little grey cell comfort food

When I can’t think of anything else to read, or just want something comforting and familiar, there is always Agatha Christie. And although I have read (I think) most of her books by now, I am still drawn most frequently to the ones featuring the inimitable Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. He of the meticulous ways and fantastic mustaches. With his obsession with detail and as Ben Franklin says, “a place for everything, everything in its place,” he has to be a Virgo, like me. And probably a little bit OCD.

“There was only one thing about his own appearance which really pleased Hercule Poirot, and that was the profusion of his moustaches, and the way they responded to grooming and treatment and trimming. They were magnificent. He knew of nobody else who had any moustache half as good.” ― Agatha Christie, Hallowe’en Party

I downloaded some Poirot-centric titles on Kindle and was not disappointed. The first, Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly, is a shorter, novella-length version of what became her novel Dead Man’s Folly. The plot is similar to the novel, but there are a few changes and twists to the story. Christie was well-known for reusing plots and motifs and then changing around settings and even murderers for a completely different result. It is fun to read Christie’s description of the main house where the murder takes place, as she based it on her own house in Devon.

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

The next Christie I read is a longtime favorite, Hallowe’en Party. This is a particularly diabolical mystery, as the victim and even some of the suspects are children. Agatha Christie never shied away from the concept of evil, or its being able to take root at an early age. Poirot has to tread lightly as he tries to solve a brutal drowning – in a tub full of apples – as he questions a seemingly nice community of nice people. The ultimate solution has to feature one of her most interesting motives, too.

The next Christie was a new collection of short stories, featuring Poirot and Christie’s other detectives: Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Parker Pyne, etc. Along with a reminiscence about one of her childhood Christmas holidays, the featured stories include: “Christmas at Abney Hall,” “Three Blind Mice,” “The Chocolate Box,” “A Christmas Tragedy,” “The Coming of Mr. Quin,” “The Clergyman’s Daughter/The Rose House,” “The Plymouth Express,” “Problem at Pollensa Bay,” “Sanctuary,” “The Mystery of Hunters Lodge,” “The World’s End,” “The Manhood of Edward Robinson,” and “Christmas Adventure.” Christie fans will recognize that “Three Blind Mice” is the novella version of her long-running play “The Mousetrap.” These are all good stories and the winter’s theme makes them feel especially cozy.

Poirot and Me, by David Suchet

Not quite ready to quit Christie, but not in the mood for a re-read, I stumbled across Poirot and Me, by David Suchet. This is a charming book by the actor most well-known as the definitive Poirot (sorry Kenneth Branagh). Suchet outlines his entire acting career in this memoir, which includes a lot of award-winning theater and films and television. But a great bulk of his career and life has been spent playing Christie’s most famous detective. He is proud to share that journey and how Poirot has affected his career and life. He may have initially taken the role thinking it would be a short-term thing, as many British series are, but he grew to love the character and become a champion for filming every Christie novel and short story featuring Poirot. This was a monumental project, completed over the course of many years and different production companies. The decision to keep the time frame in the 1930s gave the series an impeccable feel and design. But he was finally able to realize his dream and the Agatha Christie’s Poirot series is one of television’s best classic mystery series.

And this concludes my adventures with Poirot. Until the next re-read.

Reviews on Cannonball Read 13

speaking of mustaches ...

I have been into thrillers lately ...

Murder on The Orient Express, by Agatha Christie, 1934

I had to re-read this classic Agatha Christie novel after recently seeing the Kenneth Branagh movie version. I have always been a huge fan of David Suchet and his version of Christie's most famous detective, Hercule Poirot. I was initially horrified at the promotional photos of Branagh's take on the inimitable Belgian's famous 'stache, but I actually enjoyed his lively take on the character. Maybe some of that enthusiasm carried over when I was reading the novel, which is not as smooth or fast-paced as its many screen versions. But I found myself not getting caught up in Christie's clues and red herrings (a dropped pipe cleaner, monogrammed handkerchief, etc,) and instead enjoyed his conversations with a train full of suspects and his unique take on the solution of the crime.

Can Branagh's Poirot and his magnificent mustaches solves the case?

The Mystery of the Blue Train, by Agatha Christie, 1928

Christie didn't just set one murder on the famous and luxurious Orient Express, or Blue Train, as it was sometimes called. Poirot shows up about halfway through the book, written before Murder on The Orient Express. The mystery features plenty of adultery and romance, centering on a married couple who are both involved with other partners. Christie is said to have not liked this book, but that may be because she was writing it both before and after her infamous disappearance and the dissolution of her first marriage. Whether she liked it or not, Poirot is at his most charming - flirting with young ladies on the Riviera while he tracks down a murder and solveds the disappearance of a famous ruby known as the "Heart of Fire."

Agatha Christie, by Mary S. Wagoner

This is an O.K. biography of Agatha Christie. The author gives a brief biography of her life, leaning heavily on Christie's own autobiography for the majority of her quotes. Readers who are not familiar with all of the author's intricately plotted books might want to steer clear of this one, as major plot points and solutions are revealed. It is a fun but slim read for the Christie-phile who might want to learn a little bit more about the author, including lesser known features of her life, like the numerous long-running plays she wrote when not cranking out her best-selling mysteries, and the romance novels she wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott.

Lori, by Robert Bloch, 1989

This book was just ... strange. It tells the story of Lori Holmes, definitely no relation to Sherlock, who comes home from college with her boyfriend/fiance to find out that her parents are dead and her childhood home has burnt down. Bloch, the author of Psycho, seems to not know whether this should be a supernatural thriller or murder mystery. Not that a book can't be both, but this book never seems to find its voice. Lori has strange, sometimes disturbing dreams, but she seems to be more a girl of the 50s than the almost-90s. She passively accepts tons of tranquilizers from the men in her life who just want to shut her up. And most of those said men have mustaches, and similar attitudes, so seem hard to tell apart. Were mustaches really a thing in 1989? I remember men being more clean-shaven. Anyway, it's not horrible, I got through it, but not so good, either. It was more than a little hard to hang in there to find out if any of Lori's dreams or hallucinations would pay off.

mon cher poirot

After my recent Alex Cross-athon, I felt I needed a palate cleanser. And what better, than to re-read some old favorites, by the grande dame of mystery herself, Agatha Christie? I first discovered Christie when I was about 10 or 11, prowling through my mother's bookcases for something to read. I guess I had exhausted whatever I had taken home from the Bookmobile - probably Louisa May Alcott's Eight Cousins or a collection of folktales. The first Christie I read was The Moving Finger. I still have my mom's paperback, with its lurid purple cover illustration.

I almost chose that book to read, but decided that what I really needed, the perfect antidote to the oh-so-imperfect character of Alex Cross, was the detective par excellence, the little Belgian, Hercule Poirot. Although Christie reportedly grew to loathe her most famous creation, I loved Poirot at first read. From his sartorial elegance, his love of symmetry and order, and his amazing "little grey cells," Poirot had me enthralled. Christie's books, if you read between the lines, are full of sex and greed and, well, evil. Poirot, as much as he lives his life with precision and fine food and wine and aperitifs, is never blind to such base human emotions and desires. He travels in fancy circles, but he is always able to treat everyone, no matter what their station in life, equally - especially when it comes to considering them as a suspect in a murder.

Agatha Christie's novels are a time capsule. There are aspects that stand out as strange and inappropriate today - the discussions of class, the role of women in society, Christie's own personal prejudices - she really doesn't seem to like Italians. But she also gives us a glimpse into the mores and habits of a time gone by. And there is a lot to be enjoyed: a time when people dressed for dinner and travel, writing letters, having few but essential, possessions. One can learn some great forgotten or little-used words while reading Christie: baize, malachite, galoshes, jackanapes, valise. It's also fun to read such English phrases as "trunk call," "games mistress," and "dressing gown."

Poirot and his little grey cells were on fine display in these four books I have read recently:

Evil Under the Sun, 1941 - Poirot wants a relaxing holiday on England's Devon coast, but soon observes that some of his fellow hotel guests are involved in a love triangle that could prove dangerous for one of the participants - namely a flirtatious and callous beauty named Arlena Marshall.

Funerals are Fatal, 1953 - Richard Abernethie, a wealthy man, has died, and his family has gathered for his funeral. At the reading of his will his eccentric sister Cora blurts out, "But he was murdered, wasn't he?" When Cora turns up dead soon after, Hercule Poirot must investigate whether her murder was a cause and effect. Christie could be quite brutal in her books, as Cora is killed with the multiple strikes of an axe, a la the parents of Lizzie Borden. One of my favorite Poirots, the group of suspects, Richard and Cora's relatives, are some of the most entertaining and well-drawn in Christies' mysteries.

Murder in the Calais Coach (Murder on the Orient Express), 1934 - One of Christie's most famous and ingenious puzzles, this book finds Poirot on the famed and luxurious Orient Express. The train and its elegance is described beautifully, but the reader can't get lost in the details of the train, as almost as soon as it leaves the station a murder takes place in the middle of the night, in the compartment next-door to Poirot (!), while the train is trapped, caught in a blizzard. The ultimate "locked room mystery," the book is great to read for a first time, or re-read and see how Christie plants all the clues to her creative solution.

Cards on the Table, 1936 - In this clever book Christie pits four sleuths vs. four presumed murderers. The mysterious Mr Shaitana sets up a strange (and of course dangerous) dinner party. He invites Poirot, his friend Colonel Race, and mystery author (and Christie stand-in) Ariadne Oliver to join him on Team Sleuth. The other four guests are Dr Roberts, Mrs Lorrimer, explorer Major Despard, and a young woman named Anne Meredith. During dinner Shaitana talks about murder and its various methods. After the meal they divide into two groups to play bridge. At the end of the night Poirot and Race discover that Shaitana is dead - stabbed with his own ornamental knife. The book uses the game of bridge as a clue to each suspect's personality, and the detectives split up, along with Superintendent Battle, and each focus on one suspect to determine if they were, as Shaitana suspected, "successful murderers," in their past.

Christie always plays fair with her readers, which becomes quite clear on a re-read. I have quite enjoyed this mini Christie vacation and feel that I can go ahead and read some other books on my to-read list - or maybe squeeze in a few more Poirots before the holidays.

agatha christie's poirot: series 11

David Suchet is as wonderful as ever as Hercule Poirot in this latest DVD collection from Acorn Media, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 11. The costumes, settings and locations are as gorgeous as ever in these first-class adaptations of Christie's mystery novels. The films stay mostly true to Christie's original novels. Two of the episodes pair Poirot with Christie's thinly-veiled spoof of herself, crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Zoë Wanamaker).

Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) and Ariadne Oliver (Zoë Wanamaker) consider the pool of suspects

The first film in the set, "Mrs. McGinty's Dead," seems a bit more artistically framed than previous Poirot episodes. It features one of Christie's most clever plots, with Poirot taking on a cold case and having to rough it in the country while he investigates the murder of an elderly charwoman in the small village of Broadhinny:

Poirot, "Well, I too suffer. The cooking of Madame Summerhayes; it is beyond description. Well, it is not cooking at all. The currents of the cold air. The long hairs of the dogs. The chairs. The terrible, terrible beds in which I try to sleep! And the coffee: words cannot describe to you the fluid they serve to you as coffee."

Poor persnickety Poirot. He may not be enjoying the usual creature comforts of his well-appointed London flat, but his deductive skills are as sharp as ever.

Read the entire review on Cinema Sentries.

les petits meurtres d'agatha christie

I am writing reviews for the website Cinema Sentries now, too. Here's an excerpt of my latest review of a French-language Agatha Christie mystery series, "Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie, Set 1 DVD Review: Who Needs Poirot?." Please don't be put off by the prospect of subtitles. These shows are really terrific.

... Christie's famous sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, have been replaced by two sets of French investigators. In the first six mysteries, set in the 1930s-era France, Superintendent Larosière (Antoine Duléry) and his trusty sidekick, Inspector Lampion (Marius Colucci) solve a variety of murders. Larosière, who loves fine food and has an eye for the ladies, can be both dismissive and gentle with poor Lampion (sometimes at the same time). Lampion seems to have trouble just trying to keep up with his brilliant yet mercurial boss. They are a witty pair, and these renditions definitely have brought a sense of humor to the fore. Although frequently funny, the pair is also deadly serious about crime and catching criminals — they continually remind the contemporary audience that the guillotine awaits their convicted murderers. There is also a dash of romance in these mysteries; they are French, after all. Larosière may find himself attracted to both a lady in peril as well as a possible suspect. Lampion also finds romance — with different men he meets during the course of their cases. ...

Lampion and Larosière

poirot, series 10

Acorn Media has released for the first time on Blu-ray Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 10. The four feature-length mysteries included on these discs feature some of Christie's most tragic plots, but her victims and murderers are not her typical "bad guys." The four films were originally broadcast in 2005 and 2006 and include some of the series' most stellar guest stars, including Lucy Punch (Doc Martin, Ella Enchanted), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, 12 Years a Slave) and Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven, MASH). Zoë Wanamaker (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Prime Suspect) returns as Poirot's friend and foil, eccentric crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (a self-portrait-like spoof of Christie herself.)

Mrs. Oliver (Zoë Wanamaker) and Poirot (David Suchet) attend a very strange dinner party

The production is its usual high quality, with costumes and set designs accurately and attractively reflecting the period setting, which the series has kept in the 1920s/1930s Art Deco era. The images on the discs look sharp, especially on a large-scale high-definition television screen, with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The dialogue and the musical soundtrack are also crisp and clear (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), with English SDH subtitles available. The mournful soundtrack is by Stephen McKeon. There are bonus features too: a photo gallery and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

The episodes on the two discs episodes appear in their original U.K. broadcast order. Fans of Christie's books may not be pleased by how the original stories have been modified in these filmed versions, but changes to the novels do keep viewers who may think they know what's coming guessing — especially in the first episode in the set, "The Mystery of the Blue Train." The basic plot, which concerns murder and the theft of a priceless jewel aboard a luxury train, is still there, but Poirot now finds himself on the spot, much like his other famous case, "Murder on the Orient Express."

Liberties with Christie's text continue in the second episode, "Cards on the Table." The original novel, like many of Christie's puzzles, had an ingenious set-up — four sleuths (including Poirot and Mrs. Oliver) pitted against four "successful" murderers — people who had committed crimes but had never been accused or convicted. But this version switches murderers, makes a neat yet intricate premise unnecessarily complicated, and adds more "contemporary" sexual goings-on, a tactic that has been used to spice up the more recent incarnations of Marple, but until now, not Poirot.

The second disc includes the most successful and entertaining episodes in the set, "After the Funeral" and "Taken at the Flood." In "After the Funeral" Poirot is asked by a lawyer friend (Robert Bathurst) to help determine whether a family patriarch and his sister were murdered — and by whom. Every member of the Abernethie family is a suspect, and the cast includes Michael Fassbender, Lucy Punch,  and Geraldine James. The adaptation is classic drawing-room Christie.

Cousins George Abernethie (Michael Fassbender) and Susannah Henderson (Lucy Punch) in "After the Funeral"

The real jewel in the set is "Taken At the Flood," which has been updated from its original post-war setting. Poirot once again finds himself dealing with a complicated wealthy family, the Cloades. Viewers will find themselves as affected by the outcome of this mystery as the detective himself, who believes he has witnessed one of the most evil crimes of his career. The impressive guest cast includes Jenny Agutter, Tim Piggott-Smith, and Celia Imrie.

"How depraved! God, how evil does a man have to be to cause the slaughter of so many innocent people? For the concealment of a single murder? If God should withhold his mercy from anyone on earth ... it surely will be you."

What makes the Poirot series so watchable is David Suchet in the title role as the brilliant yet persnickety Belgian detective. In all four mysteries Suchet as is as wonderful as ever, and imbues his character with real emotion, especially in the final mystery in the set, "Taken At the Flood." Suchet recently has realized his goal of filming all of Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries. There may not be any new Poirots in the offing, but it is nice to know that thanks to Blu-rays like these, Suchet as Poirot can be enjoyed again and again.

Originally published on Blogcritics: Blu-ray Review: ‘Poirot, Series 10′

poirot: series 7 & 8

Acorn Media has released on Blu-ray for the first time some titles only previously available on DVD: Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 7 & 8. For Agatha Christie and Poirot enthusiasts it is great to see these titles remastered for the precision of Blu-ray. The widescreen (aspect ratio: 1.77:1, 1080 resolution) images look great on a large-scale, high-definition television screen. The colors are vibrant; and details, such as the weave of Poirot's suit jacket or his incredibly waxed mustaches are stellar. Shadows may look a bit murky on some of the more highly-lit exterior scenes. The episodes were remastered from their original 16mm film prints.

David Suchet is as excellent as always as Hercule Poirot, the world's most brilliant and fastidious detective. His faithful friends and assistants also show up along the way - Hugh Fraser as Poirot's best friend and colleague, Captain Hastings, Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as his personal secretary, the incomparable Miss Lemon. Poirot travels across England and beyond to solve the multiple murders in these mysteries. The Art Deco period settings and costumes look as fabulous as ever.

Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) basks in the glow of his client, the actress Jane Wilkinson (Helen Grace)

The two-disc Blu-ray includes four feature-length mysteries, presented in their original U.K. broadcast order:

"The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" (2000) —Poirot has retired to the countryside to raise vegetable marrows (squash). When his friend the wealthy industrialist Roger Ackroyd (Malcolm Terris) is found murdered in his home, Poirot can (happily) ditch his new gardening habit and throw himself back into the detection of crime. Poirot is assisted in his investigations by the local doctor, Dr. Sheppard (Oliver Ford Davies), and his busybody sister Caroline (Selina Cadell). This is one of Christie's more original twists on the locked room mystery.

"Lord Edgware Dies" (2000) — Back home at his London flat, Poirot is charmed by film actress Jane Wilkinson (Helen Grace), who asks his help - first to secure her divorce from her brute of a husband, Lord Edgware (John Castle) - then to find out who murdered the unpleasant nobleman. Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), who has recently returned to England from Argentina after making some foolish investments, is thrilled by the milieu of the murder, which takes the pair backstage among theater folk, such as cabaret mimic Carlotta Adams (Fiona Allen).

"Murder in Mesopotamia" (2001) —Poirot accompanies Hastings to an archaeological dig in Iraq, which becomes the setting for multiple murders, antiquities theft, and a number of other mysteries that the great Belgian detective must unravel. The archaeological site of the Roman city of Oudhna, in Tunisia, provides a gorgeous and authentic backdrop for one of Christie's more compelling mysteries, but apparently was one of the most difficult ones to complete for Suchet as Poirot:

"It was undoubtedly the most difficult shoot of my entire career because of the extreme heat. The temperature reached 139 degrees, and my costume consists of a three-piece wool suit, leather gloves, a hat, a wing collar, bow tie, and full body padding. I had to drink four litres of water every day because I was sweating so much, but even so I nearly fainted on several occasions."

After meeting and marrying Archaeologist Max Mallowan, Christie set many of her mysteries at digs or other sites that her travels took her with Mallowan. "Murder in Mesopotamia" features an archaeologist, Dr. Erich Leidner (Ron Berglas), his high-strung American wife, Louise (Barbara Barnes), who believes that her life is in danger, and a string of suspects who are all attached in one way or another to the excavations, including Hastings's nephew Bill Coleman (Jeremy Turner-Welch).

Louise Leidner (Barbara Barnes) confesses her fears to Poirot and Hastings (Hugh Fraser) at her husband's dig in Mesopotamia.

"Evil Under the Sun" (2001) — Poirot has been told, to his horror, that he must lose weight after he suffers a fainting spell at a new Argentinian restaurant (another one of Hastings's investments). A forced vacation to a seaside resort in Devon, the Sandy Cove Hotel, is at first a nightmare for Poirot, who is on a strict food and exercise regimen. But as he turns his attention to his fellow hotel guests, he notices that something, more than the terrible food, is wrong at the the Sandy Cove Hotel. A glamorous former actress, Arlena Stuart (Louise Delamere), is blatantly flirting with Patrick Redfern (Michael Higgs), upsetting his decidedly unglamorous wife Christine (Tamzin Malleson), as well as her husband Kenneth Marshall (David Mallinson). The love triangle seems only the tip of the iceberg. Once Arlena is found dead, alone, on an isolated beach, Poirot must sift through the other guests' alibis, as they all seem to have their own jealousies and secrets.

SDH Subtitles in English are available, but there are unfortunately no other extras included in Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 7 & 8. But Poirot's "little grey cells" are as top-notch as ever, and die-hard Christie fans can now enjoy some of their favorite mysteries on Blu-ray.

Originally published on Blogcritics as: Blu-ray Review: ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Series 7 & 8′

the thoroughly modern miss fisher

Acorn Media has introduced American audiences to another great mystery series, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Set in 1920s Australia, the mystery series features the thoroughly modern Miss Phryne (pronounced Fry’-nee) Fisher (Essie Davis), who has recently come into a bundle and has no hesitations in spending it. Miss Fisher is young, fun-seeking, and not in the least bit interested in getting married or having children. She is interested in men, and throughout the series manages to have quite a few romances.

The episodes are based on the character and novels written by Kerry Greenwood. Most of the episodes share the same name as Greenwood’s novels. Miss Fisher is aided in her investigations by Detective Jack Robinson (Nathan Page), Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt), and her companion Dorothy “Dot” Williams (Ashleigh Cummings). Her eccentric household is rounded out by ward Jane.

Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher,  a very stylish detective

There are 13 episodes on four discs in the Series One DVD. In the first few we are introduced to Phryne Fisher and the people who populate her life. Miss Fisher may be in the grand tradition of a madcap heiress, but she is also as sharp as a tack and willing to take on any adventure. She is drawn towards solving mysteries and helping people, as a puzzle from her own life, the disappearance of her sister, still haunts her. In the first episode, “Cocaine Blues,” circumstance throws her into a murder investigation at a house party. Miss Fisher clears the matter up, while also exposing an abortion ring and cocaine dealer. Her experience gives her the confidence to become a private consulting detective, in the grand tradition of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. During the course of her investigation, Miss Fisher meets housemaid Dot, who had been working as a maid in the murdered man’s household and hires her as a companion.

Dot joins Miss Fisher on a trip to the country, to retrieve her glamorous new car, a Hispano-Suiza, in “Murder on the Ballarat Train.” When the train stalls on the tracks one of the passenger’s bodies turns up very dead, leading Miss Fisher to solve a grisly murder. Miss Fisher’s investigations frequently take her to some of the seedier parts of Melbourne, but she also likes to go out and have a good time at jazz clubs. In “The Green Mill Murder” Miss Fisher and murder both hit the dance hall. When she’s not cutting a rug her search for clues also allows her the opportunity to practice her aviation skills.

Dot is in the forefront when she is kidnapped during the “Death at Victoria Dock.” Miss Fisher must not only solve the murder of a young man, but also rescue Dot. She also finds time for romance with a handsome man who calls himself Peter the Painter. A bookshop (“Raisins and Almonds”) and the opera (“Ruddy Gore”) form the backdrop for her next two cases, both based on novels of the same name. “Ruddy Gore” also introduces Miss Fisher to a new man, Lin Chung.

Miss Fisher’s past always haunts her and informs how she reacts to the people in her life and the crimes she solves. In “Murder in Montparnasse” she must confront some of the demons from her days in Paris when the widow of a painter she posed for, Pierre Sarcelle, turns up and demands her husband’s old paintings. But first Miss Fisher must determine whether Sarcelle’s death, at the Montparnasse train station, was truly an accident.

Women are the victims in her next three cases. In “Away with the Fairies” Miss Fisher must enter the world of magazine publishing to uncover the murderer of a columnist and author. She also encounters former lover Lin Chung, who once again becomes a welcome distraction. Flapper socialite Miss Fisher is charged with refining a group of young ladies in “Queen of the Flowers” in preparation for an annual flower parade. When one of the girl’s bodies washes up on the beach Miss Fisher must find the killer, while also worrying about whether her ward, Jane, will soon leave her household with her birth mother. In “Death by Miss Adventure” a young female factory worker turns up dead and Miss Fisher must determine whether it was an accident or murder. Dot goes undercover to aid in the investigation, but may also be in harm’s way.

The mystery still surrounding the disappearance of Miss Fisher’s sister Jane frame the last three mysteries in the series. In “Blood and Circuses” Miss Fisher goes undercover as a magician’s assistant when a death occurs at the local carnival. Painful memories of her childhood come to the fore as she recalls how her sister Jane disappeared one night when they sneaked into the big top. In Murder in the Dark” a young girl is found drowned at Miss Fisher’s aunt’s house. The elegant sleuth must race to solve the crime – which may also be linked to her own sister’s disappearance. Is the man she believes to be responsible, Murdoch Foyle (Nicholas Bell), still at large, and will his next victim be her ward Jane? The first season wraps up with Miss Fisher’s continued search for Murdoch Foyle in the episode “King Memses’ Curse.” Will Miss Fisher be able to finally resolve what happened to her sister Jane all those years ago – and before Foyle can set his sights on her?

The series’ production values are top-notch, showcasing 1920s Australia in both the settings and costume design. The picture quality is excellent, with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and looks terrific on a large-scale high-definition television screen. SDH subtitles are available. The box set has a total running time of 706 minutes. Bonus featurettes include “The look of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” “Meet the Creators,” as well as a set tour and cast interviews. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is a real treat for mystery fans and anyone interested in period drama. Essie Davis is a wonderfully charismatic lead, and the even greater news is that there is a second season in the works.

Originally published on Blogcritics: DVD Review: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Series 1

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• DVD Review: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Series 1

poirot and marple — fan favorites

Acorn Media has released Agatha Christie's Poirot & Marple: Fan Favorites Collection on DVD. Acorn asked fans to vote for their favorite Christie mysteries, and have now packaged the results in an excellent six-disc collection.


David Suchet is the ultimate Hercule Poirot. He portrays the dapper Belgian detective with flair, humor, and intelligence. The Art Deco period sets and locations just enhance the experience. The six feature-length Poirot mysteries on three discs also feature Poirot's inimitable allies Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson), and Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran), Poirot's uber-efficient secretary. Some well-known guest stars also appear.

All six Poirot episodes are excellent, but Acorn wisely starts things off with "Murder on the Orient Express," a superb interpretation of Christie's classic whodunit, and one of the best in the entire series. Originally broadcast in 2010, with such recognizable guest stars as Jessica Chastain, Eileen Atkins, Hugh Bonneville, and Barbara Hershey, Poirot must determine who has brutally murdered an extremely unpleasant man named Ratchett (Toby Jones), a fellow passenger on the Orient Express. The claustrophobic environment (the train is stalled on the tracks during a blizzard), and the wide array of suspects, makes for a perfect Christie "closed room" murder. Suchet also gets the opportunity to explore parts of his character, such as Poirot's advancing age and his faith, in more depth than in other episodes of the series.

The rest of the episodes in the collection are from earlier in the series, but all have their great points as well. "Hercule Poirot’s Christmas," from 1995, features one of Christie's more grisly murders. Poirot is a reluctant house guest of the rich and elderly Simeon Lee (Vernon Dobtcheff), who has hired the detective to "observe" his family over the Christmas holiday. The audience may not care about the victim, who is one of Christie's most unlikeable characters, but they will enjoy the subtle humor and clever resolution to the crime, which, in typical Christie fashion, has been hiding in plain sight all along.

1990's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a post-WWI story involving Poirot and his friend Hastings, renewing their wartime friendship over a country house murder. It is as humorous as it is clever, and the viewer can enjoy watching Poirot tease his friend Hastings' less-than-stellar deductive properties, while marveling at how the little Belgian detective manages to keep up with the story's twists and turns before he catches the killer.

"The ABC Murders," originally broadcast in 1992, is one of Christie's more interesting plots. She sets Poirot on the trail of a serial killer with an alphabet fetish. Poirot must get into the mind of the killer, his focus more on psychology this time out than motive. Can Poirot, Japp, Hastings, and a band of interested parties - the loved ones of the killer's victims - form an effective detective squad and stop the self-named "ABC" before he strikes again?

Christie loved to send Poirot around the world, reflecting her own journeys with archaeologist husband Max Mallowan. In 1993's "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb," an Egyptian tomb in the Valley of the Kings seems to be cursed as members of an excavation party keep dying. Poirot and Hastings travel to Egypt to discover the real culprit behind the series of mysterious deaths at an archaeological site. The locations and settings are as top-notch as ever, and the episode manages to successfully combine the Egyptomania of the period with Poirot's (and Christie's) truly ingenious solution.

The final Poirot mystery is one of Suchet's earliest outings as the character, it is 1989's "Four and Twenty Blackbirds." Viewers are treated to more aspects of Poirot's finicky character (the man must be a Virgo), especially regarding his relationship towards food, and his odd couple friendship with Japp, as the pair try to discover if there is something fishy behind the recent deaths of two estranged brothers. Are their deaths, which occurred within days of one another, coincidence or murder? Poirot's favorite restaurant, also a haunt of one of the brothers, and an unconventional artist's model, provide both exquisite period detail as well as clues to the solution of the mystery.

As for the Marple end of things, actresses Geraldine McEwan (right) and Julia McKenzie (below) offer their interpretations of the deceptively sweet Miss Marple. Christie's small-town busybody sleuth appears in five feature-length episodes from the Marple series in this set. The first three mysteries feature McEwan, and the last two McKenzie. Miss Marple's village of St. Mary Mead and its murderous denizens are portrayed in beautiful period detail, but the elderly sleuth does get out and about to solve a mystery or two. These interpretations of Christie's stories have also noticeably upped the sex angle. Sex and romance was always a feature in Christie's original tales, but the author tended to allude to such relationships more daintily than the way in which they are depicted herein.

The first episode, "The Murder at the Vicarage," originally broadcast in 2004, features the usually cuddly Derek Jacobi as the bombastic Colonel Protheroe, a self-important bigwig in St. Mary Mead. Protheroe almost seems to ask to be murdered, as he huffs and puffs his way through the village, and soon enough someone eagerly complies. Miss Marple must sort through a list of suspects who also happen to be her very good friends and neighbors--played by such talents as Janet McTeer, Jason Flemyng, and Rachael Stirling--before she can come up with a solution to the crime.

2005's "A Murder Is Announced" has Miss Marple trying to sort out why a "murder game," intended for an evening's entertainment, turned chillingly real. McEwan's Marple is more of the annoying little old lady next door than Agatha Christie's kindly, fluffy elderly spinster, who always seemed to be knitting something fuzzy in blue or pink. But her nosiness serves her well as she sorts out the complex relationships of the guests at the house party and discovers who is responsible. As with all the Marple episodes, the casting is first-rate, with such guest stars as Zoë Wanamaker, Matthew Goode, Cherie Lunghi, and Sienna Guillory.

The final McEwan Marple episode in the collection, 2007's "At Bertram’s Hotel," bears little resemblance to the original Christie story, apart from Miss Marple's affection for London's Bertram's Hotel. If Christie fans can tolerate the changes to the story, there is a lot to enjoy, especially the period atmosphere of the hotel and its regular and transient guests, played by such great actors as Francesca Annis, Polly Walker, and Peter Davison.

Julia McKenzie takes over as Marple in "A Pocket Full of Rye," which was originally broadcast in 2008. This adaptation features a much more down-to-earth Miss Marple. Here, she is tasked with determining who wanted a wealthy businessman (Kenneth Cranham) dead — and the list of suspects is quite long. But her job is also a quite personal one as young maid named Gladys, from St. Mary Mead, has been murdered as well. McKenzie's Marple is sharp as ever, but perhaps without the acerbic edge that McEwan brought to the role. The impressive list of guest stars includes Rupert Graves, Matthew MacFadyen, and Helen Baxendale.


The final Marple episode in the collection is 2010's "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side." One of the best entries in the Marple series, the mystery finds the villagers of St. Mary Mead starstruck when a Hollywood actress (Lindsay Duncan), and her director husband, move to town. Joanna Lumley is clearly having a blast as Miss Marple's dear friend Dolly Bantry, and although the story has some quite tragic elements, there is an overall feeling of brightness and fun to the episode. Caroline Quentin and Hugh Bonneville guest star, and McKenzie proves that she truly is Marple in this third filmed adaptation of the novel (previous entries featured Joan Hickson and Angela Lansbury).

The mysteries in the collection are in all color, 16:9 widescreen format, with stereo sound, and SDH subtitles. The Poirot set has a total running time of approximately 503 minutes and the Marple set approximately 463 minutes. The Marple set includes a bonus booklet insert that includes the recipe for the "Delicious Death" chocolate cake featured in "A Murder Is Announced."

Acorn has released all of the individual mysteries before, and has done so in a wide array of sets. Even so, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Marple: Fan Favorites Collection is a boon for folks who want to dabble in the Agatha Christie mysteries, or who are missing a few of the full sets. The quality of the DVDs is as high as ever, and fans of Christie and British mystery should experience hours of enjoyment from this collection.

poirot's early cases

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Early Cases Collection on Blogcritics.

For fans of David Suchet's classic interpretation of Agatha Christie's most famous sleuth Hercule Poirot, Acorn Media has put together a real treat, Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Early Cases. This recently released collection compiles the first six series of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, remastered and in their original U.K. broadcast order. The collection is available on both DVD and Blu-ray.

David Suchet has created the ultimate version of the Christie's little Belgian detective. Seen in the U.S. on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery! and the A&E network, Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Suchet's interpretation has been a long-time favorite of all lovers of British mystery since its debut in 1989. Suchet is realizing his dream of playing in all of Christie's Poirot mysteries - he is currently filming the final book featuring Poirot, Curtain.

Hercule Poirot and Co., L-R: Inspector Japp, Poirot, Miss Lemon, Captain Hastings.

The mysteries included in Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Early Cases Collection have all been released on DVD and Blu-ray previously. The advantage to this collection, if one hasn't already purchased separate series, is having all of your favorite Poirot episodes in one set, and especially on Blu-ray, which features an impeccable transfer from the original 16mm-filmed series.

The Blu-ray includes 13 discs with SDH subtitles available. The aspect ratio is 1.33:1 with a video resolution of 1080p/4.3 full screen. The mysteries simply look fantastic on a large-scale high definition television screen, with colors and blacks clear and sharp and details like the paisley on Poirot's cravat and his impeccably waxed mustache popping. Discs for Series 1 and 2 are in 2.0 Dolby Digital sound and Series 3-6 are in 2.0 Stereo PCM, with dialogue crisp and clear. The musical score also sounds excellent. There are no extras, apart from some previews for other Acorn Media mystery titles. The 45 mysteries included in the set are:

Series 1, Disc 1 (Approximate running time 262 minutes):
"The Adventure of the Clapham Cook," "Murder in the Mews," "The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly," "Four and Twenty Blackbirds," "The Third Floor Flat."

Series 1, Disc 2 (Approximate running time 257 minutes):
"Triangle at Rhodes," "Problem at Sea," "The Incredible Theft," "The King of Clubs," "The Dream."

Series 2, Disc 1 (Approximate running time 260 minutes):
"Peril at End House," "The Veiled Lady," "The Lost Mine," "The Cornish Mystery."

Series 2, Disc 2 (Approximate running time 263 minutes):
"The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim," "Double Sin," "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat," "The Kidnapped Prime Minister," "The Adventure of the Western Star."

Series 3, Disc 1 (Approximate running time 213 minutes):
"The Mysterious Affair at Styles," "How Does Your Garden Grow?," "The Million Dollar Bond Robbery."

Poirot and his "little grey cells" are more than a match for any criminal.

Series 3, Disc 2 (Approximate running time 210 minutes):
"The Plymouth Express," "Wasps’ Nest," "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor," "The Double Clue."

Series 3, Disc 3 (Approximate running time 205 minutes):
"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest," "The Theft of the Royal Ruby," "The Affair at the Victory Ball," "The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge."

Series 4, Disc 1 (Approximate running time 213 minutes):
"The ABC Murders," "Death in the Clouds."

Series 4, Disc 2 (Approximate running time 106 minutes):
"One, Two, Buckle My Shoe."

Series 5, Disc 1 (Approximate running time 204 minutes):
"The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb," "The Underdog," "Yellow Iris," "The Case of the Missing Will."

Series 5, Disc 2 (Approximate running time 203 minutes):
"The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman," "The Chocolate Box," "Dead Man’s Mirror," "Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan."

Series 6, Disc 1 (Approximate running time 124 minutes):
"Hercule Poirot’s Christmas," "Hickory Dickory Dock."

Series 6, Disc 2 (Approximate running time 124 minutes):
"Murder on the Links," "Dumb Witness."

Poirot is joined on many of these cases by his faithful companions Captain Arthur Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) and his secretary and general factotum Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran.) The 1930s Art Deco sets and costumes look fantastic on Blu-ray. As do some of the wonderful filming locations, which include period architecture and furnishings. Many of the mysteries take Poirot and the viewer out of his fabulously furnished London flat to the English countryside, as well as overseas to Paris and more exotic locales, like Egypt and the island of Rhodes.

Murder follows Poirot on holiday in Rhodes.

Viewers will also recognize many of their favorite actors in guest appearances, including Caprica's Polly Walker ("Peril at End House"), The Princess Diaries' Caroline Goodall ("The Adventure of the Western Star"), The Tudors' Jeremy Northam ("Dead Man's Mirror"), Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston ("One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"), and Homeland's Damian Lewis ("Hickory Dickory Dock"). Of the early cases included in the set eight are feature-length movies and 38 are hour-long episodes.

Agatha Christie's Poirot is still impressive to watch, with its intricate puzzles, attention to period detail, and impeccable casting. To now have all 45 of Poirot's early cases from the first six seasons of the series available on Blu-ray is a dream come true for fans of British television and Christie alike. Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Early Cases Collection has come out just in time for the holidays, and Christie and Suchet fans will certainly enjoy watching their favorite television detective in glorious Blu-ray.

suchet on blu-ray: agatha christie's poirot, series 6

Acorn Media has released another superb Blu-ray collection, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 6, which includes four feature-length episodes in their original 1995-96 U.K. broadcast order.

The four episodes are on two discs, with a total running time of 428 minutes. The video resolution is 1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The sound is crisp and clear, in Dolby Digital 2.0, with SDH subtitles available. Originally filmed in 16mm, the episodes have been re-mastered for Blu-ray and high definition, and look spectacular on a large-scale hi-def television. Details like the weave of the fabric of Poirot's suit and background set details pop in a way they never did in their original television broadcast.

All Hercule Poirot wants for Christmas are a heated apartment and some delicious Belgian chocolates

Hercule Poirot's Christmas Both Poirot and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) have their Christmas holidays interrupted by a very curious murder at a rich man's estate. Past indiscretions and South African diamonds provide the clues that the great detective needs to unravel to find the perpetrator of the violent crime. Mark Tandy costars as the local chief of police, Superintendent Sugden.

Hickory Dickory Dock Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon's (Pauline Moran) sister enlists the detective's help with a series of thefts at a hostel where she is a housekeeper. Poirot soon discovers that something more sinister than kleptomania is afoot, and must find the villain of the piece before the bodies begin to pile up too high. To further complicate matters, while his wife is out of town Japp moves in with Poirot and almost starves when confronted by the little Belgian's idea of home cooking. Jonathan Firth and Damian Lewis costar as students at the hostel.

Murder on the Links On holiday in Deauville, France, Poirot and Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) become involved in a local case of abduction and murder. Poirot races to solve the case before his arch-enemy, the abrasive Giraud of the Sûreté (Bill Moody) can. The two make a wager regarding who will solve the crime first. If Giraud loses, he must give up his famous pipe. If Poirot loses, he must shave off his moustache. Poirot can not let that happen. Hastings, meanwhile, falls for a woman named Bella Duveen (Jacinta Mulcahy), who has secrets of her own.

Bob the fox terrier helps Captain Hastings and Poirot solve a murder

Dumb Witness A fox terrier named Bob proves to be an invaluable witness in the murder of his beloved master, Emily Arundel (Ann Morrish). Also trying to assist Poirot on the case are two sisters, Julia and Isabel Tripp (Muriel Pavlow and Pauline Jameson), Miss Arundel's neighbors, who look for answers from "the other side."

David Suchet has proved himself to be the ultimate portrayer of Dame Agatha Christie's most famous detective, the Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. The impeccably mustachioed Poirot utilizes his "little grey cells" to determine the responsible party in each of these entertaining mysteries. The production values, as always with the series, are top-notch, with beautiful Art Deco surroundings and impeccable costumes. Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 6 is a very worthy addition to Christie canon, enabling fans of Suchet and Poirot to enjoy these mysteries again and again.

poirot investigates &mdash on blu-ray

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Poirot, Series 3 on Blogcritics.

Acorn Media releases another wonderful Blu-ray of Poirot, featuring David Suchet as Agatha Christie's inimitable Belgian detective. Suchet recently announced that he will be filming the remaining Christie Hercule Poirot novels and short stories. It has certainly been the role-of-a-lifetime for the British actor, and his Poirot is fussy, pompous, flawless, and brilliant — everything fans of the sleuth could hope for him to be.

Poirot, Series 3 also stars Hugh Fraser as the Poirot's faithful sidekick Captain Arthur Hastings, Philip Jackson as his Scotland Yard connection Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as his proper secretary Miss Lemon.

Poirot confronts a wax figure of himself in "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor"

The three-disc set includes 11 mysteries, with a total running time of 628 minutes. First aired in 1990-91, they appear in this collection in their original U.K. broadcast order. Scene selection and SDH subtitles are available on each disc.

What the Blu-ray set lacks in extras it makes up for in clarity. The fabulous period settings and costumes are sharp and colorful, especially when seen on a high-definition television screen, with 1080p video resolution and an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The dialogue comes through crisp and clear, with LPCM 2.0 sound.

Disc 1:

"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" — Based on Christie's post-WW1 novel that introduced Hercule Poirot, this feature-length mystery has Poirot and Hastings on their first case together. Beatie Edney guest stars.

"How Does Your Garden Grow?" — Poirot receives a cry for help from an elderly woman, but when he investigates, he is too late; she is already dead. Can he find her murderer with clues found in her well-appointed garden?

"The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" — Poirot and a seasick Hastings travel on the Queen Mary to try to solve — and prevent — an international robbery.

Disc 2:

"The Plymouth Express" — A heartbroken father enlists Poirot's help to solve the especially ruthless murder of a young woman — his daughter — on a train.

"Wasps’ Nest" — A love triangle (Martin Turner, Peter Capaldi, and Melanie Jessup) and a wasp's nest both provide clues for Poirot to prevent a potential murder.

"The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" — Poirot investigates a ghostly shooting at a spooky English manor house.

"The Double Clue" — A jewel robbery is a distraction for Poirot, who finds romance with a Russian countess-in-exile (Kika Markham).

Hercule Poirot and Countess Vera Rossakoff enjoy a picnic.

Disc 3:

"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" — A particularly daring criminal commits a grisly murder during a dinner party where Poirot is the guest. Caroline Langrishe guest stars.

"The Theft of the Royal Ruby" — In a lighter-hearted mystery, Poirot must sacrifice his Christmas holiday to help determine who stole a valuable ruby from a young and extremely annoying Egyptian prince.

"The Affair at the Victory Ball" — Italian Commedia dell'arte costumes provide a clue to the identity of a murderer. Nathaniel Parker guest stars.

"The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge" — Poirot is under the weather, so Hastings must be his eyes and ears when investigating a shooting at a local hunting lodge.

Poirot travels in the rarified circes of the rich and famous, but his cases aways involves both the upstairs and downstairs members of English society. Poirot, Series 3, is impeccably filmed, and provides a glimpse into a lost way of life; not just of manor houses and travels on the Queen Mary, but strict class separations that could be (temporarily) equalized by an event like a murder.

With the release of the Poirot series on Blu-ray, viewers can watch not only a wonderful depiction of 1920s and 1930s England, but also the definitive version of Agatha Christie's most famous character, Hercule Poirot.

Related articles

• Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot - Series 1 (blogcritics.org)

poirot investigates

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot - Series 1 on Blogcritics.

Newly remastered and restored in its original U.K. broadcast order, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 1, starring the inimitable David Suchet as the little Belgian detective, has finally come to Blu-ray, and it was worth the wait. Always a visually elegant series, the Art Deco architecture, set decorations, and costumes look more gorgeous than ever, especially when viewed on a high-definition television screen.

The crew: Hastings, Poirot and Miss Lemon

Suchet certainly found the role of his career in Hercule Poirot, Christie's most famous detective. Series 1 includes 10 full-length mysteries, scene selection, and SDH subtitles. Unfortunately there are no other extras available. It would have been nice to have some cast interviews or character backgrounders. But the Blu-ray is still worthwhile, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the '30s-era high society world where Poirot investigates murder most English.

Having been a fan of Suchet and this series on PBS for years, watching Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Series 1 was like seeing them all for the first time on Blu-ray. It was fun to be reminded that in the series Poirot's sidekick Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) is not the bumbler that he is in the books, but frequently provides needed muscle and back-up for the cerebral detective. Philip Jackson's Chief Inspector Japp and Pauline Moran's Miss Lemon round out Poirot's little home team.

The 10 episodes include:

Disc 1:

The Adventure of the Clapham Cook - Is Poirot too great a personage to search for a missing domestic?

Murder in the Mews - Guy Fawkes Day is used as a backdrop for murder. Guest stars include David Yelland and James Faulkner.

The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly - Poirot and Hastings try to prevent a kidnapping.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Can a man's last meal provide a clue to his murder? Hilary Mason & Richard Howard guest star.

The Third Floor Flat - Murder hits close to home - Poirot's own apartment building. With Josie Lawrence.

Disc 2:

Triangle at Rhodes - Poirot goes on holiday, but murder of course follows him, as he must determine how a love triangle led to the death of a wealthy woman. The local scenery is wonderful, and Poirot goes to the beach — in a three piece suit and patent leather shoes.

Problem at Sea - Poirot takes a leisurely cruise — leisurely until murder strikes. With the aid of some of his fellow passengers and a little magic he cracks the case.

The Incredible Theft - Back at home, Poirot is now called in to prevent espionage that might threaten national security. An interesting glimpse of English politics between the two world wars.

The King of Clubs - Poirot and Hastings go backstage at the early talkies where the lovely star of a Valentino The Sheik-esque film (Niamh Cusack) may be involved in a murder.

The Dream - Joely Richardson plays the daughter of a man who told Poirot just 24 hours before he died that he kept having a recurring dream of killing himself. Did he truly commit suicide or was it murder?

Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Series 1 includes 10 episodes on two discs, for a total running time of approximately 519 min. The resolution is 1080p/4:3 full screen and the sound is 2.0 Dolby Digital. The sound is as great as the visuals, as every nuance of Poirot's accent comes through crisp and clear. The dapper little detective never looked better, and it's great to travel with him and watch him puzzle out these decidedly stylish, but unmistakably deadly cases.

Related articles

• Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot - Series 1 (blogcritics.org)
• Acorn Media buys stake in Agatha Christie estate (guardian.co.uk)

who do you Brits think you are?

Who Do You Think You Are? may have finished its latest run of shows, but that doesn't mean that the amateur genealogist has to go without. Imagine how happy I was to discover that my love for actor David Suchet, best known for his portrayal of Agatha Christie's famous Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, and my interest in genealogy was combined in an episode from the British version of the series. I have loved watching the first two seasons of the American series, which it turns out is actually an offshoot of the British original, which originated in 2004 (and is still producing new episodes). Why am I not surprised — all the best television ideas seem to come from across the pond.

It was a little strange for me at first, just getting used to listening to Suchet in his own voice, own accent. I'm so used to the precise inflections he uses and slight accent for Poirot. It was amusing watching him realize that like his signature role, he would have to go on the trail for clues. At one point he was laughing as he pulled on white gloves to examine some old documents, "How many times have I done this before?" Of course this time, it's for some information that will directly affect him and his family.

Suchet found out the real source of his last name (not French, as he had been told) and travelled to England, France and the Ukraine. Thankfully, all of the episode, in six parts, can be watched on YouTube. Now that I've started watching the British version of the show, I can't stop. Other favorites I have queued up include Stephen Fry and David Tennant (both can also be watched on YouTube). The episodes I've watched have been narrated by British actor Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Stardust, Robin Hood).

Stephen Fry, as you might expect, was quite amusing in his episode. He was delighted to discover an ancestor, one of the "amazing Prings" was a pauper inmate in a London workhouse. His reaction?  "How Dickensian!" Fry had always been told that on his mother's side of the family, Jewish relatives were "killed by Hitler." This proved to be true, and he took an amazing emotional journey to Vienna and beyond to discover how tragic his relative's stories were.

My favorite Dr. Who, David Tennant, was initially also a bit surprising — to my ears — as I got used to his Scottish accent. Tennant knew next to nothing about his ancestors. He discovered a star athlete and a beauty queen and travelled from the Lowlands of Scotland to the Highlands. His quest also took him to Ireland, where he found it quite difficult at first to learn about his ancestor's involvement in "the troubles," Bloody Sunday, gerrymandering and poll-rigging.

Who Do You Think You Are is always an interesting history lesson. People find out not only about their relatives, but their relatives' part in history. I'm looking forward to digging up some more of these shows, and learning more as well. Zoë Wanamaker, Patsy Kensit, Robert Lindsay, and Graham Norton's shows all seem available. Hopefully more will be put up on YouTube or become available on DVD, as some of my favorites have also done episodes — Alan Cumming, John Hurt, Jeremy Irons, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Nigella Lawson.

miss marple is hotter than you think

Article first published as Miss Marple Is Hotter Than You Think on Blogcritics.



It's partly a tribute to the strength of Agatha Christie's characters and stories that Hollywood and its equivalents keep churning out new versions every few years. David Suchet has got a lock on the inimitable Hercule Poirot. Thank goodness for that. He is such a perfect Poirot in every way that I am not able to contemplate someone else trying to step into the Belgian detective's shiny tight patent leather shoes.

Miss Marple, for some reason, has never been as easy to capture. Maybe because the character's description by Christie is as fluffy as the shawls Marple is always knitting. Poirot is specific. In fact he has so many quirks and eccentricities that Christie grew to loathe being forever saddled with him while the public loved him. Miss Marple, apart from being elderly and smart and more than a bit of a snoop doesn't have many other descriptors except blue eyes and white hair. She has been open to interpretation to readers — plug in your favorite little old lady stereotype and add a pink or blue wooly shawl.

Miss Marple has also been open to interpretation by a variety of actresses. Margaret Rutherford made a series of four B&W films in the 1960s. They are very enjoyable and silly comedies, but as any Christie devotee will tell you, they aren't Miss Marple.

Miss Marple saw a surge of popularity in the 1980s. Angela Lansbury in The Mirror Crack'd (1980) is a good attempt. I enjoy her version of the character, but I think she found a better fit for her vigorous physicality in Jessica Fletcher. Helen Hayes was my perfect physical idea of Miss Marple. She's petite and fluffy and wily. She was in two American made-for-TV movies in the mid-80s. They lack the British locale and polish, but are fun to watch.


Joan Hickson is to me the ultimate Miss Marple, as Suchet is the ultimate Poirot. She may be the least "fluffy" of the portrayers, but she gets everything else very, very right. From 1984 to 1992 she played Marple in 12 movies.

From 2004-2010 creators of the latest Marple series tried to sex up the stories and even Miss Marple herself. They are often confusing to watch, as so much of the original stories have been changed. Geraldine McEwan is a good actress, but her Miss Marple is just creepy to me. Julia McKenzie took over the role after McEwan, a bit more in the manner of Hickson's Marple, but the dramatizations of the stories are still pretty awful. Some of my favorite Christie novels like Towards Zero suddenly have Marple plunked in the middle of them where she doesn't belong. If you love Miss Marple, I'd skip these and find the Hickson versions on DVD.

Apparently these latest Marples weren't deemed sexy enough, because the latest news is that yet another Marple franchise is in the works, this time starring ... Jennifer Garner. The mind boggles. Obviously all previous incarnations of white hair and knitted baby items will have to be tossed out. As a huge Christie fan I should be shaking my head in disgust or outrage, right? Somehow it just makes me laugh and wonder if it might be fun to watch.

The idea is so completely off-the-wall that it might even work. Why the folks behind this production are bothering to trade on the Marple name at all is confusing, but maybe it will provide them with some decent plots to pull from, at the very least. Garner is also producing the film. I wish it had been scaled down to be a TV series instead of a feature film, as that seems to be where this actress shines. Can Garner pull a Robert Downey and mess with a beloved character and still be great? Only time will tell. But somehow, I suspect, the resilient Miss Marple will weather this latest incarnation and turn up again, in another guise, in a year or so.