Maigret, on PBS

A quick afternoon drink can still help fight crime. However, smoking a pipe is now frowned upon, but Chief Inspector Jules Maigret still carries his late father’s unlit pipe, as something to fiddle with to help him think. Georges Simenon’s famous slath is still an unusually cerebral copper, but this time around, he is younger and dramatically less jowly. Benjamin Wainwright joins the fraternity of Charles Laughton, Jean Gabin, Rupert Davies, and Gerard Depardieu (whose 2022 Maigret movie suddenly became far less commercial, thanks to his bro-mance with Putin), conspicuously standing out from fellow Maigrets. Regardless, the titular police inspector remains as incisive and intuitive as ever in creator-lead writer Patrick Harbinson’s six-episode Maigret, which premieres tomorrow on PBS.

As season one opens, Maigret has only just been promoted to Chief Inspector of “Le Crim” (a.k.a. the “Criminal Brigade,” much like the Major Case Squad in Law & Order: Criminal Intent), but he is already under tremendous pressure from Prosecutor Mathilde Kernavel to catch a gang of sophisticated armed robbers. Yet, much to her frustration, he is more interested in investigating the untimely death of Honore Cuendet, a refined cat burglar, whose philosophy of stealing, combining elements of elitism and egalitarianism, always amused Maigret.

Unfortunately, his seemingly questionable priorities offer an opportunity for Inspector Cavre, the rival Maigret was promoted over, to undermine his authority with the prosecutor. The rest of the Squad is solidly Team Maigret, particularly Sgt. Lucas (who is now a woman). “The Lazy Burglar” establishes Harbinson’s template, combining a classic, titular Simenon novel, with a second original, more contemporary mystery. He still spruces up the classic case, turning Maigret’s prime murder suspect into grotesquely wealthy Syrian wheeler-dealer, closely connected to the current regime.

The initial two-parter also introduces us to Madame Louise Maigret, the Chief Inspector’s beloved wife, who is also quite a bit younger than usual, but their close partnership represents the most important consistency with the previous Maigret productions fans know and love. In fact, this might be the most heartfelt, touching marriage currently depicted on television.

Maigret and Kernavel are initially on the same page at the start of “Maigret’s Failure,” investigating the disappearance of a popular influencer. Unfortunately, the Ministry insists Maigret take time out to protect Fumal, a widely despised, but powerful captain of industry. Ironically, Fumal personally requested Maigret, his old childhood nemesis, whom he now hoped to have as his new bodyguard. Instead, Maigret deduces Fumal fabricated the threats, so he cancels the protection detail. Super awkwardly, Fumal is murdered shortly after.

Although Harbinson takes a lot of liberties with Simenon’s stories, episodes three and four are good exampless of how he captures a good deal of the darkness Maigret often confronts in the novels. “Failure” also nicely leads into the next two-fer mystery, “Maigret Comes Home,” by establishing Maigret’s thorny relationship with the Countess de Saint-Fiacre, his father’s former employer. Unfortunately, the Countess becomes the victim in the two-part conclusion. Sadly, Maigret couldn’t return in time to save her, but he stays long enough crack the case, even though he is supposed to be in Paris tracking down a random psych killer.

Maigret takes that case rather personally too, because he takes a liking to victim, the enlightened son of a notoriously wealthy family, who was engaged in a project recording ambient sounds and incidental conversations throughout Paris. Inconveniently, he might have captured some larcenous plans in the making. That is good enough for Cavre, who always takes the easiest way out, but Maigret knows better. In fact, he manages to bait the real killer into calling him, making the case even more personal.

Frankly, it is hard to compare Wainwright to previous Maigrets, because he cuts such a younger and smoother figure. In any event, he and Stephanie Martini have terrific chemistry as the married Maigrets. Surprisingly, Nathalie Armin’s portrayal of Kernavel evolves in intriguing ways, while Rob Kazinsky is almost worthy as pity as the resentful and sadly outmatched Cavre. However, Kerrie Hayes has far less prominence as Lucas than her various predecessors, especially the hardboiled Ewen Solon in Davies’ 1960 BBC series.

Still, if you don’t mind Frenchmen who sound British and a Paris that looks like Budapest, then Harbison’s very loose adaptation of Simenon is quite entertaining. Wainwright and Martini contribute considerable screen presence, while Harbison and fellow directors Faye Gilbert and David Evans maintain a brisk procedural rhythm to the series. Easily recommended for British mystery viewers, maybe especially for those who aren’t diehard Simenon fans, Maigret starts airing tomorrow night (10/5) on PBS.