A curio episode set around Christmas and shown in December 1962, with an unusual construction. Maigret barely appears (four short scenes receiving calls at home) because he is on leave for the festive season so it is left to Sgt Lucas to field an investigation into multiple murders. Ewan Solon rises to the challenge of carrying the episode as Lucas. Much of the policework is conducted from the communications room at HQ, with Alfred Burke's character in charge of the telephone lines. The location filming involves a boy pursuing the killer across Paris, especially around Montmartre. There's an amusing, very brief one-scene guest spot for Arthur Lowe, who at that time was fully engaged in ITV's Coronation Street. (PM)
4 Reviews
Maigret lite
Sir_Oblong_Fitzoblong26 January 2022
A good idea in some ways despite not being based on a Simenon story, set on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the investigation led by Lucas. The detectives in the office expecting an uneventful shift and then having to track a potentially deadly situation on the deserted streets with little to go on and key facilities closed in the department is an interesting conceit though stretched somewhat to fill 50 mins.
Maigret under orders!!
Tony-Holmes17 September 2022
Saw this on Talking Pictures channel (UK - old films and TV) who are running all 4 of the original Maigret series (BBC, early 60s). An excellent episode, rather unusual in that (as reviewer Mulkern says) Maigret is at home, for Xmas, and under strict orders from the long-suffering Madame Maigret to stay there! So he has just a few scenes, getting updates by phone, as Lucas tries to solve the mystery of a missing boy, and possibly the latest murder in a series by the 'Sunday Man'.
Lucas & Lapointe talk to witnesses, and gradually form a theory why alerts had been coming into the control room from police boxes round Paris.
Another reviewer as so often happens (it seems) is quite wrong, this most definitely IS from a Simenon book, as I've read it. But that doubtless won't stop Sir Obolong Fizzobolongs from making more definite statements, albeit probably wrong!
Gradually the searchers track down the likely killer, in a tense ("will they be in time") ending. As often the case by the later part of this 3rd series, the supporting acting was terrific, Alfred Burke in the control room, James Maxwell as the missing boy's dad (& at first a suspect), and a wonderful cameo from Arthur Lowe, supremely pompous and grumpy (Capt Mainwaring to be?) at being dragged away from his Christmas dinner.
Lucas even gets his reward with the promise of some belated Xmas dinner at the Maigret table!
Lucas & Lapointe talk to witnesses, and gradually form a theory why alerts had been coming into the control room from police boxes round Paris.
Another reviewer as so often happens (it seems) is quite wrong, this most definitely IS from a Simenon book, as I've read it. But that doubtless won't stop Sir Obolong Fizzobolongs from making more definite statements, albeit probably wrong!
Gradually the searchers track down the likely killer, in a tense ("will they be in time") ending. As often the case by the later part of this 3rd series, the supporting acting was terrific, Alfred Burke in the control room, James Maxwell as the missing boy's dad (& at first a suspect), and a wonderful cameo from Arthur Lowe, supremely pompous and grumpy (Capt Mainwaring to be?) at being dragged away from his Christmas dinner.
Lucas even gets his reward with the promise of some belated Xmas dinner at the Maigret table!
Seven Little Crosses
Prismark1025 September 2022
A Maigret lite episode. He is at home celebrating Christmas.
This leaves Sgt Lucas in charge. A woman is found dead, the son in law is the suspect. His son has gone missing.
In fact the 10 year old boy is following the killer and leaves clues behind for the police in form of alerts to the control room.
The son in law with a varied work history has an alibi and a brother who works in the police control room.
They need to make sure that the boy is found safe as the police figure that they are looking at the work of a serial killer.
The lack of Maigret gives this story a distinctively odd feel. Especially as a lot of the action takes place in the police control room.
However you cannot go wrong when you have actors such as Alfred Burke, James Maxwell and Arthur Lowe in it.
This leaves Sgt Lucas in charge. A woman is found dead, the son in law is the suspect. His son has gone missing.
In fact the 10 year old boy is following the killer and leaves clues behind for the police in form of alerts to the control room.
The son in law with a varied work history has an alibi and a brother who works in the police control room.
They need to make sure that the boy is found safe as the police figure that they are looking at the work of a serial killer.
The lack of Maigret gives this story a distinctively odd feel. Especially as a lot of the action takes place in the police control room.
However you cannot go wrong when you have actors such as Alfred Burke, James Maxwell and Arthur Lowe in it.
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