Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, has announced that ABC in Australia has acquired drama series Maigret as part of raft of international sales for the series ahead of MIPCOM 2025 in Cannes.
In deals negotiated across the Banijay Rights global sales team, the 6 x 60’ series has also been acquired by Wowow in Japan, Sky Free in New Zealand, VRT in Belgium, HRT in Croatia, and SIA Tet in Latvia.
Produced by Playground, the Golden Globe and BAFTA award-winning production company behind Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light, Maigret is the first English language contemporary television adaptation of Georges Simenon’s detective novels.
The new series reframes Parisian Chief Inspector, Jules Maigret, as an unconventional young detective with something to prove and features Benjamin Wainwright (Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim) as Jules Maigret and Stefanie Martini (The Gold, Last Kingdom, Emerald City) as Madame Louise Maigret. The series premieres on MASTERPIECE Mystery! on PBS in the US this Sunday, 5th October.
Lyle Bettson-Barker, SVP Australia & New Zealand, Banijay Rights, who brokered the ABC Australia deal, said: “Set in a vividly realised modern Paris, Maigret is a thrilling contemporary reimagining of the iconic police detective that hails from a stellar creative team at Playground. We are pleased to deliver this prestigious crime thriller to viewers worldwide.”
David Stern, Joint Managing Director, Playground, said,”Jules Maigret, Georges Simenon’s seminal creation, is a timeless character in the canon of great literary detectives and it’s been an honour to adapt the novels for television. We set out to create a series that embraces the legacy of the novels while introducing the character to a new, global audience and we’re incredibly grateful to our partners at Masterpiece and Banijay Rights.”
Colin Callender and David Stern executive produce Maigret for Playground with Patrick Harbinson (Homeland, 24, The Tower) serving as lead writer, executive producer on behalf of Windhover Films, and director of the first two episodes of the series with Faye Gilbert (The Tower, The Bay) directing Eps 3 & 4 and David Evans (Domina, Django) directing Eps 5 & 6. Susanne Simpson serves as the executive producer on behalf of MASTERPIECE, the lead commissioning broadcaster, with Hilary Strong also executive producing on behalf of Georges Simenon Limited. Further cast includes Blake Harrison (World on Fire, I Hate Suzie Too), Reda Elazouar (Sex Education, Pirates), Kerrie Hayes (The Responder, Criminal Record), Shaniqua Okwok (The Flatshare, It’s a Sin) and Rob Kazinsky (Star Trek: Section 31, Eastenders) make up the “Les Maigrets,” Maigret’s loyal team of detectives, with Nathalie Armin (Showtrial S2, Juice) set to play Prosecutor Mathilde Kernavel.
Maigret is one of several scripted highlights on Banijay Entertainment’s slate for MIPCOM 2025. Other titles include Half Man created by and starring Emmy-award winning Richard Gadd and produced by Mam Tor Productions (a Banijay UK company) for the BBC, BBC Scotland and HBO, and A Woman of Substance, based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s best-selling novel and produced by The Forge Entertainment (A Banijay UK company) for Channel 4. Also from The Forge Entertainment for Channel 4, Falling is Emmy-winning writer Jack Thorne’s new drama starring Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu. Banijay Entertainment will exhibit at MIPCOM.
