“Maigret,” the latest TV adaptation of Georges Simenon’s detective novels, has landed a raft of international sales deals for Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of TV giant Banijay Entertainment.
Ahead of Mipcom in Cannes and the show’s premiere on Masterpiece Mystery! on PBS in the U.S. on Oct. 5, the six-part series has sold to ABC in Australia, plus Wowow in Japan, Sky Free in New Zealand, VRT in Belgium, HRT in Croatia, and SIA Tet in Latvia.
The new series reframes Parisian Chief Inspector Jules Maigret as an unconventional young detective with something to prove and features Benjamin Wainwright (“Belgravia: The Next Chapter,” “Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim”) in the lead role and Stefanie Martini (“The Gold,” “Last Kingdom,” “Emerald City”) as Madame Louise Maigret. Further cast includes Blake Harrison (“World on Fire,” “I Hate Suzie Too”), Reda Elazouar (“Sex Education,” “Pirates”), Kerrie Hayes (“The Responder,” “Criminal Record”), Shaniqua Okwok (“The Flatshare,” “It’s a Sin”) and Rob Kazinsky (“Star Trek: Section 31,” “Eastenders”), who all make up the “Les Maigrets,” Maigret’s loyal team of detectives, with Nathalie Armin (“Showtrial S2”, “Juice”) set to play Prosecutor Mathilde Kernavel.
Produced by Playground, the Golden Globe and BAFTA award-winning production company behind “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light,” this latest Maigret incarnation marks the first English language contemporary television adaptation of Simenon’s novels.
“Set in a vividly realised modern Paris, ‘Maigret’ is a thrilling contemporary reimagining of the iconic police detective that hails from a stellar creative team at Playground,” said Lyle Bettson-Barker, senior vice president Australia & New Zealand for Banijay Rights, who brokered the ABC deal. “We are pleased to deliver this prestigious crime thriller to viewers worldwide.”
Added David Stern, joint managing director at Playground: “Jules Maigret, Georges Simenon’s seminal creation, is a timeless character in the canon of great literary detectives and it’s been an honour to adapt the novels for television. We set out to create a series that embraces the legacy of the novels while introducing the character to a new, global audience and we’re incredibly grateful to our partners at Masterpiece and Banijay Rights.”
Colin Callender and Stern executive produce “Maigret” for Playground with Patrick Harbinson (“Homeland,” “24, The Tower”) serving as lead writer, executive producer on behalf of Windhover Films, and director of the first two episodes of the series with Faye Gilbert (“The Tower,” “The Bay”) directing episodes 3 and 4 and David Evans (“Domina,” “Django”) directing 5 and 6. Susanne Simpson serves as the executive producer on behalf of lead commissioning broadcaster Masterpiece, with Hilary Strong also executive producing on behalf of Georges Simenon Limited.
“Maigret” is one of several scripted shows on Banijay Entertainment’s MIPCOM slate this year. Others include “Half Man” created by and starring Emmy-award winning Richard Gadd and produced by Mam Tor Productions (a Banijay UK company) for the BBC, BBC Scotland and HBO, and “A Woman of Substance,” based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s best-selling novel and produced by The Forge Entertainment (A Banijay UK company) for Channel 4. Also from The Forge Entertainment for Channel 4, “Falling” is Emmy-winning writer Jack Thorne’s new drama starring Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu.