However, joking aside, happily none of this constant imbibing leads to Maigret being a drunken detective – if anything, it all sharpens his brain. He is shown as doggedly persistent, worrying away at small clues until by sheer force of will he squeezes their meaning from them. The first thing he has to do in this case is establish that there has actually been a murder, and Ernestine helps by explaining how Freddie selects the houses he burgles. Even with this information, Maigret can find no victim and eventually begins to suspect that Ernestine is lying, or at least mistaken. But then he comes across a small inconsistency in the story of one of the people he has interviewed, and from there on it becomes a matter of breaking his suspect down through some pretty dodgy interviewing techniques – he's not averse to a bit of mild psychological torture to achieve his ends. The eventual solution is not quite as straightforward as it seems as if it's going to be, though, and along the way Simenon creates a chilling atmosphere of evil at work, and family dynamics gone horribly wrong. Granada Television produced an adaptation of Maigret for ITV in 1992 and 1993 in which Michael Gambon starred as Maigret; there were 12 adaptations in the two series. An earlier version, Maigret (1988) on ITV cast Richard Harris in the lead role. Maigret is a British television series that ran on ITV for twelve episodes in 1992 and 1993. [2] It is an adaptation of the books by Georges Simenon featuring his fictional French detective Jules Maigret. [3] It aired in the United States on Mystery!. [4] Production [ edit ] László Marton's sculpture in Budapest, Little Princess, appears in the opening episode of Maigret, a nod to the filming location In 1990-1991, abridgments of some of the novels (including "Madame Maigret's Case," "Maigret and the Tavern by the Seine," and "Maigret in Montmartre") were serialized in daily one-minute installments on WNCN, a classical music station in New York City. They were read every night at midnight in a radio program called the " H.B.J. Midnight Murder Mystery Minute." [29] Comics [ edit ] Please notify me of any corrections or additions. If you have a copy of one of the missing ones, or a nice copy of one of the ones I show in poor condition, which you'd like to sell, or which you can send a scan of, please let me know.

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. Sad Freddie is a habitual burglar who finds a corpse while attempting to steal from her house. His wife Ernestine was a prostitute in her younger days and knows Maigret. Stuart Radmore has located another copy of Maigret Afraid (1965 - C2250), apparently identical in all other respects, but with a cover price of 5/6.

Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires intimes (1981). Between 1931 and 1972, 75 novels [3] and 28 short stories [4] about Maigret were published, starting with Pietr-le-Letton (" The Strange Case of Peter the Lett") and concluding with Maigret et Monsieur Charles (" Maigret and Monsieur Charles"). With the creation of Maigret, Simenon renewed the detective novel genre. The novels and stories have been translated into more than 50 languages. [4] The Maigret stories have also received numerous film, television and radio adaptations. Penguin Books published new translations of 75 books in the series over as many months; [3] the project was begun in November 2013 by translators David Bellos, Anthea Bell, and Ros Schwartz. [5] Character [ edit ] Creation [ edit ] Marcel Guillaume [ fr], a celebrated French police commissioner, pictured giving evidence in 1932. He has been seen as a possible inspiration for Maigret. Simenon a brilliant Belgian writer, born in Liege [which is a proverbial stone throw away from where I live in the South of the Netherlands], is probably best known for his series about Maigret the French policeman. The pace in these books are never much higher than pedestrian, but they are full of characters that are fleshed out and recognizable. The Maigret stories are in general very good drawings of situations that went wrong and needs a policeman to bring the truth to the light.

Ahhh, one of the finest mystery writers to have ever lived. Not to mention one of the finest detectives as well.proof edition given to Penguin employees at a conference in February 2013. It was too early for one of the new covers. The same ( 2006 Red Classics) Linda Asher translation was used for the new edition. (see: archive 17) The title role in the 1960s British Maigret TV series was played by the actor Rupert Davies, who made his debut on 31 October 1960. Davies took over the part after Basil Sydney, who appeared as Maigret in the original transmitted pilot, proved unavailable owing to ill-health. Davies went on to star in 52 adaptations for BBC TV in that decade. His portrayal won two of the highest accolades: his versions were dubbed into French and played across the Channel; and Simenon himself said of Davies "At last, I have found the perfect Maigret!" [23] The theme tune to the TV series, "Midnight in Montmartre", was composed by Ron Grainer. [24] Kees Brusse and Jan Teulings also portrayed the character in separate Dutch adaptations produced around the same time. On Sunday, February 9, 1969, BBC One London aired Maigret at Bay as part of its series BBC Play of the Month. [8] 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. [9] Episodes [ edit ]