The Pale Horse

[unique1986]

BBC 1 9pm

Enjoy

Not read the book, but it's boring. Switching off!

I'm giving it a chance, but I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it, the way it's going...

Pity if they don't stick to the original ending, it was very good.

Or the original beginning!

Was the word 'scam' really in common use in 1961?

I should have switched off as soon as I saw Sarah Phelps' name on the opening credits. I haven't enjoyed a single one of her Agatha Christie adaptations, and this is boring the shit out of me. Bedtime for me, I think!

Yes, I seem to remember this was done fairly recently too?
And... agreed toddler Hickson IS Marple. I love her readings on audible. Currently half way through the 4.50 from Paddington (again 😉) as my bedtime story.

What a load of tosh. I shan’t bother with the next episode.

That was v creepy. The hair thing was weird. Trying to work out the connection - first I was super confused and couldn't work out who anyone was. Thought the red head and the dead old lady were the same person for ages.

Omg I loved it! The set and costume designers must have had a ball. Big fan of Phelps here. Rufus Sewell is fantastic and unnaturally handsome. Sorry you all hate it 🤣

It’s one of my favourite AC books so I hope it’s good! I heard Sarah Phelps interviewed on R4 and she has obviously researched in depth- but she did say she had made some changes.

I like to watch all in one go so will wait till it’s all out

It's shit! Bears no resemblance to the book at all!

Margaret Rutherford was perfection every time for me!

No one else has ever come close.

I normally hate Sarah Phelps changing the storylines but the later novels weren't as good so I'm not as bothered with this one being changed. And I'd watch Rufus Sewell in almost anything.

Sorry WheresThatCatGoneNow much as I love Margaret Rutherford she was a terrible Miss Marple. Joan Hickson though was perfect much more in keeping with the character in the books.

I haven't read the book and (perhaps because of that) I'm really enjoying it. It seems very atmospheric.

Margaret Rutherford played the role as light-hearted comedy, which really wasn't in keeping with the books.

I'm loving seeing some Bristol locations. I haven't read this book since I was a teenager so the changes aren't bothering me with this one (I was very cross about the "and then there were none"one). I'm also loving the costumes and Mark Easterbrook's beautiful apartment.

Absolute nonsense. And why does Rufus Sewell have a spray tan all the time?

It was a mistake to reread the book this week. Huge pointless changes. Not impressed. But I do love Rufus Sewell ...

I agree @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g
Mark Easterbrook wasn't married in the book! Venables was disabled (a key part of the plot.) I could go on!

Yes! One of the things that annoyed me most was Easterbrook's wife (forgot the name - Hermia?) was shown as a housewife slaving away in the kitchen making canapes. Agatha Christie portrayed her as a bluestocking, working as a journalist or academic doing something very highbrow. If she had married Easterbrook she would have insisted on having domestic help and/or caterers for a function like that. Wouldn't most people of that class have done that in 1961? They're clearly not short of a bob or two.

Many missing characters so far - the vicar's wife is a loss. And why make Mark Easterbrook sleep with Thomasina instead of just observing her in a cafe? The cynical amongst us might think it was engineered to create a scene where Rufus Sewell could be seen in a state of undress.

'Much Deeping' didn't look like a Surrey village at all, so I wonder why they decided to locate it in Surrey, given that the book says it's in Hampshire.

Etc etc etc. Sigh.

Yeah Much Deeping looked more like the Cotswolds to me.

On holiday years ago, me and friend walked past some filming for The Woodlanders, ant the cast were taking a break. I saw Rufus, and walked right past him, getting as close as I could, staring into those mesmerising hazel eyes! Friend was shocked, she said if I'd gone any closer they'd have marched me off! Never seen a more gorgeous man.

The making canapés thing was weird to a be fair. I assumed they had squads of cash and would pay someone to help.

Travesty of the book. Yet again. Won't be watching part two. Shame, because it's one of Christie's better later novels and should have produced a good programme/film. I expected the worst with Phelps' involvement - I turned her ABC Murders off pretty sharpish when she killed Japp off (and whoever cast Malkovich wants shooting).

The ITV did a pretty good job with Poirot (although some of the later scripts veered from the novels a bit too much) but trashed Miss Marple. The BBC Miss Marples were perfection - any changes were minimal and far more in keeping with Christie.

I really don't know why the Christie Estate/Company allow this sort of thing to go on. Christie HATED people messing with her stories, which is why she loathed the Rutherford Miss Marple travesties (fun though she and they may be).