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!

Yes, mixed bag. Some are really good and could pass for original Agatha Christie stories. Others are a bit long-winded and overly modernised. There are a few available to listen to via BBC sounds as I think they were played on the radio earlier this year.

Poirot s2 e5 The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim is quite humourous at times!

Hickory Dickory Dock is an episode of the David Suchet series that improves on the book.
While the book is quite progressive for 1954 with a muilticultral group of students living together in a hostel, the group are made up of stereotypes like Akibombo from Africa and Ahmed Ali from Egypt.

The episode removes those characters and adds a comedy subplot where Japp (who replaces the random inspector in the book) is staying with Poirot.

Yes I have the soundtrack downloaded on Apple Music @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g . It gives me shivers in parts. They played it a Prom a few years ago.

Also have the soundtrack to Evil Under the Sun; John Lanchberry's arrangements of Cole Porter songs. And for some reason I had the Death on the Nile (Ustinov version) film theme going around my head the other day. It's very striking.

I was once having a lovely aromatherapy massage in a spa. Suddenly the Poirot theme was played on their sound system and I dissolved into laughter. Somewhat destroyed the mood.

Agree entirely!

Talking of the span of time of making the series, I was disconcerted because the actor who plays a snotty fiancé in Murder in the Mews later turns up playing George, Poirot's discreet and devoted manservant. 🤯 David Yelland.

😲 I never noticed that! Sean Pertwee is in a couple too, one from the first season one from the last but I can't remember which.

Oh yes I certainly did notice that.

But I have made my peace with it. After all I do know and accept that it is, in fact, a television series, and all the people in it are actually actors.

I've been wanting to rewatch Joan Hickson's Miss Marple but I just don't get time, some of them are nearly 3 hours long.

So to balance out good episodes of Poirot I will mention The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, they really messed that up didn't they. A case of adding Japp messing up the twist.

Watched Angela Lansbury's Marple in The Mirror Crack'd last night. I really enjoyed it. Nearly fainted at the cigarette scene though

I have never read it, but now I'm curious how does Japp being included break a twist

Cigarette scene?

@Johnnysgirl Miss Marple is sitting smoking a cigarette at the dinner table. Does she smoke in the books? Also it's the way she's smoking it. Like it's a joint.

I've never read the books. They are on my to do list for books though.

Oh, right... No, I think Miss Marple in the books would be far too genteel to smoke! There are a few references to it being something only men do, in her world.

@Johnnysgirl yeah that's what I was thinking. She is always reserved with the sherry also.

BIG SPOILERS BELOW FOR THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD!!
The novel is one of Christie's cleverest, the Hastings style character, Dr Sheppard; whom narrates the whole thing to the reader turns out to be the murderer, the above suspicion narrator does the murder. We are even in the room when the murder happens but don't realise it until the end.

The episode for some reason adds Japp, not unusual, but here instead of replacing the investigating officer from the novel he's wedged in alongside them, Inspector Davis and constable Jones are also characters. The result is Sheppard's role being really diminished because Japp takes his place of helping Poirot. So the twist is gone because Dr Sheppard is now just another suspect. They try to keep the narration with Poirot reading the diary, but it doesn't work. Dr Sheppard randomly confesses everything at the end and there is a very silly chase around a factory where Japp counts bullets.

And don't get me wrong, I do love Phillips Jackson as Japp, it's easy to forget he played Japp for longer than Suchet played Poirot, as he was Ustinov's Japp too....
But in that particular episode he wasn't really needed.

That was always going to be one of the more tricky stories to adapt for the screen. And you're right it wasn't great.

But I still happily watch it!

Sorry John Moffat's Japp too.

Suchet was Ustinov's.

@tobee yes, I spotted that too.

Hickory Dickory Dock is one of my favourite episodes. That hostel really gives me the creeps for some reason. Love that Miss Lemon has a sister. Though as a nurse I'm horrified that the morphine stolen from the pharmacy wasn't spotted for up to three months. And that a medical student sneaked his friend into see a patient she didn't actually know!!

It's a great final episode for Miss Lemon to bow out on, I know she has a line on the big 4 but that's really Japps spotlight and bow.

Hastings, of course, has curtian.

I find it so poignant how much older they all look in the last few episodes.

I don’t like endings, really.

I'm very fond of the book of The ABC Murders and when I read it when I was young I thought it was very exciting (as in lots of these things, it's the lifestyle and milieu that appeals). Although the Suchet version is pretty good I think that the casting of Franklin Clark is all wrong. He should have been younger and more lively.

I've not seen the John Malkovich version. Don't mind him but I heard liberties were taken?

I've saved up the last few episodes.