Maigret (1960 TV series)
| Maigret | |
|---|---|
_titlecard.jpg) | |
| 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(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 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
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 in the title role.
Cast
The series starred Rupert Davies as the Sûreté detective Commissaire Jules Maigret, who took up the role in 1960 after Basil Sydney, who had played Maigret in the pilot episode, was unable to continue.[1]
The main cast were:-
- Ewen Solon as Lucas
- Neville Jason as Lapointe
- Victor Lucas as Torrence
- Helen Shingler as Madame Maigret
Episodes included such well-known faces as Stratford Johns, Terence Alexander, Roger Delgado, William Franklyn, Michael Goodliffe, and Barry Foster, among others.[2]
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.
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 Enchandens, where I met his wife. Later he began to coach me in Maigret's idiosyncrasies."[4]
Production
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.[2]
Directing was similarly shared by sixteen directors, with Gerard Glaister and Terence Williams responsible for eight each, Andrew Osborn seven, and Eric Taylor six.[2] 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.
The haunting theme music was composed by Ron Grainer.[2] Apart from the pilot, all 52 episodes still reside within the BBC's archives.[5]
Episodes
(with dates of first broadcast on BBC TV)
Pilot episode
| Title | First shown | Based on | Notes[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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[7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder in Montmarte | 31 October 1960 | Inspector Maigret and the Strangled Stripper (Maigret au Picratts) | 1950 novel: Rupert Davies takes over as Maigret |
| Unscheduled Departure | 7 November 1960 | Maigret Has Scruples (Les scrupules de Maigret) | 1957 novel |
| The Burglar's Wife | 14 November 1960 | Maigret and the Burglar's Wife (Maigret et le grand 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 (M. Gallett 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) | 1947 novel |
| The Experts | 9 January 1961 | Inspector Maigret and the Killers (Maigret, Lognon, et les gangsters) | 1951 novel |
| The Cactus | 16 January 1961 | Maigret Takes a Room (Maigret en meuble) | 1951 novel |
| The Children's Party | 23 January 1961 | The Crime of Inspector Maigret (Le pendu de St Pholien) | 1931 novel |
Series 2
| Title | First shown | Based on | Notes[7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 echecs 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) | 1959 novel |
| The Liars | 18 December 1961 | Maigret Goes to School (Maigret a l'école) | 1953 novel |
| A Crime for Christmas | 25 December 1961 | Maigret's Christmas (Un Noël de Maigret) | 1960 short story |
| The Reluctant Witnesses | 1 January 1962 | Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses (Maigret et le temoins recalcitrants) | 1958 novel |
| The White Hat | 8 January 1962 | Madame Maigret's Own Case (L'Aime de Mme. Maigret) | 1949 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[7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voices from the Past | 24 September 1962 | Maigret in Society (Maigret et les veillards) | 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 St 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 (Felice et là) | 1944 novel |
| The Dirty House | 5 November 1962 | Maigret in Retirement (Maigret se fâche) | 1945 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 | ? | ?Original teleplay |
| 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 (Le voleur paressage) | 1961 novel |
Series 4
| Title | First shown | Based on | Notes[7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poor Cecile! | 1 October 1963 | Maigret and the Spinster (Cécile est morte) | 1942 novel |
| The Fontonay Murders | 8 October 1963 | Maigret Afraid (Maigret a peur) | 1953 novel |
| The Lost Life | 15 October 1963 | Maigret and the Dead Girl (Maigret a jeune mort) | 1954 novel: (remake of 1959 pilot) |
| The Cellars of the Majestic | 22 October 1963 | Maigret and the Hotel Majestic (Les caves du Majestic) | 1942 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 Flamand) | 1932 novel |
| A Taste of Power | 12 November 1963 | Maigret's First Case (La première enquête de Maigret, 1913) | 1948 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 (Le 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) | 1956 novel |
References
- ↑ Rupert Davies at trussell.com; retrieved 17 May 2016
- 1 2 3 4 Maigret: full cast and crew at IMDb; retrieved 17 May 2016
- ↑ Maigret's faithful four at trussel.com; retrieved 17 May 2016
- 1 2 Maigret (1960) on Television Heaven
- ↑ "Maigret at lostshows.com".
- ↑ Basil Sydney at trussel.com; retrieved 15 May 2016
- 1 2 3 4 Rupert Davies at trussel.com; retrieved 15 May 2016
External links
- Maigret on the Internet Movie Database
- Maigret on Whirligig
- Maigret fansite
- Maigret on Television Heaven
- Georges Simenon novels (French Wikipedia)