In a world where detective stories lean into action-packed sequences with tons of sensory overload, PBS Masterpiece series Maigret stands out with its mystery stories grounded in understanding and not judgment.
Based on the character created by Georges Seminole in 1931, Jules Maigret is a fictional Parisian chief inspector. And throughout Seminole’s life, about 75 books were written with multiple short stories, selling more than 800 million copies in more than 50 languages. To give you some context, that makes it the second best-selling detective series ever, behind Sherlock Holmes.
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So far there have been over 10 movie adaptations, multiple shows across different countries and languages, and even stage plays, radio dramatizations, and comics. Basically Maigret is really well known around the world. And somehow I still missed Maigret and had never heard of him til this series. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the PBS Masterpiece adaptation starring Benjamin Wainwright. It also helped me realize how much US detective shows have shaped my understanding of the detective genre and why I’ve never really liked what they’ve served up.
I find detective shows from the Hollywood machine to be sensory overload galore that is always focused on wowing the viewer with puzzles or the detectives’ unique mental genius to solve the crime in question. And it wasn’t until I watched Maigret that I realized that a lot of those detective shows are more flash than actual substance. That’s why I haven’t liked them. Too brash, too loud, too in your face.
In this PBS Masterpiece series Maigret I still went through the ups and downs of trying to figure out the mystery of the current case. I was still intrigued by Jules, the detectives around him, and his life in Paris. But I didn’t feel like my senses were being overloaded with multiple action sequences, men posturing left and right as if that’s the only conflict they can have, and a soundtrack that’s meant to keep you feeling tense more than actually paying attention to the mystery in question.
Maigret is gentler in its approach to detective work. But it doesn’t hide away from the dark nature of said crimes that Jules and the gang are investigating. Those are still present and guild the cases this police department gets. But the lack of this persistent sense of urgency, as if they don’t solve the case now everything will collapse, allows Maigret to have his humanity explored in a way that feels compassionate and understanding while still getting the job done.
And I want to circle back on that sensory overload thing again.
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The entire time that I was watching Maigret season 1 I was waiting for the twist or the knife in Jules’ back. Why? Because Maigret is happily married and settling into the new promotion he just got. Any other detective show I’ve watched would destroy this man, his home life, and everything he cares about in favor of making him a brooding mess.
Maigret isn’t like that. It chooses to go down a different and often ignored path of “not everything has to be doom and gloom for someone to have some things to work through while also being happily married and a detective.” Shocker, right?
If anything, Maigret reminds me of the shows that I grew up watching on PBS. It’s just this time the audience is a little older and more mature. But at the heart is this key touchstone of PBS where they create engaging content that invites the viewer in with a gentle hand and complete faith that you can and will figure this all out.
Maigret trusts the viewer. And it does so in a way that makes you feel like you’re along for a ride with Jules grounded in a message of compassion first, judgement never. Whether it be criminals or the very detectives working with Maigret, Jules doesn’t waver in how he navigates the world. And yes, that still is true when he’s grumpy or having a truly terrible day. That self-awareness as a character combined with the mysteries and the lack of “I’m the smartest in the room” and action-packed sensory overload makes Maigret the most interesting detective show I’ve watched in ages.
Maigret airs weekly at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS.
