Georges Simenon (The Maigret novels) & Patrick Harbinson (creator)

CAST

Benjamin Wainwright
Stefanie Martini
Nathalie Armin
Blake Harrison
Kerrie Hayes
Shaniqua Okwok
Rob Kazinsky

Review

When I heard about this Maigret show months ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially after learning it’s set in Paris, but with an English lead actor. So I thought maybe he speaks French, but then I learned it was shot in English…why not? However, within minutes of the first episode, I realized it wasn’t actually filmed in Paris. That combo caught me off guard but you know what? the show itself kind of works.

“The Lazy Burglar,” introduces us to Jules Maigret (Benjamin Wainwright), a rising star in the Police Judiciaire. He’s methodical, observant, and just the right amount of obsessive. He’s the kind of detective who can read a room the way others read a newspaper.

The story feels familiar, a murdered burglar leading to something bigger, is a classic trope; it’s almost comfortingly old-fashioned. But the production gives it a je ne sais quoi. There’s a crispness to the pacing that makes the episode feel alive, even though it’s dealing with familiar beats.

And speaking of familiar, some faces caught me off guard, actors that I did not expect to see in this show. Rob Kazinsky, for one, popped up and totally threw me off for a second. Same with Katie McGrath! I genuinely didn’t expect to recognize anyone in this cast, which made it awkwardly fun when I did.

That said, the show is still a bit weird for me. Maigret is set in Paris, sprinkled with a few French words, but the entire cast speaks English. No dubbing, no accents pretending to be French, just straight-up English with French names and landmarks.

It’s a little disorienting at first. You’re looking at a Parisian street, hearing “la crime,” but everyone sounds like they just came from a BBC rehearsal. It takes a minute to adjust, but once you do, it kind of works.

Is it really Paris? No. But they do a decent job at faking it, and it never completely breaks the illusion. Let’s just say it’s “cinematic Paris,” if you don’t know the city well, it looks close enough, but even if you do, it’s close enough.

Benjamin Wainwright nails the tone for Maigret, I’m mostly sort of familiar with the old versions, but he’s restrained, sharp, the type who quietly clocks every detail in a room before anyone else has even noticed something’s off. He’s got a weary-but-curious energy that works for a detective show.

Shaniqua Okwok and Blake Harrison are two cast members who caught my eye in the show, they are good in their supporting roles. However, Nathalie Armin as Prosecutor Mathilde Kernavel absolutely nails the annoying authority figure character. You can practically feel Maigret’s patience wearing thin every time she walks in.

Maigret’s The Lazy Burglar is not revolutionary, but it’s solid detective TV with some real potential.

I’ll admit, I was more intrigued by the vibe of it all than the actual case. But if they keep building Maigret’s character and tightening the mysteries, I can definitely see this becoming a cozy European-style comfort watch.

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