Long-awaited and unseen anywhere for decades, Georges Simenon’s Maigret (1960-1963) is the definitive adaptation of Georges Simenon’s world famous novels. This BBC television production stars Rupert Davies as Commissaire Jules Maigret, the dogged French detective. Though Simenon’s books have been adapted many times, Davies’s celebrated, BAFTA-winning portrayal won the approval of Simenon himself, who stated: “At last, I have found the perfect Maigret!” This four disc-set includes all 13 episodes of Season 4, in which Maigret reckons with “The Fontenay Murders”, “The Crime at Lock 14”, and various other vexing cases that only the moody Maigret can solve. Georges Simenon’s Maigret has been remastered in High Definition from original film elements and is featured here in its original fullscreen TV format.

For thoughts on Maigret: Season 4, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Maigret: Season 4 is presented on Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with its original fullscreen presentation which showcases the same level of quality as the first three seasons. If you have read previous reviews, you will know that this series has more than a few limitations in place to how good it can look visually. These discs have been derived from existing high definition transfers of the 35mm telerecordings. The original 405-line recording presented with severe combing which has been digitally filtered to look as favorable as possible. Even with these limitations in place, this release allows the series to look as good as it possibly can.

While this series may not match what you are used to for a typical HD transfer, the fact that it has been rescued from obscurity and allowed to exist in its optimal state is a win for fans. This is a very lovely transfer that eliminates numerous unintended defects. The track does allow for some faint detail in the clothing of the subjects and in the production design, but the nature of the elements leaves the picture looking very soft. We did not spot any issues with compression artifacts, but some of the darker segments reveal the slightest amount of crush. This material is never going to look super crisp and pristine, but the upgrade is appreciated all the same.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with an enjoyable enough DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that represents the series as well as the source allows. Dialogue and background noises hold up with good fidelity. The sound effects and score appears to be accurate to the original intention for the soundscape. This disc maintains its fidelity during all key moments. The score makes an impression when certain scenes are supported with music. Despite the strength of this score, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other pertinent information. This track shows no major instances of age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for every episode.

Special Features

The State of Maigret – Restoration Notes: A two-and-a-half minute piece which relays some of the information included in the booklet about the restoration process, only with the added benefit of getting to see some before-and-after examples of the efforts put into this restoration. While not perfect, it is a drastic improvement from what the source looked like originally.

Play Of The Month – Maigret at Bay (1969): A 93-minute television movie is provided here in which Maigret must work to clear his good name. As the restoration notes reveal, this production is the only work that has the original location footage available, which allows these sections to look really amazing.

Trailer: The minute-long trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

The fourth and final season of Maigret brings the classic detective series to a satisfying conclusion. Rupert Davies closes out his time as the titular character with great care. The series does not really upend the genre as a whole, but it delivers the entertainment you want with very few missteps. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring an A/V presentation that is as strong as the source will allow. This season provides an additional television film which is much appreciated. If you are a fan of the show, be sure to round out your collection with confidence. Recommended

Maigret: Season 4 is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.