Saw this on the UK Talking Pictures channel, who are showing all 4 series of Maigret, originally early 60s BBC. We're now in the last series, and the quality has generally improved, but this one wasn't quite as good, as the murderer was pretty well signposted near the start, we just had to follow Maigret (& Lucas) as they picked up the trail (a story set in the canal world, quite a favourite of the author).
Yet again, the review of 'Sir Obbolongo Fitzybollongs' is almost a hysterical misrepresentation of the episode, he seems to think that Simenon's books fall easily into a one hour show (many certainly don't!), and makes little allowance for the limitations of that early-60s budget (had improved by this last series to allow for more location outings) or the fact that the vast majority of viewers would NOT have read the original story!
The episode brings the murderer to justice quite readily, and attempts to convey that person's badly affected mental state. I don't recall the book, so I'm unaware what Sir Fitzbong (!) is banging on about re the ending, but we did get a nice comedy moment. Lucas is sent to chase back along the towpath to avert a further murder, and leaves his jacket behind while Maigret takes a roundabout route in the car. When they catch up with the killer, the last scene shows Lucas asking about his abandoned jacket ("did you bring it"?). This after he'd been asked to run quite some way for the atmospheric chase scenes (an earlier episode had him jumping off quite a high wall - apparently the stunt man hadn't turned up - and he ended up damaged!).
Yet again, the review of 'Sir Obbolongo Fitzybollongs' is almost a hysterical misrepresentation of the episode, he seems to think that Simenon's books fall easily into a one hour show (many certainly don't!), and makes little allowance for the limitations of that early-60s budget (had improved by this last series to allow for more location outings) or the fact that the vast majority of viewers would NOT have read the original story!
The episode brings the murderer to justice quite readily, and attempts to convey that person's badly affected mental state. I don't recall the book, so I'm unaware what Sir Fitzbong (!) is banging on about re the ending, but we did get a nice comedy moment. Lucas is sent to chase back along the towpath to avert a further murder, and leaves his jacket behind while Maigret takes a roundabout route in the car. When they catch up with the killer, the last scene shows Lucas asking about his abandoned jacket ("did you bring it"?). This after he'd been asked to run quite some way for the atmospheric chase scenes (an earlier episode had him jumping off quite a high wall - apparently the stunt man hadn't turned up - and he ended up damaged!).
