Product Details

• Released on: 2005-07-12
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Content/Copy-Protected CD, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Import
• Original language: English
• Dubbed in: English
• Running time: 646 minutes

From Amazon.com
An absolute must for fans of Georges Simenon's beloved sleuth, Inspector Jules Maigret, the four-volume Maigret Collection is the finest detective series from Britain's Granada Television since the late Jeremy Brett gave us his definitive portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the 1980s.

Included in this collection are the first 12 episodes from the series, originally broadcast in 1992 and starring the masterful British actor Michael Gambon (now Sir Michael Gambon) as Maigret of the Paris Surete. Among the programs is "Maigret and the Burglar's Wife," which does honor to Simenon's compassionate tale of a retiring thief whose accidental encounter with a corpse sets in motion one of Maigret's most intense psychological duels. The equally compelling "Maigret's Boyhood Friend" finds the detective on a case drawing suspicion to an old school chum, while "Maigret Sets a Trap" is a wonderful production of Simenon's puzzler about a serial killer whose patterns of motivation and action must be deciphered before he can be caught.

Gambon is the latest in a long tradition of familiar leading men (from Jean Gabin to Richard Harris) who have played Simenon's blunt but humane, occasionally whimsical, and magnificently insightful investigator. Yet Gambon is perhaps uniquely suited to the part: a popular star with none of the baggage of a brand-name icon or the self-effacing obligations of a character actor. He captures perfectly Maigret's measured but hardly inscrutable presence in the eruptive underworld of Paris crime. --Tom Keogh

On the DVD
Episode synopses, cast & credits, weblinks
Includes essay "George Simenon, The Man Behind Maigret"

DVD Menu

• Side #1 -- The Maigret Collection, Disc 1
  • The Patience of Maigret
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret and the Burglar's Wife
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret Goes to School
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Special Features
    • Cast & Credits
    • Weblinks
• Side #2 -- The Maigret Collection, Disc 2
  • Maigret and the Mad Woman
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret on Home Ground
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret Sets a Trap
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Cast & Credits
• Side #3 -- The Maigret Collection, Disc 3
  • Maigret and the Nightclub Dancer
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret on the Defensive
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret and the Minister
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Cast & Credits
• Side #4 -- The Maigret Collection, Disc 4
  • Maigret and the Hotel Majestic
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret's Boyhood Friend
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Maigret and the Maid
    • Play
    • Scene Access
  • Cast & Credits

Customer Reviews

"The Maigret Collection ... Michael Gambon ... Koch Vision (2005)"
Koch Vision present "THE MAIGRET COLLECTION" (2005) (646 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- featring Michael Gambon as the famous pipe-smoking Parisian sleuth. From Montmartre to the remote French countryside, Maigret probes the dark side of the human psyche with understated elegance and precision --- A dozen tales of death, intrigue, and ingenious police legwork fill this collection of Inspector Maigret mysteries --- Based on Georges Simenon's popular novels, which have tantalized readers for more than half a century --- This show is so realistic! Michael Gambon is great as Inspector Maigret, and his subordinates and the bad guys are all great characters as well --- The cases the Chief Inspector solves are really very interesting, also the locations and sets make you feel as if you are right there on the case with the Chief Inspector and his men --- It's great to sit back and watch him slowly solve a mystery --- You can tell that a lot of thought was put into the making of this show --- Concerned more with "why" than "who," Maigret's profound perception of the realities of human behavior and extraordinary psychological insight make him one of fiction's most interesting and unique sleuths --- One of the best-selling authors of all time, Georges Simenon is most famous for his more than 100 novels and short stories featuring Chief Inspector Maigret of the Paris police

The Maigret Collection (Disc One)
The Patience of Maigret
Maigret and the Burglar's Wife
Maigret Goes to School

The Maigret Collection Disc (Two)
Maigret and the Mad Woman
Maigret on Home Ground
Maigret Sets a Trap

The Maigret Collection (Disc Three)
Maigret and the Nightclub Dancer
Maigret on the Defensive
Maigret and the Minister

The Maigret Collection (Disc Four)
Maigret and the Hotel Majestic
Maigret's Boyhood Friend
Maigret and the Maid

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Michael Gambon
Date of Birth: 19 October 1940 - Dublin, Ireland
Date of Death: Still Living

Special footnote, actor Michael Gambon after joining the National Theatre, under the Artistic Directorship of Sir Laurence Olivier, Gambon went on to appear in a number of leading roles in plays written by Alan Ayckbourn. His career was catapulted in 1980 when he took the lead role in John Dexter's production of "Galileo". Since then, Gambon has regularly appeared at the Royal National Theatre and the RSC. Roles include, King Lear, Othello, Mark Anthony and Volpone. He was described by the late Sir Ralph Richardson as being "The Great Gambon" and he is now considered to be one of the British theatre's leading lights. He was made a CBE in 1992 ... In 2002, was named the successor to the late Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series. His Potter debut will be in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) ... He has twice played two roles previously played by Richard Harris. The character of Jules Maigret, which Richard Harris played in a 1988 TV movie and secondly Albus Dumbledore of the Harry Potter Movies.

DVD EXTRAS:
1. Episode Synopses, Cast & Credits, Weblinks
2. Includes Essay "Georges Simenon, "The Man Behind Maigret"

Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "The Maigret Collection" (2005) - Michael Gambon as Chief Inspector Maigret, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- just the way we like 'em

Total Time: 646 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6613 ~ (6/12/05)

A thinker's type of detective
As with the other reviews, I would agree. This one tests your own detective skills and unfolds in sutle and intriguing ways. Set in post war France it is also great to look at. You will want to read the novels too. The original author, Georges Simenon, is a bit of a French Agatha Christie.

A Hidden Gem in the genre
I am a devotee of the characters Morse, Brett's Holme's, Inspector Frost, Cracker with Robbie Coltrane, Rumpole. This series ranks right up there in that respect, Gambon is an brilliant Maigret. Akl the plots are good but some are exceptional and the ambiance and the relationships are all spot on. The picture quality I can live with. I agree that a great deal of thought was put in to each episode and the feel of the series is completely realistic just like in Morse. I can't wait to get back to Paris after watching this series, you can practically smell it watching the series. Can't recommend highly enough to those that like the genre.