New Agatha Christie!

Well the BBC should commission new dramas to include black and coloured actors to reflect current considerations not superimpose them clumsily on a story written in 1939.

Oreo - ‘the character’ was Nigerian. It was part of the empire, gained independence in 1960.
I have formal photographs of my dad and colleagues posed with Nigerian police officers. My dad was a detective in the Lancashire Constabulary but seconded to the Met to help train Nigerian officers to work in CID. So networks existed.

The racism that existed in the 50’s and 60’s is reflected in this adaptation.

I’ve no problem with the bbc using a black Nigerian as a key character.

'An invitation to a murder' on Channel 5 was Americanised nonsense full of howlers as well as dreadful acting. Apart from that I agree re 'Murder is Easy'.

Nannan2

An invitation to a murder was very well adapted i thought.As was murder is easy- but as they had changed the skin colour of Fitzwilliam you just know whenever they do that theyre trying be more inclusive or 'woke' but in some cases wont work because you just know that in that scenario in real life back in those times that they would not have been 'accepted in' like that as there was still a lot of racial unacceptance among the white people, and its liklehood is that they would not have been in those positions of 'higher standing' shall we say, but in more lowly paid jobs etc.And not accepted among the guests at 'nice parties' and the like.(im not saying thats acceptable to have been like that im just saying thats how it was back then) and tv programmes just changing original books/scripts etc to fit more modern inclusive times often just looks out of place then.

This, exactly.

granfromafar

utterbliss

Please can anyone confirm, just how you can get ITVX for free?
I tried but you have to pay for a subscription to get a free trial.

ITVX is a free service, like BBC iplayer. You may have to put your email in, I can't remember, but it's definitely free. Go to Freeview on your TV and you should be able to get it. Good luck.

I just key in ITV on my laptop and it comes up. I haven't retuned orsigned in.. The same with my TV it comes up automatically . perhaps you could just retune your TV

I thought this 2 parter was pretty dire

Calendargirl

How big a suitcase did Luke take with him? He seemed to have clothes for every occasion, dinner jacket, bow tie, tennis gear, did he have cricket whites also, plus shirts and casual trousers, oh and a suit also I suppose.

I thought it was a load of tosh. Luke with his permanent quizzical expression, hard faced Bridget, Lord Whitfield’s daft hairstyle, the idiotic police officers……..plus bodies every couple of minutes.

Surprised Penelope Wilton, Dougie Henshall and Mark Bonnar chose to appear in it. Bet it was too late to back out when they realised how bad it was.

😂
I thought so too.
Also why was the character a Jamaican? Also why set it in 1954?
Hard to swallow rubbish.

Oh yes. Joan Hickson is the definitive Miss Marple.

I dislike Joan Hickson as Mrs (sic) Marple

Oh, how can you say that?!

Joan Hickson is Miss Marple personified!

Agatha Christie herself agreed.

Aveline

Poirot is over. No more episodes with David Suchet ☹️. Joan Hickson was the perfect Muss Marple for me. Can't understand how Tony Curtis could have been in an Agatha Christie adaptation at all.

I thought Penelope Wilton was going to be brought in as a Miss Marple type of character to help the ex-policeman but alas, she was soon finished off.

Poirot is over. No more episodes with David Suchet ☹️. Joan Hickson was the perfect Muss Marple for me. Can't understand how Tony Curtis could have been in an Agatha Christie adaptation at all.

I thought there was to be a new episode of midsommer murders and Hercule Poirrot on this week?Not seen them advertised yet.Or is that in the New Year? 🤔🤗

And for me there can be no other Hercule Poirot than the great David Suchet.

I saw the mirror cracked but the version with Elizabeth Taylor& Rock Hudson & Tony Curtis in- a bit better for me as i dislike Joan Hickson as Mrs Marple.Angela Lansbury made a surprise change.Rather drawn out though just for the story it was.

And i too wondered how he fitted all those different outfits into that small suitcase?😂

It was ok. I watched it all. I found it a bit slow in places, and wouldn’t bother watching it again.

I also watched ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ and really enjoyed it, Chardy . I enjoyed the version of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ which followed it, too.

An invitation to a murder was very well adapted i thought.As was murder is easy- but as they had changed the skin colour of Fitzwilliam you just know whenever they do that theyre trying be more inclusive or 'woke' but in some cases wont work because you just know that in that scenario in real life back in those times that they would not have been 'accepted in' like that as there was still a lot of racial unacceptance among the white people, and its liklehood is that they would not have been in those positions of 'higher standing' shall we say, but in more lowly paid jobs etc.And not accepted among the guests at 'nice parties' and the like.(im not saying thats acceptable to have been like that im just saying thats how it was back then) and tv programmes just changing original books/scripts etc to fit more modern inclusive times often just looks out of place then.

Chardy

I recorded 'Witness for the Prosecution' yesterday - Marlene Dietrich & Charles Laughton. I love 50s b&w films.
Just settling down to watch it.

Loved this one, the new one … only watched part of the first episode!

I quite like the premise of the plot, and remember enjoying it when I first read it many years ago.

I like some of the modern versions of Christie stories, as I read all of them as a child/young woman, and have seen so many adaptations that I always know whodunnit before I start watching. A twist or two makes it worth watching, although some of them have been pretty dire.

This one was ok, I suppose. I'm not much of a 'cozy murder' fan, and this seemed to fit into that genre - a bit like Midsomer Murders or Death in Paradise. That aside, it was ok to watch on an afternoon between Christmas and New Year when I'm not looking for anything too demanding.

I wasn't upset by the so-called 'wokery' - I wouldn't have noticed if there hadn't been so much fuss about it. I just saw the black detective as adding a new dimension and the other references to racism and colonialism as scene setting. There were huge plot holes, I agree, and some of the acting was a bit 'hammy', but that goes with the territory of 'cozy murders'.

I was a bit disappointed with the end. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it, so will leave that there.

I thought it was an entertaining pile of tosh but nothing like an Agatha Christie. If you're going to move a story to a different period at least make it historically accurate or what's the point? The NHS was established in 1948 and betting wasn't legalised until 1960, is this just down to carelessness, does nobody check these things? How writers and producers can care so little about their work is sad.

M0nica

Siope

I thought it was lacking in tension, but did a reasonably good job of adapting a book that had a fairly limited plot and not very well developed characters.

If the book has a limited plot and not-well developed characters, why bother to make a tv version of it?

That’s a good question, it’s always been viewed as one of her minor works and there are plenty of others to choose from.

I've seen worse. I thought Douglas Henshall and Mark Bonnar were both hamming it up a bit, as if they were so happy to have roles which were not the leading man, so they really got into character. But it was good to see them.

I watched the first part yesterday. After so many negative comments, I was pleasantly surprised

I recorded 'Witness for the Prosecution' yesterday - Marlene Dietrich & Charles Laughton. I love 50s b&w films.
Just settling down to watch it.

Siope

I thought it was lacking in tension, but did a reasonably good job of adapting a book that had a fairly limited plot and not very well developed characters.

If the book has a limited plot and not-well developed characters, why bother to make a tv version of it?

It was dreadful.
Not helped because I had watched 'The mirror crack'd' with the inimitable Joan Hickson and supporting cast first.