ITV has pulled the plug on Maigret, opting to cancel Rowan Atkinson’s detective drama after two series on the air. The series debuted in 2016 with a first run consisted of two episodes, and a second series (also consisting of two episodes) was released in 2017.
TV Wise broke the news of Maigret‘s cancellation, after an ITV representative told them that there are “no current plans” for further episodes of Maigret to be made. The show was initially hyped up as the channel’s replacement for Poirot, but after just four episodes, it seems to have died a quiet death.
The fictional detective Jules Maigret appears in 75 novels and numerous short stories from Georges Simenon’s hand. Only four of these were adapted into TV episodes, so there was clearly more source material to draw on if ITV had made a different decision regarding Maigret‘s future. The novels that we did get to see televised were Maigret Sets A Trap, Maigret’s Dead Man, Maigret At The Crossroads, and Maigret In Montmarte.
Stewart Harcourt, who previously wrote for Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, penned all four episodes of Maigret. Harcourt recently announced a new project: he will write a series about Vivien Leigh, starring Natalie Dormer. Rowan Atkinson, meanwhile, has been working on Johnny English Strikes Again.
If we hear any further news about Maigret, we’ll be sure to let you know.