Why isn't Maigret on TV this Christmas?
Rowan Atkinson's detective won't be returning to our screens this December — but that doesn't mean Christmas will be Maigret-free...
Over the past couple of years ITV has treated us to festive helpings of Rowan Atkinson's French detective, Maigret, with last year's one-off special Maigret in Montmartre airing on Christmas Eve.
The series, which began back in 2016, is adapted from the books by Georges Simenon. Set in 1950s France, the drama stars Atkinson as the legendary detective Jules Maigret. However, this year the broadcaster has called time on the French sleuthing, with "no current plans" for another series or a Christmas special for 2018.
In a statement to RadioTimes.com, ITV said: “We’ve no current plans for further Maigret films. Rowan Atkinson is also committed to other projects.”
But it's not all sacré bleu for Maigret fans this year. Radio 4 has announced that this year they'll be serialising one of Simenon's Inspector Maigret short stories: A Maigret Christmas. Read on for all you need to know...
What time is A Maigret Christmas on Radio 4?
A Maigret Christmas first airs at 12pm on Radio 4 on Christmas Eve 2018, and runs for the rest of the week until Friday 28th.
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What is A Maigret Christmas about?
Sir Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express) will be reading the classic Maigret mystery, penned by Georges Simenon.
The story is set on a snowy Christmas Day, when Maigret receives an unexpected guest — and a curious new case to investigate. A girl is claiming to have seen Father Christmas acting strangely in her bedroom — he was cutting a hole in the floor...
