret at lostshows.com".

External links

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