The 'Maigret' Trailer Introduces PBS's Newest Detective

Masterpiece has now lasted long enough as an entity that it has a catalog of old shows that once ran on PBS to work from and revive, such as Poldark (the original 1970s version aired on Masterpiece Theater) and All Creatures Great & Small (the original aired on PBS, but not under the Masterpiece banner). Maigret didn't last nearly as long as either of those; the adaptation that came to Masterpiece was the Michael Gambon-starring version from the 1990s, which only ran two seasons. However, the series has been adapted enough in both Europe and the U.K. that a reboot was kind of a no-brainer.

However, unlike all those older versions, the new Masterpiece-produced series is going to break with tradition. Some of the decisions are simply from changing the setting — instead of a 1960-era period piece, the series has been updated to the 2020s. However, other decisions, like the choice to cast the extremely handsome Benjamin Wainwright (Belgravia) instead of Simeon's "large, powerfully built gentleman", with "a pipe, a bowler hat, [and] a thick overcoat" are purely made to appeal to modern audiences. No one is looking for middle-aged, pudgy detectives who survived a war or two in 2025.

The result is a series that lacks its trademark signatures, making it somewhat difficult to distinguish from other reboots, such as Van der Valk. Hopefully, as the first season progresses and this new adaptation puts its stamp on the novels, it will find a new signature look to work with.

Here's the PBS-provided synopsis for Maigret:

The first contemporary television adaptation of George Simenon’s beloved detective novels, the series reframes Maigret as an unconventional young detective with something to prove, a rising star in the Police Judiciaire, relentless in his investigations, with an uncanny ability to get under the skin of the criminals he is chasing and an unmatched knowledge of Paris and its inhabitants. 

Wainwright co-stars alongside Stefanie Martini (The Gold) as Louise Maigret, Shaniqua Okwok (It’s a Sin) as Inspector Janvier, and Nathalie Armin (Showtrial) as Prosecutor Mathilde Kernavel. The supporting cast for the show's first season includes Blake Harrison (World on Fire), Reda Elazouar (Sex Education), Kerrie Hayes (The Responder), and Rob Kazinsky (Star Trek: Section 31).

Patrick Harbinson (The Tower) serves as lead writer and directed the series' first two episodes. He shares helming duties with directors Faye Gilbert (The Bay) and David Evans (Domina). Harbinson also serves as executive producer alongside Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece and John Simenon for Georges Simenon Limited. 

Maigret Season 1 will debut on most PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Channel on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET, directly preceding The Gold Season 1 at 10 p.m. and following a weekly release schedule on Sundays through mid-November. All episodes of the show's first season will be available on PBS Passport on premiere day for members to binge.