2026 will mark a bit of a shift for PBS Masterpiece‘s slate of British mystery series. After 12 years in the titular Cambridgeshire village, the long-running hit detective drama Grantchester, starring Robson Green and Rishi Nair, will come to a close with its eleventh season this summer. Not only that, but the Leslie Manville-led Murders series will open its third and final chapter, based on Anthony Horowitz‘s novel Marble Hall Murders. Both have been beloved favorites on the network since their premieres, and their absence will be felt, particularly in the case of Grantchester, given its tenure. Fortunately, there’s at least one new detective who will be sticking around.
A full six months after it first aired in the U.S., Masterpiece has opted to pick up its contemporary adaptation of Maigret for a second season. Starring Benjamin Wainwright as the titular world-famous Parisian detective, the show marked the first-ever telling of Georges Simenon‘s bestselling novels in the modern day, following Jules Maigret’s rise through the ranks of the Paris Police Judiciaire. Compared to his peers, however, the Chief Inspector opts to solve cases by delving into the mindset of the criminals at hand and approaching them with a sense of understanding. Though he may be young and still trying to prove that his methods work, he still pursues his quarry throughout the city of love with confidence that he can not only catch them but also unravel the why behind their actions.
With the Season 2 announcement came confirmation that filming is also already underway in Budapest and that Maigret will face some significant changes within his department this time around. Three of Simenon‘s most beloved stories, The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, Maigret’s Revolver, and The Yellow Dog, will be adapted for the occasion, pitting him against a new series of heartbreaking crimes that will test his resolve and his sense of justice. However, Maigret’s mentor and boss, Director of Police Xavier Guichard, played by series newcomer Nathaniel Parker, will not make things any easier. He shakes up the team, pulling out one of Maigret’s closest colleagues and replacing him with former Internal Affairs officer George Bonfils (Alex Bhat), who does not mesh well with the rest of the group. Even now, his superiors still have qualms with him, creating a backdrop of a little inner-office turmoil that Maigret will have to navigate in addition to his latest cases.
Who Else Is Back on the Case for ‘Maigret’ Season 2?
Fortunately, Wainwright will have plenty of familiar faces helping him juggle what’s being billed as a more complicated Season 2. Stefanie Martini will reprise her role as Madame Louise Maigret, while Maigret’s ever-loyal “Les Maigrets,” Kerrie Hayes, Shaniqua Okwok, and Reda Elazouar, will also report for duty again. Also among those back for more Maigret are Nathalie Armin, James Northcote, and Rob Kazinsky. Last but certainly not least, on the creative end, Homeland writer and producer Patrick Harbinson returns to the helm as showrunner, director, and executive producer, with Lisa Clarke and David Evans joining him behind the camera. In getting a second run, the team has already matched the length of the 2016 rendition of Simenon’s legendary detective, played by Rowan Atkinson, and now, they’ll look to turn Maigret into a new staple for Masterpiece.
In an official statement, Masterpiece‘s Head of Scripted Content, Susanne Simpson, likened Harbison‘s work to a breath of fresh air in terms of what he’s accomplished with the Parisian sleuth. “Patrick Harbinson has brought Jules Maigret into contemporary times with heart, humor, and humanity. I couldn’t be happier to bring a second season to our Masterpiece audience.” His modern-day approach is exactly why David Stern, the Joint Managing Director for Maigret producer Playground, is so excited to see where the adaptation goes next.
“We’re incredibly grateful to our partners at PBS Masterpiece and Banijay for their continued support for Maigret. Season 1 proved that Maigret continues to be both timeless and timely, and Patrick Harbinson’s approach to adapting the material has only lifted what was already an incredible character and literary canon. We can’t wait for audiences to see what we have in store for Maigret, Madame Maigret, and the loyal Les Maigrets in season 2.”
Maigret Season 2 is now in production.
via Collider