Maigret: Set 7

The amazingly prolific Georges Simenon produced 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring pipe-smoking Paris police inspector Maigret, many of which were adapted over the years for the big and little screens, featuring such fine actors as Sir Michael Gambon, Jean Gabin, and Richard Harris. The French TV series Maigret—comprising 54 feature-length episodes that ran from 1991-2005—starring Bruno Cremer in the title role is arguably the best. The episodes included in this set are: Maigret and the Wine Merchant, revolving around the murder of a womanizing shop owner; Maigret and the Minister, in which a government official asks Maigret to help him avert a scandal following the deadly collapse of a building; Maigret and the Madman of St. Clothilde, which finds Maigret working on a crime he hears about during a hospital stay; Maigret Goes to School, in which a schoolmaster claims that he's been wrongly accused of killing a postmistress; Felicie's House, in which Maigret matches wits with a maid who's obviously hiding something; and Maigret and the Princess, which takes Maigret into the world of the aristocracy in order to unravel a case with few obvious clues. While the plots aren't always completely compelling, all of the installments share a pleasant unhurried pace, strong attention to atmosphere and period detail, a colorful supporting cast, and—most important—the presence of Cremer, who not only looks the part but also deftly captures Maigret's deceptively lethargic manner and quiet reserve while at the same time suggesting the uncanny deductive powers at work beneath his cool exterior. Compiling six episodes (37 through 42), originally broadcast in 2002–2003, this is highly recommended. [Note: Maigret: Set 8 is also newly available.] (F. Swietek)