THE ALCOVE

by Tom Bradshaw

Guns. Action. One-liners. These are the themes we’ve come to expect from crime drama in 2018 and quite frankly it’s a little disgraceful.

In 1989, the public welcome Hercule Poirot onto the small screen, a detective who used intellect and wit to solve cases. Combine this with the constant production of Sherlock Holmes adaptations and it’s plain to see that crime drama back in the day followed a simple, successful recipe.

So, what changed? Well, I suppose shows like Poirot just weren’t exciting enough for viewers today. They brought in guns, explosions and farfetched plotlines that barely make sense, let alone seem realistic or intriguing. Even the modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes has more guns than should realistically be expected in a British drama.

Image: ITV

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There is one exception, however, Maigret. Maigret is a TV adaptation from the works of Georges Simenon and it is exceptional.

Starring Rowan Atkinson as the truly sensational French Commissaire, each episode runs for around an hour and a half. And what an hour and a half they are.

Sitting down to watch Maigret promises excitement and mystery, coupled with that suave, sophisticated manner that used to grace our screens. There are guns, as could be expected from 1950s police. The difference here? It’s not a shoot-first-ask-questions-later situation. The guns are a deterrent, as well they should be.

Currently, ITV has produced two series of Maigret, adding to a total of four episodes. This may not seem a lot and trust me when you get hooked on this kind of drama it really isn’t. But it doesn’t leave a sour taste in the mouth. Instead, viewers are left hungry for more and I implore that ITV doesn’t stop now.

In my honest opinion, Maigret is a product of an era that I thought had long since passed, but now I am filled with hope that crime drama can be clever again. That’s a good feeling.

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Image: ITV