An anthology of psychological thrillers based on the short stories of Georges Simenon.
Each self-contained play in this anthology series adapts a short story by Georges Simenon, focusing on ordinary individuals pushed to the brink of a desperate, often violent, act. The collection of stories bypasses Simenon’s famous creation, Inspector Maigret, in favour of studies in obsession and despair. The opening play, “The Lodger”, introduces a mysterious foreigner, Elie Nagear (Zia Mohyeddin), who disrupts the lives of a Parisian family. Later stories feature characters such as Babin (Kenneth J. Warren), a fugitive returning to his hometown in “The Traveller”, and Bernard Jeantet (Joss Ackland), a man haunted by a premonition of death in “The Widower”.
Producer Irene Shubik, a key figure from the celebrated anthology slot The Wednesday Play, commissioned this series as a collection of dark, claustrophobic character studies. The production stands apart from the conventional crime dramas of its era; it discards the mechanics of the whodunnit to concentrate entirely on the psychology of the perpetrator. A formidable roster of writers, including Hugh Leonard and Clive Exton, and directors like Herbert Wise and Alan Bridges, contributed to the series’ bleak, fatalistic tone. The plays are distinguished by their focus on the grim pressures of everyday life, presenting portraits of individuals whose lives unravel into crime through quiet desperation.
Broadcast: BBC One, 13 Episodes, 19 June – 11 September 1966
Based on stories by: Georges Simenon
Producer: Irene Shubik
Theme Music: Tony Russell
Main Cast: Zia Mohyeddin (Elie Nagear), Gwendolyn Watts (Sylvia Baron), Gemma Jones (Antoinette Baron), Hywel Bennett (Giles Mauvoisin), Joss Ackland (Bernard Jeantet), Frank Finlay (Doctor Hans Kuperus), Annette Crosbie (Nell), Marius Goring (M. Hire), Michele Dotrice (Sonia), Clive Dunn (Monsieur Jaminet), Michael Robbins (Desiré), Jack Woolgar (Joseph Bourges)
