Why oh why do TV script writers think they can improve on Agatha Christie's plots?

[questionzzz]

I absolutely hate the rewrites and plot embellishments that the newer TV scripts have done with the Agatha Christie books! It's not that they are just bizarre and unnecessary, they also have a weird ideological twist? which the original never had.
Eg just finished (re)watching "Agatha Christie's Marple: Why didn't They ask Evans". The original doesn't even have Miss Marple, ok fine, I get why they introduced her. But then, there' some completely random stuff about how the murderer, (lovers in the original) were brother and sister, long lost to their mother back in China, where the sister was sold as a "comfort woman", and now they are back plotting to kill the mother... huh? But why? why are you doing this? Most of the Poirot ones with David Suchet also have these completely random and bizarre ideological additions.

On a side note, absolutely obsessed with the 1980s shows with Joan Hickson (again)- she looks a bit like my grandma, loving the fashion, the gentle muted colours and body language.

Joan Hickson was the perfect Miss Marple in my opinion . I don't mind Julia McKenzie but Geraldine McEwan is too over the top for me.

I always thought Albert Finney was the perfect Poirot until I watched David Suchet who just cannot be bettered!

I like watching the ones filmed on Burgh Island in Devon as we had several holidays there

That particular episode was beyond weird, I've seen it a few times and still can't fathom it. I used to like it when the makers of crome stories changed the ending, especially if I'd read the book and was expecting something different.

Yes, what's with Poirot's past life as a priest?!

I once saw an adaption of And Then There Were None that should have been renamed And Then There Were Two Who Lived Happily Ever After. Blasphemous!

I agree David Suchet is the perfect Poirot- I just hate the sensationalist and stupid changes to the plots. So unnecessary, and just so bizarre! Like, why? isn't a dead body in a quiet country lane/vicarage/library enough?

There could be a million reasons:

-The book is too short to fully pad out a runtime.
-The book is old fashioned and needs a modern twist to make it engaging.
-Some of the characters need more development to make a TV audience care about them.
-Parts of the book don't work when filmed and so are changed or replaced.
-Similar plots have been on TV before and so they try to make it less guessable.
-The screenwriter was bored just adapting word for word and added some flourish.

I didn’t watch many of the newer ones with either Geraldine McEwan or Julia McKenczie but from what I have seen the only one that stayed fairly true to the original was ‘A Murder is Announced’. I also hate any additions/alterations that are there for no reason.

I have the box set of Joan Hickson ones, which are superb.

Agree, stop introducing pointless extra back story! Also agree that Joan Hickson is the consummate Miss Marple.

And the adaptation of the Pale Horse - what on earth? Completely changed (and ruined) a great story.

I thought the one with Poirot’s life as an ex priest was a really interesting idea and I enjoyed the show. I get that the original stories are great, but I think there’s room for new more expansive adaptations.

@hansgrueber right?? I actually liked the fashion in that one (Why didn't the Ask Evans)- Fanny's summer dresses! but then the plot just spiralled into crazy town- with a good old-fashion dose of toxic "Yellow Peril" and anti-chinese racism, and I was just whaaaa?

@TheBitchOfTheVicar I know right!!!! TV Poirot's godawful religiosity really puts me off the otherwise well-produced show. In one episode he's lecturing a girl about finding comfort in god blah blah - oh come on! be a bit more subtle! Hide the ideology a bit better- we're trying to enjoy a show here!

@BlackRibboner Apparently, the producers changed the ending of that because it came out towards the end of the war and they felt that audiences needed to see something with a feel good ending.

I like that Agatha Christie told Joan Hickson that she hoped she'd one day play Miss Marple.

I hate that The Body in the Library had lesbian lovers as the baddies in the most recent remake! Pretty sure I don't remember that in the book!

DD and I love murder mysteries, her favourite is the 1970s version of Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow. It's very faithful to the original novel.

I see Kenneth Branagh has done a remake - i'm not a massive Branagh fan normally, although he was brilliant as Gilderoy Lockhart. Will be interesting to see whether he's stuck to the script of the book.

I really disliked the Jon Malkovich/Rupert Grint adaptation of the ABC murders. Agatha Christie is not meant to be grisly, and I think they were wrong to trade off her name and completely change the tone of her work.

@Pukkatea people are watching Agatha Christie mostly for the name- and because they loved the books- many would already know who the murderer is!
If the scriptwriter is bored with their job of writing scripts for very well-known and prestigious shows on the BBC/ITV whatever, then they need a new job as a stuntperson in Hollywood or something, rather than ruin perfectly brilliant plots that have stood the test of time and popularity.

The idea of Poirot as an ex-priest is ridiculous- he was policeman in his earlier life, which he constantly references throughout the books, which is the completely logical and plausible thing for him to be. Why is he being a priest any more "interesting" than him being a teacher, or gardener, if he has to have a different vocation? And I suppose Miss Marple was a nun? Father Brown is right there if you like a dose of religiosity with your murder.

Poirot is FAR to vain to have ever have been a priest and lived a life of shunning material possessions.

@DannyGlickWindowTapping I just re-watched the lesbian lovers one!!! Actually I think they pulled that particular "modern" twist fairly well (and the final scene where the police realises they were lesbians and the Joanne Lumley character says sharply "Oh do keep up" was actually pretty funny..., what really set my teeth on edge in that adaptation was the weird tiara thing they had Miss Marple wear with the butterflies in her hair. Oh come on!! Miss Marple would never!

@RaspberryCoulis right? He is such a peacock and narcissist- so vain and loves the attention! He would have made a TERRIBLE priest!

Sometimes I think the writers/producers are just using the Christie name just to push their own bizarre beliefs and values- not because of any entertainment purpose or anything.

I know! Not a woman for fripperies or fancies! I did like Joanna Lumley as Dolly, tho - a bit giddy at dancing with a lovely young man! 😀

I agree- I think she rather outshone poor Geraldine Macewen- which wasn't supposed to be the point of the book at all!

Watching the Suchet Evil Under the Sun last week and not paying huge attention (I could probably speak the words with them by now!), and all I could notice was that it looked really cold! Not the weather for swimming or sunbathing. Wouldn't really work if they were all bundled up in their cardies, tho! Lol.

I want these blouses...Do you think they would be very polyester-y?

The priest thing makes no sense. He is resolutely about rationality and the little grey cells - there are references to 'the good God' at points but they're very brisk and practical. Whoever thought it up can't have read the books very carefully (or at all)

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