Crooked House vs Maigret in Montmartre

One of the highlights of Christmas TV is settling down to a cosy, period murder mystery. In the last couple of years we’ve been treated to some lavish adaptations of novels by Agatha Christie, and this year was no exception. While unfortunate revelations prevented us from seeing the BBC One adaptation of Ordeal by Innocence, early in December a feature length adaptation of Crooked House aired on Channel 5. In addition, across the Channel in Paris in the same period, we had the adventures of Rowan Atkinson’s detective Maigret. How many more murders could one want over Christmas?

Both dramas had their merits, and both were enjoyable Christmas viewing. I confess to knowing little about the novels on which they were based, but from what I could tell the productions both felt like authentic recreations of the mid-twentieth century period. Maigret treated us to night-time Parisian streets and clubs, and did well to immerse us in the past. Crooked House was somewhat more claustrophobic, less about the period in which it was set and much more about the tension that festered within the confines of the Leonides household.

In the end, Crooked House was the drama which I enjoyed the most. Rather like the excellent adaptation of And Then There Were None a couple of years ago, Agatha Christie demonstrates her ability to create vivid and flawed characters by trapping them all together in one place. In particular, the dinner party scene in which the whole family are together showcases the characters at their most divisive and conflicted. This not only made for great drama, it also had the desired effect of any murder mystery as I found myself suspecting almost everyone at different points. The conclusion was also very satisfying when the murderer becomes apparent, which is something that wasn’t really mirrored in Maigret where we knew all along that the murderer was ‘Oscar’.

Where Maigret comes across best is in its lead character. Rowan Atkinson, one of the most versatile actors out there, thoroughly convinces in the role and is an immediately captivating detective. His authority and personality are a welcome contrast to the rather weak detective Charles Hayward of Crooked House. Hayward is an unmemorable and, at times, quite poor detective who doesn’t actually solve the case in time. With Maigret, it is a more traditional case of an intelligent detective piecing things together. Maigret is very much the star of his own show, driving the plot with wit and ingenuity. Whilst it doesn’t keep you guessing in the same way as Crooked House, there are still plenty of interesting characters and developments, forming a satisfying murder mystery narrative.

So, both dramas were worthwhile viewing and piqued my appetite for some good TV to watch by the Christmas tree. Maigret in Montmatre was a traditional detective story brought to life by an impressive cast led by Rowan Atkinson. Crooked House was another excellent Agatha Christie adaptation, cementing such adaptations as a Christmas tradition.