Calling all fans of the Poirot/Marple TV series

[ILoveMyYuccaPlant]

After browsing ITVX for something to watch I was excited to see that they have all the episodes of both of these series. I'm off work tomorrow and planning to have a lazy day of watching one or two of these while the kids are at school. I've read almost all the Poirot books and watched a few of the episodes (Death On The Nile, Orient Express, Roger Ackroyd) but never read any Marple although I plan to do so this year.

Any recommendations on favourite episodes that are well worth a watch? Or alternatively are there any to avoid?

Thanks!

So did I

Interestingly Agatha Christie told Joan Hickson that she wanted her to play Miss Marple but 'not yet' as she was too young.
I thought it rather sad that as soon as she died they did a new adaption. Seemed unnecessary to me.

I completely agree. I didn't like any of the ones with Mrs Oliver in. It's just not the Poirot that I knew. Didn't understand the very last few episodes at all.
Though some of the middle ones are quite good. For example Cat among the Pigeons and Appointment with Death are really good.

Oh yes. Five little pigs is excellent. Beautifully filmed. And very sad.
"It is all alright, my darling. It is all alright"
Gets me every time.

Me too.

Appointment with Death is great, other than the title it has nothing in common with the book but how can you hate an episode with Tim Curry in.

Though in Cat among the Pigeons, I'm surprised how they get the prime witness back from Anatolia quite so quickly. Bearing in mind it was the 1930's!

Marginally more credible in the book, as it's set in the 1950s, but yes! Works better all round as a 1950s story, actually, as there's reference to what certain key characters did during WW2 and to big political upheavals in the Middle East that might affect the UK's relationships and influence with countries which were newly independent after decades of being colonies and also newly rich after oil was found there.

The very last groups of stories sadly were some of the worst, but that wasn't totally the writers fault;
"The Labours of Hercules" was a book collection of 12 short stories ITV / A&E wouldn't fund a TV season so the result is a garbled 90 minute combination of 8 of these woven into an almost coherent plot.

"The Big Four" Is another loosely connected story collection bookended with a framing device. The result is yet again an undataptable mess, but with cameos from the original team.

"Elephants Can Remember" sadly a very good adaptation of a very poor book. It's speculated that Christie may have had the onset of dementia when writting. I've never been able to finish the book. She hated Poirot at this point too.

"Dead man's folly" This is a fine adaptation of a classic book. Ruined a bit by Poirot approving of suicide in the last minutes.

"Curtain: Poirot's Last Case" this is good, but it does rush through the story beats, but it is adapted well. Set in 1949 too.

I think Suchet's insistence on doing all the books (and only doing Christie penned titles) is commendable but hurt things a bit as it meant they ended with a handful of lackluster titles.

Oh wow! Amazing thank you!

Me too!

YY to Hinchcliffe and Murgatroyd in A Murder Is Announced, I would say more but can’t because spoilers!

For Christie geeks check out the All About the Dame podcast. Tragically one of the presenters died before they completed the project.

@frenchnoodle they are exactly the ones I meant. But couldn't remember the names!

I saw David Suchet in Conversation at my local theatre. He was fantastic. Also he played Lady Bracknell in The importance of being Ernest.

Watching Poirot kept me sane during the first lockdown. That said, the only Poirot episodes I don't enjoy are the ones with Ariadne Oliver. On a related note, I live around the corner from Whitehaven Mansions (or Florin Court as it is really called).

Miss Marple will always be Joan Hickson, but have a huge soft spot for Angela Lansbury's Marple in The Mirror Crack'd. There are some wonderfully bitchy exchanges between Mariana Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) and Lola Brewster (Kim Novak). A favourite is "bags, bags, go away. Come right back on Doris Day" uttered by Marina at which James Rudd (Rock Hudson) does a noticeable double take 😂

Oh yes the Mirror Crack'd is great fun!

I agree on the Ariadne episodes. I really miss Hastings, Japp, and Miss Lemon when they don't feature.

I've never seen Angela Lansbury's The Mirror Crack'd.

I've seen the opening few minutes, where everyone in the village is watching the movie and the projector breaks, but something always happens to stop me watching the rest. Last time (5 years ago) I went into Labour. Before that it was a power cut. I've decided it's cursed.

I think The Mirror Crack'd was on the other day? Angela Lansbury was a bit young at the time (only 55) and the "old" make up is a bit suss. But she's really good in Death on the Nile as Salome Otterbourne.

I'm so old I saw that version of The Mirror Crack'd and Evil Under the Sun at the cinema when they first came out. Love the setting of Evil Under the Sun film transposed from Devon in the book.

The Peter Ustinov series of films were something... they were a bit mixed. Some were 1930s, some where present day, some had good budgets some had small TV budgets. Evil Under the Sun, Dead man's folly and appointment with death are the highlights.

On a similar point, I could have sworn blind he made an adaptation of "Death in the clouds" but clearly he hadn't, must be a false memory.

Death on the Nile, that's another Ustinov highlight with a star cast!

Love Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. I remember watching these as a teen! I am currently reading Lucy Worsley’s book about Agatha and I’m working my way through some of the novels - just finished Nemesis. I watched the 4.50 from Paddington with Joan Hickson at the weekend. The character of Bryan Eastley is rather easy on the eye!!!

Yes I quite like Ustinov’s Poirot too, the films are worth watching just for the retro fun of it.

Can’t stand Albert Finney’s interpretation, nor Kenneth Branagh’s.

David Suchet is Poirot to me.

Never thought about which episodes I like most! Difficult...

Yes I think Finney was widely slated for his Poirot. But I love watching that version because I love all the stars and the way it looks. Used to really scare me as a child. The book is quite slow in patches; I was disappointed having watched the film first.

Margeret Rutherford is completely wrong as Miss Marple and far too much in the action. Lucy Eyelessbarrow and Mrs McGillicuddy are pushed out of Murder She Said and it's all MR. But I'm a fan of hers so... I mean it really is just a Rutherford playing Rutherford film but they're good fun on a wet Sunday afternoon sort of way.

The theme music is absolutely marvellous. They play it occasionally on Radio 3, and quite right too. Fabulous cast. Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman were clearly enjoying themselves.