He didn't speak. For what felt like an eternity, the man we all knew as the rubber-faced clown of British comedy just sat there, staring into the middle distance, puffing a pipe. The air was thick with the scent of cheap tobacco and 1950s Parisian gloom. This wasn't the bumbling Mr. Bean or the sharp-tongued Blackadder. This was Rowan Atkinson as Maigret, and honestly, it caught everyone off guard.
When ITV first announced the casting, the internet did what it does best: it panicked. People couldn't wrap their heads around it. How could the guy who got a turkey stuck on his head play Georges Simenon’s legendary, stoic Chief Inspector? It felt like casting Jim Carrey as King Lear. But then the first film, Maigret Sets a Trap, aired in 2016.
The transformation was jarring.
The Ordinary Man in the Extraordinary Coat
Atkinson is a car guy, a perfectionist, and a man who treats comedy like a mathematical equation. He brought that same obsessive precision to Jules Maigret. He stripped away every twitch. Every gurn. Every "bibble." What was left was a performance so quiet it was almost tectonic.
Maigret is a "hero of inaction." That’s a weird concept for TV. Most detectives are running through alleys or shouting at suspects. Maigret? He just watches. He waits for the criminal to crumble under the weight of their own psychology. Atkinson captured that stillness beautifully, though some critics found it a bit too still. The Guardian famously called it "blankly sullen."
Personally? I think they missed the point. Maigret isn't supposed to be Sherlock Holmes with a chemistry set. He’s a sponge. He soaks up the atmosphere of the crime until he understands the "why" more than the "how."
Why Budapest is More Paris Than Paris
If you watch the four films—Maigret Sets a Trap, Maigret’s Dead Man, Night at the Crossroads, and Maigret in Montmartre—you’ll notice the streets look incredible. But here’s a fun bit of trivia: it wasn't filmed in Paris. Not even close.
The production headed to Budapest. Why? Because 2016 Paris looks like, well, 2016 Paris. It’s full of Starbucks, neon signs, and modern street furniture. Budapest, specifically the "Paris of the East," still has those cobblestones with grass growing through the cracks. It has that post-war grit that fits 1955 perfectly.
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Comparing the Greats: Atkinson vs. The World
We’ve had many Maigrets. Michael Gambon did it in the 90s with a certain gruff charm. Bruno Cremer is often cited as the "definitive" version for purists.
- Michael Gambon: Physically imposing, a bit more traditional.
- Rowan Atkinson: Slight of build, but uses silences to dominate the room.
- Gino Cervi: Simenon's personal favorite, though harder to find for modern audiences.
The biggest hurdle for Atkinson wasn't the acting; it was his own face. You spend the first twenty minutes of every episode waiting for him to trip over a rug. But then, the plot kicks in. You see him interact with Madame Maigret (played with lovely warmth by Lucy Cohu), and you realize he’s playing the only "normal" man he’s ever portrayed.
He actually turned the role down the first time it was offered. He didn't think he could be serious enough. It took a second "Are you sure?" from ITV for him to commit.
Why Did It Stop?
By 2018, the news broke: ITV had "no current plans" for more. It felt abrupt. The ratings were decent—hovering around 6 million viewers—and the stories were actually getting better as the cast settled in. Shaun Dingwall as Janvier and Leo Staar as Lapointe were finally clicking as a unit.
Maybe it was the cost. Maybe Atkinson wanted to go back to Johnny English. Or maybe the "British actors with British accents in Budapest pretending to be French" thing reached its limit. It’s a shame, though. We only got four feature-length episodes.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re diving into Rowan Atkinson as Maigret for the first time, don't expect a fast-paced thriller. This is slow-burn TV. It’s meant for a rainy Sunday afternoon with a glass of red wine.
- Watch the backgrounds: The production design is top-tier. The "women's section" of the police force in Sets a Trap is a fascinating look at 50s gender politics.
- Focus on the pipe: Atkinson used it as a prop to regulate his breathing and pace. It’s basically a character itself.
- The "Trap": The scene where Maigret sends a squad of brunette policewomen into the night to bait a serial killer is genuinely tense.
Actionable Insight for Fans: If you've finished the four ITV films and want more, don't just look for other shows. Go back to the source. Pick up a copy of Maigret and the Headless Corpse. Georges Simenon wrote 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring the detective. The Picador reissues are stunning and give you that same "cerebral" fix that Atkinson tried so hard to capture on screen.
Even if we never get a fifth film, Atkinson proved he wasn't just a jester. He could hold a room with nothing but a heavy coat and a very long silence.