UKTV has secured the rights to two series of Maigret, setting up a December launch for the first run on U and UandDRAMA, with a second series already scheduled for 2027. The move gives the detective drama a clear rollout after its debut on PBS Masterpiece in the United States in October 2025.
For viewers of U and UandDRAMA, that means the search for Professor T-style crime drama is now meeting a concrete release plan rather than a vague promise. Maigret is built around an ambitious young detective inside the Paris Police Judiciaire leading La Crim, the serious crime division, and Benjamin Wainwright stars as Chief Inspector Jules Maigret, with Stefanie Martini as Louise Maigret and Blake Harrison as Sergeant Joseph Torrence.
The show's appeal has already travelled beyond its first release window. Karin Marelle described it as one of the most recognisable detective brands in the world, while Simon Cox said it combines gripping mysteries and rich character storytelling around one of crime fiction's most iconic and enduring detectives. That is the case UKTV is betting on as it brings the series to its own services.
The reaction so far has been strongly positive, with IMDb reviews calling it outstanding and superb. But there is a wrinkle in that praise: one viewer said they were not a fan of the books or earlier versions of Maigret, yet still found this take compelling enough to recommend. That matters because the new run is not just selling familiarity, it is asking viewers to give a classic detective another chance.
Maigret is adapted from Georges Simenon's detective novels and was created by Playground, but the timing is what makes this news land now. Series one is due in December, series two is set for 2027, and UKTV has turned a one-off acquisition into a staggered schedule that keeps the show on its platforms well into the next two years.
