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.

Happens in End House as well. Poirot lets her take her watch jammed full of cocaine with her so she can supposedly use it to commit suicide. She'd probably just end up bouncing off the cell walls and boring the custody sergeant to death in reality

The ending to the book 'Dumb Witness' is also
different in the film from the book. But the difference is the other way around. In the book, Poirot pushes the murderer into committing suicide by writing a letter to her spelling out how she had killed her aunt. There was no way of proving what she had done, hence why he did this. He knew that she would commit suicide to protect her children from the shame of having a mother who had been hanged for murder.

By contrast, in the film she's arrested for the murderer (as well as a second murder, which isn't in the book).

@UserEleventyNine

It wasn't just the awfulness of hanging- it was to spare their loved ones the shame and ignominy.

Dorothy L. Sayers went for suicide a couple of times, for similar reasons.

I always thought the one he sent out to be run over was particularly grim, but the character prefers knowing he'll be killed on his way home to suicide or bring tried because it will be better for his family.

I quite like some of the Agatha Christie's for the fun of spotting a very young Amanda Holden, or Samantha Bond or similar — the same game adds to my enjoyment of Death in Paradise too.

Oooh I remember that. "Murder Must Advertise"- takes place in an advertising agency, Such a clever, twisty plot. And the murderer- I can't remember his name- Talbot? Tallboy? Lord Peter Wimsey tells him to go home, walk quickly and don't look back. SO grim. He knew he was going to be killed- and he was.

I think it’s just to make them a bit different, most of them have been done over and over again. I agree there is no need though.

questionzzz I remember listening to that Whimsey one recently and being quite surprised at the ending, it's pretty unusual in the run of "not making it to the hangman" endings.

How much of an ego must you have, to think you can improve, or feel compelled to change the plot of author like Agatha Christie?

Some of the later books went very markedly downhill and could certainly be improved. I’m thinking of the likes of Elephants Can Remember and Halloween Party.

It's because they have to put their own 'creative spin' on things rather than churning out the same material time and time again. I'm not a fan of remakes either. If they want to do something different just write a new book and base the film/programme on that. I've never understood this need for taking someone else's characters and putting them in a new or evolved setting.

@Hopdathelf

How much of an ego must you have, to think you can improve, or feel compelled to change the plot of author like Agatha Christie?

Some of the later books went very markedly downhill and could certainly be improved. I’m thinking of the likes of Elephants Can Remember and Halloween Party.

Agree with you there, Elephants Can Remember is awful!

I like Halloween Party though, although agree it's not her best. Bloody dark as well.