Maigret's Dead Man

I was unaware of Georges Simenon's French detective Jules Maigret. It was only until Rowan Atkinson took the role that I heard his name. He is no Hercule Poirot, but Dead Man (adapted from the book of the same name) is an engrossing British murder mystery drama that isn't as annoyingly French as David Suchet's character despite being set in 1950s Paris. Clearly made for a British audience, all the characters are French but speak English. Nobody makes a good murder mystery like the British. It reminded me of Midsomer Murders in many ways. Atkinson's Maigret has the calm intellect of John Nettles' Tom Barnaby.

This is actually the second installment in a two-episode television series (each being 90 minutes). I look forward to the season two, which the second part is set to air later this year (have yet to catch both first installments).

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