Amazon.com: An absolute must for fans of Georges Simenon's beloved sleuth, Inspector Jules Maigret, the four-volume Maigret Collection is the finest detective series from Britain's Granada Television since the late Jeremy Brett gave us his definitive portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the 1980s.
Included in this collection are the first 12 episodes from the series, originally broadcast in 1992 and starring the masterful British actor Michael Gambon (now Sir Michael Gambon) as Maigret of the Paris Surete. Among the programs is "Maigret and the Burglar's Wife," which does honor to Simenon's compassionate tale of a retiring thief whose accidental encounter with a corpse sets in motion one of Maigret's most intense psychological duels. The equally compelling "Maigret's Boyhood Friend" finds the detective on a case drawing suspicion to an old school chum, while "Maigret Sets a Trap" is a wonderful production of Simenon's puzzler about a serial killer whose patterns of motivation and action must be deciphered before he can be caught.
Gambon is the latest in a long tradition of familiar leading men (from Jean Gabin to Richard Harris) who have played Simenon's blunt but humane, occasionally whimsical, and magnificently insightful investigator. Yet Gambon is perhaps uniquely suited to the part: a popular star with none of the baggage of a brand-name icon or the self-effacing obligations of a character actor. He captures perfectly Maigret's measured but hardly inscrutable presence in the eruptive underworld of Paris crime. --Tom Keogh
A very enjoyable 12 episodes of the famous Chief Inspector. Jules Maigret, Chief Inspector (Commissaire) of the Paris police department, is the popular creation of the prolific and hugely popular French author, George Simenon (1903-1989). Simenon produced more than close to 200 novels, something like 150 novellas, and other works. Together, these works have global sales of around 550 million copies. Maigret is the subject of 75 of those novels and 28 of the short stories written between 1931 and 1972.
Maigret has been the subject of a number of dramatizations and this 12 episode version was done over two seasons in 1992 and 1993. Michael Gambon, whom I always enjoy, does a fine job in bringing the detective to life. The series seems to place all the stories in a post WWII Paris and other parts of France that still feel the strain of recovery. Now, the stories were written in various decades including before the war. But you know how one must adapt things for a television series. The twelve episodes (and the year the novel was written) are:
Disc One The Patience of Maigret (1965) Maigret and the Burglar's Wife (1951) Miagret Goes to School (1953)
Disc Two Maigret and the Mad Woman (1970) Maigret and the Home Ground (1932) Maigret Sets a Trap (1955)
Disc Three Maigret and the Nightclub Dancer (1950) Maigret on the Defensive (1964) Maigret and the Minister (1954)
Disc Four Maigret and the Hotel Majestic (1942) Maigret's Boyhood Friend (1968) Miagret and the Maid (I could not identify story this episode comes from)
Maigret is a very smart, humane, and effective inspector. He smokes his pipe, enjoys his drinks (particularly hard cider), and food as he works through his cases. Maigret is a very patient man and does things his own way, but not in a way that will lose the support of his very bureaucratic superiors. He understands the politics of the civic bureaucracy, but dislikes it intensely and is usually able to manipulate it effectively. His junior officers are fiercely loyal and also quite effective. They know their jobs and do them with the kind of professional efficiency we admire. Maigret is also fair to the criminals and treats them as people who have made mistakes rather than as evil incarnate. His primary technique for exposing the guilty party is to get them to keep talking, to keep telling falsehoods until they trap themselves. Miagret often shows sincere affection for some of the long time professional criminals who know the rules and do their "jobs" with their kind of professionalism. The inspector even ponders the reality that he likes his gangster he is trying to catch more than the bureaucrat he serves.
Violence is generally shown by its effects and rarely onscreen. When it does occur it is shocking to the characters and their shock effects us even in our violence soaked age. The seediness is also handled rather modestly by today's standards. The atmosphere of the series is the kind of dark and smoky world of detective novels. Remember, these stories are as much about the little things in life, the ambiance of their times, as much as it is about being a detective story. I think the series was filmed in Eastern Europe somewhere.
The cast is very good. You may know Gambon as the Dumbledore who took the role after Richard Harris died. It turns out that Harris had also played his own strange version of Maigret years before Gambon took this turn as the French Detective. Two women, Ciaran Madden and Barbar Flynn, play Maigret's wife and I have no idea why. Both do a good job with a role that helps us understand the personal side of Maigret. She also helps him with his cases at times by considering some of the emotional motivations of those involved.
Terrific, entertaining, and a wonderful break from the silly sex and violence nothings that fill the tube nowadays. Very much recommended.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
This is such an English mystery series! I know. I know. Written in French, location in Paris, but this TV series is definitely English. I still enjoyed it. I read many of the books years ago in English so I can't remember the plots, etc. but this series is good. I'm not even sure the series is true to the books. Still, the locations are attractive (Budapest) and the plots are first rate. Michael Gambon is, as always, wonderful. I cannot get over how very good he is in everything he does. You quickly grow fond of the central characters and they are consistent throughout the series. Not bad, especially for the price. I only paid $45.XX.
The Maigret Collection on DVD Michael Gambon plays Maigret with confidence and, other than all the British accents, looks very much the part. The stories are interesting mysteries and cause much confusion for the players and the viewers. If I could fault anything it would be that, perhaps due to time constraint, the plots are resolved very quickly - and not always completely. The viewer is occasionally left scratching his or her head wondering how Maigret reaches the conclusions he does. That said, I always anticipated the next episode and seeing Maigret again. He quickly becomes familiar and like a friend or colleague.
It is also nice to recognize actors we have seen in other mystery series such as "Frost", "Prime Suspect", and "Cracker".
Overall the series is entertaining and displays colorful country scenes when Maigret gets out of Paris (or is it Prague?). The complete set is reasonable priced and I only regret there are not more episodes in the series. Not the best I have seen, but pretty good and recommended.
Excellent adaptations I have not read Georges Simenon's books in the original French, but if the translations are fair representations, he was a writer who did not waste a word. He know exactly where the story lay, he focused on that, and he went after it forthwith. These Canadian TV versions of 12 Maigret novels are faithful to the books in almost every detail--right down to the wasp Maigret chases around his office. Thank heavens the directors did not decide to "Improve" upon Simenon's plotting and color.
The acting is excellent throughout. The sets certainly have the feel of Paris, although I have never been there. My only criticism is that the DVDs I received have places where the video breaks up, and there are other places where it sounds as if a second or so was missing.
Nonetheless, any Simenon/Maigret fan will find these a treasure.
"The Maigret Collection ... Michael Gambon ... Koch Vision (2005)" Koch Vision present "THE MAIGRET COLLECTION" (2005) (646 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- featring Michael Gambon as the famous pipe-smoking Parisian sleuth. From Montmartre to the remote French countryside, Maigret probes the dark side of the human psyche with understated elegance and precision --- A dozen tales of death, intrigue, and ingenious police legwork fill this collection of Inspector Maigret mysteries --- Based on Georges Simenon's popular novels, which have tantalized readers for more than half a century --- This show is so realistic! Michael Gambon is great as Inspector Maigret, and his subordinates and the bad guys are all great characters as well --- The cases the Chief Inspector solves are really very interesting, also the locations and sets make you feel as if you are right there on the case with the Chief Inspector and his men --- It's great to sit back and watch him slowly solve a mystery --- You can tell that a lot of thought was put into the making of this show --- Concerned more with "why" than "who," Maigret's profound perception of the realities of human behavior and extraordinary psychological insight make him one of fiction's most interesting and unique sleuths --- One of the best-selling authors of all time, Georges Simenon is most famous for his more than 100 novels and short stories featuring Chief Inspector Maigret of the Paris police
The Maigret Collection (Disc One) The Patience of Maigret Maigret and the Burglar's Wife Maigret Goes to School
The Maigret Collection Disc (Two) Maigret and the Mad Woman Maigret on Home Ground Maigret Sets a Trap
The Maigret Collection (Disc Three) Maigret and the Nightclub Dancer Maigret on the Defensive Maigret and the Minister
The Maigret Collection (Disc Four) Maigret and the Hotel Majestic Maigret's Boyhood Friend Maigret and the Maid
SPECIAL FEATURES: BIOS: 1. Michael Gambon Date of Birth: 19 October 1940 - Dublin, Ireland Date of Death: Still Living
Special footnote, actor Michael Gambon after joining the National Theatre, under the Artistic Directorship of Sir Laurence Olivier, Gambon went on to appear in a number of leading roles in plays written by Alan Ayckbourn. His career was catapulted in 1980 when he took the lead role in John Dexter's production of "Galileo". Since then, Gambon has regularly appeared at the Royal National Theatre and the RSC. Roles include, King Lear, Othello, Mark Anthony and Volpone. He was described by the late Sir Ralph Richardson as being "The Great Gambon" and he is now considered to be one of the British theatre's leading lights. He was made a CBE in 1992 ... In 2002, was named the successor to the late Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series. His Potter debut will be in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) ... He has twice played two roles previously played by Richard Harris. The character of Jules Maigret, which Richard Harris played in a 1988 TV movie and secondly Albus Dumbledore of the Harry Potter Movies.
DVD EXTRAS: 1. Episode Synopses, Cast & Credits, Weblinks 2. Includes Essay "Georges Simenon, "The Man Behind Maigret"
Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "The Maigret Collection" (2005) - Michael Gambon as Chief Inspector Maigret, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- just the way we like 'em
Total Time: 646 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6613 ~ (6/12/05)
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