Doctor Who Vs. Maigret, Part 1

Ealing Studios' reworking of the Georges

Simenon books began on ITV at Easter

2016. Rowan Atkinson became the

latest British actor to portray French

detective, Jules Maigret.
 Belgian novelist Simenon (1903-1989)

penned seventy-six whodunnits between
1931 and 1972 - with many adapted for
cinema, television and radio since 1932.
These four period mysteries were filmed

on location in Budapest, which stood in for

1950s Paris. Atkinson admitted that he'd

"been a devotee of the Maigret novels for

years" when cast in the role.

A repeat run of the thrillers began on ITV3

last night - they featured Shaun Dingwall,

Lucy Cohu, and a total of nineteen Doctor

 Who cast connections:

Maigret Sets a Trap (UK TX: March 28 2016)

• Christopher Bowen (DI Lefors) was Mordred in Battlefield
• David Annen (Tissot) depicted Peter Brachacki in An Adventure in Space and Time
• Mark Heap (Dr. Moers) voiced the Middleman for Big Finish's The Middle (2017)
• Rebecca Night [born Hardwick] (Yvonne) voiced Helen Towers for Masquerade (2014), Matilda Gregson for Beachhead (2016), and Romana for The Difference Office (2022)
• Heather Bleasdale (Pardon) voiced Cordelia/Fecunda for Blood on Santa's Claw, and President for I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day (both 2019), then starred in The Halloween Apocalypse as Wilma

Maigret's Dead Man (UK TX: Christmas Day 2016)

• Ian Pulseton Davies (Colombani) voiced Angus Selwyn for Absent Friends (2016)
• Michael Fitzgerald (Proprietor) was the Duke of Manhattan in New Earth
• Tim Chipping (Joe) voiced Rasputin/the Dahensa for The Wanderer (2012), and Constable Wolsey/Mandrake for The Widow's Assassin (2014)

Night at the Crossroads (UK TX: April 16 2017)

• Kevin [Robert] McNally (Grandjean) was Hugo Lang in The Twin Dilemma, and Eustacius Jericho in Flux - he also voiced Henry for Spider's Shadow (2008), Vakrass for The End of the Beginning, and Merrick Kingdom for Dalek Universe (both 2021)
• Robin Weaver (Madame) voiced Edwige Ponzi for Nothing to See Here (2016), and Arianda for Storm of the Horofax (2017)
• Wanda Opalinska (Jo Jo) voiced the Dockmaster for Magic Bullet's Storm Mine (2004), Nadia Vasney for The Night Witches (2017), Gudrun/Espen for Colony of Strangers, Irinda for Family Matters (both 2020), and Dr. Lorna Holmes for Supernature (2023)
• Paul Chahidi (Michonnet) voiced Hason for The Destroyer of Delights (2009), George Townsend for Industrial Evolution (2011), Bondsman Tango Veldt/the Shepherd for Persuasion, and the Shepherd for Daleks Among Us (both 2013)
• Joplin [Chook] Sibtain (Oscar) was Mark Grantham in The Sarah Jane Adventures: Warriors of Kudlak, Tarak Ital in The Waters of Mars, then voiced David Brock for The Feast of Axos (2011), Athrid for The Acheron Pulse (2012), Sanjaya Starr for The Case of the Gluttonous Guru (2013), and Brian/Koggnossenti for Technophobia (2016)
• Jonathan Newth (Ambassador) was Orfe in Underworld

Maigret in Montmartre (UK TX: Christmas Eve 2017)

• Douglas [William] Hodge (Alfonsi) voiced Edge for Urban Myths, and Radu for Son of the Dragon (both 2007)
• Olivia Vinall (Arlette) was Effie in The Crimson Horror, and voiced Sheena for The Starship of Theseus (2017)
• Simon Gregor (Grasshopper) was Carlo in The Vampires of Venice
• Adrian [Philip] Scarborough (Dr. Bloch) was Kahler Jex in A Town Called Mercy and The Making of the Gunslinger
• Adrian Rawlins (Bonvoisin) was Dr. Ryder in Planet of the Ood, then voiced Frederick Abberline for The Wax Princess (2014), and Gilman Hari for Antillia the Lost (2023)

Coda

1950 saw the first English-language adaptation of Simenon's works.

The Man on the Eiffel Tower starred Charles Laughton, whilst the

title role in the first British TV version was played by Rupert Davies

(from 1960-64). This BBC series was followed by Granada's own in

1992, with Michael Gambon as Maigret.