Maigret: The Complete Series

Product Information

lambasts the first 6 episodes of the Gambon Maigrets, but praises the other 6, all done with heavy doses of pretentious name-dropping. The various events are supposed to take place in post-war France during the 1950s and 1960s, but they are actually filmed between the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. Many respected thespians pass through: Peter Blythe, Edward Petherbridge, Betty Marsden, Toyah Wilcox, Anne Todd - yes, that Anne Todd. This would have given more time for the development of the characters (we need to know their motivations for Simenon's stories to work) and the atmosphere in which Maigret has to work.

International film star Bruno Cremer ( The Octopus, Sorcerer) is unsurpassed as Georges Simenon's beloved Parisian Inspector in this long-running French series based on the bestselling novels. minutes) Commentators include Rowen Atkinson (plays Maigret), Ashley Pearce (director episode 1), Shawn Dingwall (plays Inspector Junvier), Leo Staar (plays Inspector LaPointe), John Simenon (producer, son of author George Simenon), Dominic Hyman (production designer) and Ulrike Munch (editor episode 1). The static, dull scripts become exciting, full of beautiful location scenes, and free of the boring expositional dialogue. I thought this was a good show to watch with subtitles to catch the French personal and place names.The pragmatic, reserved and refined Maigret investigates murders in his singular unhurried manner and inevitably discovers the truth. The adapters do Simenon a great disservice by stripping his novels down to their bear essentials and turning them into straightforward detective stories robbing them of their unique, psychological complexity. Michael Gambon is great as Inspector Maigret, and his subordinates and the bad guys are all great characters as well. In short, there was no laptops at the time and Crémer had established his base camp at my neighbor for the practical side, I saw him 1 or 2 times come back and go out in the garden with his famous pipe in hand.

I think the Atkinson version was just awful, though it gets points for possibly bringing new readers to a terrific author. People are critical of this saying it is a British version of a French tale,fair comment but it is a well written and well cast and watching makes me want to win the lottery and move to Paris. It doesn't help that the guest cast is mainly comprised of B-list supporting players who presumably are cheap to hire and willing to fly out to Budapest for a week. It is also possible to watch the Cremer Maigret's over and over, picking out new clues and details, but there is no such depth to Gambon's Maigret. If you love classic film, Masterpiece theater, and generally watch British humor or mysteries on PBS, you have to look for MhZ International programs and find this.Meanwhile, a plump little man in a tan raincoat and black Homburg runs scared through the Paris streets. International film star Bruno Cremer (The Octopus, Sorcerer) is unsurpassed as Georges Simenon's beloved Parisian Inspector in this long-running French series based on the bestselling novels. The Bruno Cremer Maigret series is excellent, because it is in French with English subtitles, which I don't mind. Having read most of the short and long Maigret stories and seen a number of Bruno Cremer's version (French with subtitles), I had looked forward to this version if only because it did not require me to read subtitles. The storylines feature, amongst others, a burglar who discovers a murder while robbing a house, an exotic dancer who is murdered after tipping off police and the mysterious disappearance of a diamond merchant.

Sporting his pipe that seems a nod to Sherlock Holmes, the pragmatic and refined Maigret investigates murders in his singular unhurried manner and inevitably discovers the truth. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. However, it is cinematographer Elemér Ragályi who nails the final coffin into the visual identity of the first season with his ugly, overlit and frequently blown-out photography. Read more about the condition New: An item that is still in its original shrink wrap from the manufacturer and the original manufacturer’s seal (if applicable) has not been removed. Maigret TV Series 1960–1963: starring Rupert Davies, as the most lauded definitive Maigret, in 52 episodes; Davies's celebrated BAFTA-winning portrayal won the approval of the author; Simenon himself said of Davies, "At last, I have found the perfect Maigret!R. Atkinson playing Maigret, in the most recent series, would be my second choice, very close to Bruno Cremer, as a very good interpreter of the role. To crack his cases he peels back the veneer of seemingly idyllic villages and neighborhoods, exposing the criminals who lurk in all levels of society.

This as much a review of a review, than the series, as I've just read the earlier reviews and must correct the outpouring of pretentious nonsense from 'mdjedovic'. The problem with the many reviews is that they are not sorted as to the major DVD TV Series year and Star. Cremer's Maigret is taciturn and intense, preferring to wait silently while people reveal themselves, riding his men hard at times, especially the often incompetent officers he encounters outside of Paris; and his Paris (Prague) is always gray or pitch black, dark wet streets, his pipe glowing.

However, I didn't realise that it could not be played on my DVD player, which is not compatible PAL. Simenon's brilliant stories come to life through remarkable scripts, actors and locals; truly mysterious and convincing; holding your interest without pause. What makes the show hilarious is that he is the only one in each series who has any wisdom whatsoever.