Maigret Season 2 starts Tonight on PBS Ahead of The Gold Season 2 Premiere

The second season of Maigret, based on the iconic French detective created by Georges Simenon, makes its US television debut tonight at 9pm on PBS, giving American viewers a fresh take on one of crime fiction’s most enduring characters.

The premiere will air directly before the first episode of The Gold Season 2, offering viewers a double bill of crime drama.

Produced by Playground, the new Maigret reimagines Chief Inspector Jules Maigret for a contemporary audience, with Benjamin Wainwright taking on the lead role. Stefanie Martini stars as Madame Louise Maigret, while Blake Harrison plays Joseph Torrence.

The adaptation brings Simenon’s celebrated detective stories to a new generation, placing Maigret’s distinctive investigative methods and complicated relationship with authority at the heart of the drama.

Who stars in Maigret?

Benjamin Wainwright leads the cast as Chief Inspector Jules Maigret, the celebrated French detective known for his unconventional approach to solving crimes.

Rather than relying solely on conventional police procedures, Maigret uses his understanding of human nature to get inside the minds of suspects and uncover the truth behind complex cases.

Stefanie Martini appears as Madame Louise Maigret, while Blake Harrison plays Joseph Torrence, one of the figures working alongside the inspector.

The series follows Maigret and his team of maverick but loyal detectives as they investigate crimes across Paris. Along the way, the inspector’s methods bring him into conflict with his superiors and the judicial system he is supposed to represent.

As he pursues some of the city’s most cunning and violent criminals, Maigret must also confront the troubled elements of his own past.

What is Maigret about?

Created by Georges Simenon, Jules Maigret is one of the best-known detectives in international crime fiction, appearing in dozens of novels and short stories.

The new adaptation seeks to bring the character’s world to contemporary audiences while retaining the psychological intrigue that has helped make the stories enduringly popular.

At the centre of the series is an investigator who does not always follow the rules. Maigret’s willingness to challenge established procedures creates tension with the institutions around him, even as his instincts help him navigate complicated investigations.

The Paris setting provides the backdrop for a succession of criminal cases, with the detective’s personal history adding another layer to the mysteries.

For viewers who enjoy character-driven crime dramas, the series offers an alternative to procedurals focused primarily on forensic evidence and conventional police work.

Maigret joins PBS’s line-up of popular dramas

The first season of Maigret already has a home on PBS, the broadcaster known for bringing acclaimed British and international dramas to American audiences.

Its popular drama line-up includes All Creatures Great and Small and Grantchester, both of which have attracted viewers with their distinctive settings, memorable characters and compelling stories.

The arrival of Maigret adds another detective-led drama to the mix, drawing on a literary character whose history stretches back decades.

With Benjamin Wainwright stepping into a role previously portrayed by several actors in different adaptations, the series offers a new interpretation of a familiar crime-solving figure.

When does Maigret premiere on PBS?

Maigret season 2 premieres tonight, October 14, at 9pm on PBS in the United States. The first episode of The Gold Season 2 follows directly afterwards.

The scheduling pairs the new detective drama with the return of the British crime series, which is inspired by the 1983 Brink’s-Mat gold robbery and the extraordinary criminal investigation that followed.

For American audiences, the back-to-back premieres provide an opportunity to discover two different approaches to crime drama: one centred on a fictional French detective, the other rooted in a notorious real-life British heist.

Will Maigret be available in the UK?

British viewers will also have an opportunity to watch the new adaptation, although the UK release will follow a different schedule.

UKTV has acquired the UK premiere rights to both series of Maigret as part of a wider 114-hour content agreement with Banijay Rights.

The deal covers 12 episodes, each running for 45 minutes, and will bring the series to UKTV’s free streaming service, U, and its linear channel, U&DRAMA.

Series 1 is scheduled to premiere on U and U&DRAMA in December 2026, with Series 2 due to follow in 2027.

The first series will follow Chief Inspector Maigret and his team as they tackle a range of complex cases across Paris. His unconventional methods and distinctive sense of justice repeatedly put him at odds with his superiors, while his own troubled past threatens to complicate his pursuit of the truth.

The acquisition means British audiences will be able to watch the new interpretation of Simenon’s famous detective later this year.

Meanwhile, UK viewers can stream The Gold on BBC iPlayer.

With its literary pedigree, Paris setting and a new leading performance from Benjamin Wainwright, Maigret now begins its US run on PBS, introducing American viewers to another interpretation of one of crime fiction’s most recognisable detectives.

Maigret premieres on PBS in the US tonight, October 14, at 9pm, immediately before The Gold Season 2.

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