Meet the cast of Maigret in Montmartre

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Detective Jules Maigret (played by Rowan Atkinson)

The eponymous French detective becomes emotionally invested in this particular case as showgirl Arlette comes to him for fear of her life after overhearing plans to murder a Countess. When he fails to protect her, Maigret feels responsible and is hell bent on catching her killer.

Who is Rowan Atkinson?

Rowan Atkinson is a comedy legend best known for playing iconic characters Edmund Blackadder and Mr Bean. He wrote the first outing of The Black Adder with Richard Curtis, reprising his role in subsequents series, and has played Mr Bean since 1999 in TV series, two feature films and nowadays an animated version. Atkinson has also shown up in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually, played Johnny English, voiced Zazu in The Lion King and fronted Ben Elton's police sitcom The Thin Blue Line.

Arlette (played by Olivia Vinall)

Beguiling showgirl Arlette comes to Maigret at the Quai des Orfevres claiming she overheard two men discussing the murder of a Countess. But Arlette is suspiciously prickly and eventually dashes from the station. The next morning she is found murdered in her apartment.

Who is Olivia Vinall?

Olivia Vinall's TV breakout role came this year, playing the daughter of Emily Watson's character in Apple Tree Yard. Since then she's wrapped on Amma Asante's film When Hands Touch and filmed the BBC's six-part series The Woman in White due on screens next year. Olivia has also trodden the boards in National Theatre productions Othello (as Desdemona opposite Adrian Lester) and King Lear (playing Cordelia) and played the lead in Tom Stoppard play The Hard Problem.

Philippe (played by Sebastian de Souza)

Rent boy Philippe sponges off the Countess – although her fortune has long since dwindled. When she's found dead, Philippe believes his life is in danger.

Who is Sebastian de Souza?

Since finding fame playing Matty Levan in Skins, Sebastian de Souza has gone on to appear in The Borgias and film Plastic. He wrote the screenplay and starred in Kids in Love, with Will Poulter and Cara Delevingne, and co-founded a production company with Poulter titled Good Soil.

Fred (played by Douglas Hodge)

Fred is the owner of the seedy club where Arlette was employed. Creepy, cruel and callous, he's not exactly boss of the year – and runs a pretty frightful establishment.

Who is Douglas Hodge?

Douglas Hodge is an award-winning stage actor, picking up Tony and Olivier awards for his lead role in 2010's La Cage au Folles. He has picked up two more Olivier nominations along the way, for 2001's The Caretaker and 2012's Inadmissable Evidence. Meanwhile, on TV he won acclaim for playing Dr Tertius Lydgate in the BBC's Middlemarch, also appearing in Behaving Badly, Capital City, The Night Manager, Catastrophe and Unforgotten.

Rosa (played by Lorraine Ashbourne)

AKA Mrs Fred, Rosa works at the club and is forever putting up with his nefarious behaviour.

Who is Lorraine Ashbourne?

During her 30-year career, Lorraine Ashbourne has starred in City Central, Playing the Field, Public Enemies, The Interpreter and, more recently, Jericho and Unforgotten. She is married to actor and director Andy Serkis.

Inspector Janvier (played by Shaun Dingwall)

Janvier is Maigret's loyal deputy, working alongside the French detective in cracking complicated cases.

Who is Shaun Dingwall?

Shaun Dingwall has plenty of experience playing policemen – he portrayed DC Mark Rivers in three series of Paul Abbott's Touching Evil, DI Mike Lewis in Lynda La Plante's Above Suspicion and a detective super in New Tricks. Besides that, he was Rose Tyler's dad Pete in Doctor Who and a young Del Boy's old man in Rock & Chips – the prequel to Only Fools and Horses.

Inspector LaPointe (played by Leo Staar)

Lapointe also works for Maigret – but viewers will notice a flash of recognition when he sees Arlette's body. What is he hiding?

Who is Leo Staar?

Leo Staar will be best known to most as Jenny Lee's ill-fated boyfriend Alec Jesmond in Call the Midwife, bowing out in tear-jerking fashion. Since departing the drama he's made appearances in Casualty, Death in Paradise and Lewis.

Madame Maigret (played by Lucy Cohu)

Maigret's loyal wife sticks by his side through thick and thin and puts up with the long hours he spends solving cases, including his late-night crime re-enactments in their living room.

Who is Lucy Cohu?

Lucy Cohu made her name playing Major Jessica Bailey in Soldier, Soldier, before going on to win a Bafta and Emmy nod for her portrayal of Princess Margaret in Channel 4's The Queen's Sister. She got her hands on an Emmy in the end for true-life drama Forgiven and has also appeared in Cape Wrath, Ballet Shoes, Torchwood and Broadchurch.

Dr Bloch (played by Adrian Scarborough)

The man who administered to the Countess is summoned upon the news of her death to aid with the investigations. Maigret has his suspicions that he supplied her with a steady stream of morphine.

Who is Adrian Scarborough?

During his 25-year career, Adrian Scarborough has been known for roles in The King's Speech, Gavin & Stacey (playing Pete Sutcliffe), Upstairs Downstairs (as butler Mr Pritchard) and Miranda (portraying Charlie). On the stage, he won a 2011 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in After the Dance and has appeared in countless productions for the National Theatre.

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The Countess (played by Nicola Sloane)

Once married to a wealthy member of the establishment, the Countess kept undesirable company upon his death, turning to morphine while bankrolling young Philippe.

Who is Nicola Sloane?

Nicola Sloane played Hazel Flintham in Home Fires and Nurse Pollock in Dancing on the Edge. She's also cropped up in films Les Miserables, Mr Turner and The Danish Girl.