Georges Simenon's Maigret on BritBox

BritBox releases the first two of four Simenon episodes today with Rowan Atkinson as Maigret. Rowan Atkinson is, of course, known for his comedic character Mr Bean. In this production, Rowan plays the moody French detective and does a good job. As Jules Maigret, Atkinson’s principal asset is stillness. Playing the iconic 1950s French detective in ITV’s adaptation of the best-selling crime novels by Georges Simenon, the actor succeeds in conveying as many emotions when he is silent as lesser performers manage in an entire speech.

BritBox profiled comedic actor Rowan Atkinson in February before airing the exclusive U.S. premiere of his first dramatic role in the detective drama Maigret.

The subscription streaming service from BBC Worldwide and ITV looks back at some of Atkinson’s most popular roles. The service already streams “Blackadder,” and in February adds “Not the Nine O’Clock News” and “Canned Laughter.”

Atkinson gets serious today in “Maigret,” a new series based on author Georges Simenon’s iconic, pipe-smoking policeman who has become one of this century’s classic fictional sleuths.

From The Independent - Rowan Atkinson as Maigret:
The actor, who has also starred in such globally popular comedies as Johnny English and Blackadder, says: “The thing I thought I could do was Maigret’s thoughtfulness. It’s his ruminative and quite compassionate side, I suppose, which is interesting. Because he is definitely not an egotist, he is not a performer, he is not an eccentric, he is not a weirdo.

Read a great article about Maigret's Paris and Simenon at CrimeFictionLover
https://crimefictionlover.com/2017/02/maigrets-paris/